ENGLISH VIOLINIST

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 914, 6 March 1930, Page 18

ENGLISH VIOLINIST

MR. JOHN DUNN’S CONCERT CELEBRATED ARTIST Following his concert at the Town Hall this evening Mr. John Dunn, the celebrated English violinist, will undertake a tour of the Dominion. He will then set out on an extensive tour of Australia, South Africa, England, and the United States. At the early age of 12 years Mr. Dunn showed such promise that he was enrolled as a student at the Royal Conservatorium at Leipzig where he studied under Henry Schradieck, famous for his technique. After gaining the prize for the highest distinction and merit ne returned to England and, when only in his sixteenth year, achieved a great success at one of the famous promenade concerts, following this up with a successful tour of the most important English cities and re-engagements at the promenade concerts. , The concerts in those days were very big affairs, Mr. Dunn told a Sun representative. Nowadays it was very hard to make them pay. He said that at the present time the concert world in England was not tlourishing. For this state of affairs he largely blamed wireless. Broadcasting in England, he said, meant far more than it did in the overseas Dominions. There the broadcasting organisations had more and better artists at their disposal, and with large orchestras they could turn on very good programmes over the air. In regard to opera, however, he thought the situation looked much brighter. Sir Thomas Beecham’s scheme for national opera was meeting with support, and just before he left London he understood that Sir Thomas had got the necessary money from the public to set the scheme going. Mr. Dunn recently toured South Africa, where he had a number of very successful engagements. He had always been keen to come out to New Zealand, and while in the Dominion Intends to make the most of his visit. At his concert this evening Mr. Dunn will be assisted by an orchestra conducted by Mr. Colin Muston. He will play two concertos accompanied by the orchestra, tile popular Mendelssohn concerto, which will be played in New Zealand by an orchestra for the first time, and a concerto by Max Bruch.

We call Caspar Cassado a new star, by the side of such fixed constellations who have shone for us these many years past, but really, to mix the metaphor, he has served at the inner shrine some little time. Favourite pupil of Pablo Casals, the greatest cellist of the day, he has already in a brief public career scored enormous triumphs in London, on the Continent, in his native Spain, and is even now winning the unstinted ; praise of the New York critics. If we j examine his latest offering, a pairing of “Melodic” by Tchaikowsky with a I “Song Without Words” by Mendel- j ssohn, w e can discover what brings [ the rapture to the critics. A smooth, j mellow', singing tone; a subtlety of phrasing that charges the music with : heartfelt meaning; a play of light ; and shade like the modulated voice cf : a great actor. There is a career of ! greatness in' store for this warm j young genius. Columbia 04288.

The numerous admirers of Pablo Casals, perhaps the greatest violinist in the world, jvill be pleased with his record of Walther’s “Prize Song” from Wagner's “Mastersingers of Nurnberg.” The deep and sonorous ’cello notes are faithfully reproduced with admirable roundness. On the reverse side Casals plays “O Star of Eve,” the baritone aria from “Tannhauser,” another Wagner work. ’ Here again the glorious melody Is made ethereal by the beautiful notes of the instrument. (H.M.V., DB 1012.) Old favourites sung afresh by Gladys Moncrieff are “Love Will find a Way” and “Villa,” both from “The Maid of the Mountains.” Sung by Gladys Moncrieff, soprano. Columbia 0178-1. It is over fourteen years since “The Maid of the Mountains” first delighted wartime Britain, and still its favourite songs are fresh in our minds. Gladys Moncrieff chooses two of the most popular, and treats them with chat wealth of feeling and consummate artistry of which she alone is capable. Gladys Moncrieff has few equals in musical comedy, and we venture to think that in spite of h&r more recent triumphs this will rank high among her records. The recording, particularly in “Love will Find a Way,” thrills one with its colour and realism. Rosa Ponselle has made the most satisfying recording of the famous Cavatina “Casta Diva,” from Bellini’s opera “Norma,” since Patti. But Ponselle has the advantages of a big orghestra accompaniment and chorus and the improved recording process. Very few sopranos of the past have recorded this aria, chiefly owing to the difficulty of i n t e r p r e tation. Rosa Ponselle gives a very dramatic and expressive reading of the jmrt, just such as we might nave expected from her. But what is most notable is her artistic restraint and the beautiful mezza-voce, which she uses with wonderful effect. The great soprano is auspiciously assisted by the chorus of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, and the recording admirably brings out the high artistic standard of the performance. (H.M.V., DB 1280.) “1812” Overture Solenelle (Tchaikowsky) is played in full by Sir Henry Wood conducting the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra. (Columbia 02949-51.) This, one of the most famous of all the fine Sir Henry Wood recordings, has now been put by Columbia into their popular-priced section It gives the overture complete on live sides, and its wide range of moods »ives Sir Henry wonderful scope to exhibit his clean sense of orchestration —even in the tumultuous finale there no suggestion of confusion or obscurity. But Sir Henry’s greatest achievement is the ‘largeness” of his interpretation; he gives us not the moods of a man, but the troubles, the dreams, the triumph of a whole nation. The phrasing is broad and lofty, the choral tuttis deep and restrained. The popular work takes on a richer aspect than the popular clamour which is so often read into it. The recording is superbly in perseeptive.

Two very artistic contributions by the Squire Octet are: Hungarian Dance No. G and Hungarian Dance No. S (Brahms). (Columbia 01751.) The native, spontaneous music of Bohemia has attracted many of the greatest composers, and Brahms himself, than whom no musician was less ready to pilfer second-hand material, liked it so much that he worked some of the finest themes into a series of dances. These dances, generally speaking, now rank as his most popular work. The Squire Octet plays them with a keen ear for the melody, and lets the subtlety slide in order to make the tunes stand out. This should make their record more popular, particularly as the sweetness and purity of their tone remain a feature of their playing. Good straight forward music always has a good market. * * * Among the numerous contributions to gramophone literature by operatic tenors, the work of Giovanni Martineili ranks deservedly high, not only ■’or the quality of his voice, but for the absence of tricks and mannerisms beloved by many Italian vocalists. The excerpt from "Andrea Chenier” — "As Some Soft Day in May”—is a representative example of his best work. Here the voice is used with the utmost freedom and fluency. The second aria on the record, “One O’er the Azure Fields,” is a beautiful example of Pel canto. The melodic line never wavers and the tone shadings are those of an artist of the highest class. (H.M.V., DB 1278.)

Harold Bauer's two records of Beethoven’s “Appassionata” Sonata are highly successful. It bears out what Holland writes of the music: "A union of unrestrained passion rnd rigid logic.” It is indeed a matter for gratification that Bauer plays in a straightforward way without any subjective interpolations, and thus we have a well-recorded, vigorous masculine rendering. Played so, it has an astonishing freshness and vitality. In fact Bauer’s Interpretation is characterised by pregnant and vital rhythm. The insistence placed by the pianist upon intelligence rather than upon emotion constitutes a welcome change from the hectic sensationalism in-

dulged in by many well-known players. The drizzling spirit of exhilaration displayed in the last movement makes the hackneyed music seem positively unfamiliar. The recording of the piano tone is remarkably successful, and even the rapid passages of the opening allegro are very clear with every note defined. The admirable variety of the tone, an element seldom present in mechanical piano transmissions, is even more striking than its realism. It appears to special advantage in the subtleties of the andante con moto. Altogether the work is played as formerly one hoped it would be. (H.M.V., DB 1293-94).

Columbia bring off a very difficult thing most successfully in their complete recording of Puccini’s "La Boheme.” There are, indeed, moments when the absence of the action, colour and pageantry of a stage presentation shows the bareness of some of the music. But these moments are rare, and as soon as one has learned the voices of the singers—it is surprising how quickly this can be done —the action flows along quite comprehensively. The play has its full life, and once i-ts action is known —and Columbia give an excellent British version by Compton Mackenzie with the album —every turn’ of thought, every mood of all the characters and every detail of the action is easily followed. Rosetta Pampanini, and Luigi Marini, as Mimi and Rodolfo, are powerful singers and passionate actors. The pathos of . the last conversation is doubly impressive because of their fineness of dramatic understanding, and we are filled with sympathy for the unfortunate girl and the foolish youth. Tancredi Pasero, with his solid handsome voice, is a manly Coliine, and it is because of his presence that the men’s ensembles have their magnificent musical power. The *ther principals and the performers of the smaller parts, the chorus and the orchestra, are all representative of highly experienced Italian opera. The whole recording is a great success. (Columbia- 9846-9858.) Those who attended the revival performance of Oscar Strauss’s “Chocolate Soldier” during the tour of the last Gilbert and Sullivan Company in New Zealand will welcome the record of vocal gems which has been made by the Light Opera Company. The martial-like "The War is Over,” humorous "Falling in Love,” and the rhythmic “My Hero,” are real gems of light operatic music. On the reverse side of the record is a wellarranged collection of gems from "Lilac Domino.” This comic opera toured New Zealand more than ten years ago, but, those who saw it still retain pleasant memories of bright and tuneful music. The quality of the voices, solos and choruses, is surprisingly good. This is an entertaining record. (H.M.V., C 1705). * * * Harold Williams, the most popular of Australian baritones, shows a marked improvement in his latest record. His material is well chosen. “The Toreador’s Song” and “Heart Bowed Down,” from Balfe’s opera, “The Bohemian Girl.” The first he gives with manly vigour and strong sentiment, holding his magnificent power well in reserve. He makes a fine contrast with liis second number, and in both has the excellent support of a rousing chorus (the 8.8. C.) and orchestra. (Columbia 05001.) Alma Gluck has made some of the most beautiful of soprano records in the H.M.V. list. The crystal clear limpidity of tone comes out extraordinarily well on modern gramophones, and her “Chanson Hindoue” remains one of the best versions of this song extant. But the gem of all her records is a coupling of two songs from the “Snow* Maiden” of Rimsky-Korsakoff —one in French and the other in English. The music is simple enough, but quite out of the ordinary run, and DA4BG must not on any account be missed. Gladys Moncrieff sings “When My Dreams Come True.” On the reverse “Smiling Irish Eyes is another Gladys

Moncrieff success, paired with “A Wee Bit of Love.” (Columbia 01779.) There is a full evening’s entertainment in the 11 records that make up the new complete recording of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance.” The brilliance of the orchestral playing, beauty of the singing and clarity of diction set a standard as high as has ever been achieved in gramophone music. The performances recorded are absolutely authoritative in interpretation, and maintain the strictest Savoyan traditions. Not only has Mr. Rupert D’Oyly Carte personally supervised the recordings, but Dr. Malcolm Sargent, probably the greatest living authority on Sullivan’s music, has conducted and been music ally responsible for every note. Mr Rupert D'Oyley Carte and the members of the Sullivan family have given Dr. Sargent every facility by allowing him access to those priceless treasures, the Sullivan manuscript full scores. The principal vocalists are the Misses Elsie Griffin, Nellie Brier-c-liffe, Nellie Walker, Dorothy Gill, Messrs. Derek Oldham, George Baker, Peter Dawson. Leo Sheffield and Stuart Robertson, and each member of the full symphony orchestra is an artist player individually chosen. The singing of the chorus is particularly beautiful. (H.M.V.).