RECORDED MUSIC

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19721, 11 December 1926, Page 17 (Supplement)

RECORDED MUSIC

THE WEEK'S NEW RECORDS. HIS MASTER ’S VOICE. The Revellers. This male voice quartet has achieved remarkable fame ‘in England and America. ’The combination consists of two tenors —Franklyn Baur and. Lewis James—a baritone (Eliott Shaw), a bass (Wilfred Glenn), and an accompanist (Edwin Small o’), who also sings tenor. These artists have frequently appeared as individual soloists, and as members of other combinations. It is said to be a commonplace in the United States for singers of syncopated music to appear also in more serious music,-and all four (incidentally having graduated as soloists in famous church choirs) have appeared as soloists in oratorio and festival work, besides with the renowned Me'ndelsshon choir in Toronto, the New York Philharmonic. the Chicago and the Philadelphia Orchestras, and the New York Oratorio Society. The following extract from the “Sound Wave” is of special interest:—“After two years an J a half continuous ‘straight’ work together the quartet began to wonder if it would not be possible to evolve a more intimate type of entertainment. The result of their cogitations was the invention of a new style —a style unique to ‘The Revellers.’ The initial move was the dispensing with an orchestra and the addition of a fifth voice, who would also be the accompanist. This new voice was found through the medium of the never failing gramophone. The quartet heard a test record of Mr. Baur, and they at once roali«<*d that this was the' voice they required to complete their ideal combination. The intention of the new ensemble, which was named “The Revellers” was to attempt to do with their voices wh.it Paul Whiteman had accomplished with his instruments. How far they have been successful we leave readers who have heard their records to judge for themselves. The manner in which their “trick” and legitimate singing is combined is astonishing. Such effects as five-note chords, the using of four voice's as an accompaniment to a solo voice, of a constant interchanging of a solo voice, and the almost orchestral colouring, which is frequently achieved in their songs, arc all remarkable. Each song is rehearsed and rehe'arsed again, and the final form of the song is created at these rehearsals. When the first record of the ensemble was being played in a music audition studio in New York a serious musician said. “Sure, that’s a marvellous record —only niggers could do that.” ,He was probably referring to the rhythm and the colour, but we’ are equally sure that no coloured folk could get the quality of tone which “The Revellers” do. No doubt the man meant well. Mengelberg, the famous conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, said that their? was the finest ensemble singing he had ever heard, and was particularly impressed with the trueness of their accents.

An extraordinary record just released is “Dianna.” with Charleston Back to Charleston.” This is an outstanding record, and has been described as one of the liveliest and most interesting pieces of singing ever recorded. The Zonophone Speciality Religious music has always been a “long suit” with the Zonophone Company; in fact, one finds the finest selection of this type of music in the Zonophone general catalogue. The brilliant grand organ solos recently issued have added considerably to an already excellent selection. This music has an almost universal appeal, and it seems to be' a sphere in which the gramophone will prove of the greatest boon in bringing the influence of the church into the home, and, perhaps, the only means by which the sick avd invalid can e'njoy the atmosphere of church. Two magnificent records are “Hallelujah Chorus” (Messiah) and “The Storm.” Of the mass choir records available these arc among the best ever issued. ,

Queen Hall’s Organ. The following report by “The Minstrel,” writing in the “Sound Wave,” is of interest: —“It seems but yesterday since the first tentative organ recordings appeared. To-day they are: sufficiently advanced in technique, and j realistic in result, to startle both the. casual listener and the seasoned grama phile. Almost incredible progress has been made in recording the highly complex and powerful sound wave of the grand organ.” The writer then goes on to describe the “His Master’s Voice” notable triumphs of recording Marcel Dupre' in his performance upon the Queen’s Hall organ he concludes as follows: —“The ‘Piece Herique’ is one of the great imaginative masterpieces of organ music—not in bulk, but in its sheer mental qualities. In the ‘mounting grandeur’ of its. harmonies, the incessant throb of those sombre accompanying chords, there is something mysterious, almost awe-inspiring. A mood of brooding, impressive, mysticism envelopes the music from the very beginning. It moves implacably, relentlessly onward. Presently, as we near the end of the first part, there is a break, and the tense atmosphere of the music is relieved by a more gracious section. Soon, however, that persistent, almost sinister figure in the bass is heard again. The music urges onward more and more impressively to a tremendous climax. There is a dramatic pause and drawing on the full resources of the organ, the' music reaches its culmination in a series of stupendous chords. It is a masterly performance, and the recording, with i s almost perfect balance of the' organ ensembled, its incredible reproduction of the massive pedal tone, is a triumph of recording technique. It is a disc which will long stand as a revelation of the power of modern gramophony. ”

COLUMBIA RECORDINGS Tertis—Player-composer. Lionel Tertis is generally adopted as one of the foremost viola players of the time, and through Columbia his wonderful art is fairly well known. There is for instance, Bach’s “Chaconne,” which Tertis plays with exquisite fluency throughout its four parts (L 1644-45 Later, Tertis gave us the same composer’s melancholy but fascinating “Come, Sweet Death,” with which he coupled Porpora’s lovely “Aria.” Once again he has come to the fore, as composer as well as soloist, is a very charming little work he calls “Hier au soir. ” It can be understood that such a consummate master of his instrument knows well what is the most suitable music for it and the consequence is a very delightful and appealing piece of work. The companion number is an arrangement —also by Tertis—of a beautirul old Irish tune that seems as if it had been especially written to fit the sombre beauty of the viola. The electric recording brings out all the rich tonal qualities of the instrument. ❖ *

Schneevoight and Grieg The Finnish conductor, Georg Schneevoight has already showm his appreciation and understasding of Grieg’s music by his Columbia records of the Norwegian Dances, and of late ho has followed up his success by what is, of possible, an even finer rendering of the Norwegian master’s very beautiful “Sigurd Jorsalfar” suite. Like the well-known “Peer Gynt,” these pieces were originally, written ag incidental music to a play, and they date from about 1872. Though their opus number is later than that of “Peer Gynt,” this only refers to the publication of the music, the actual date of composition being some years earlier. The three pieces of “Sigurd Jorsalfar” are well contrasted; the “Prelude” (In the King’s Hall) has a main subject that in its delicately rhythmic accents suggests a march of elves, -while the appealing middle section shows yet another variation of Greig’s favourite

device of contrasted groups of two and three notes. The second movement accompanies, in the play, the moment when tho heroine, Borghild, narrates a tragic and mysterious dream that visited her, and the music is full of weird and uncanny suggestion. The last movement is a fine and imposing march with well contrasted sections and typically “Griegy” themes. Tho middle section —equivalent to the trio

—has some beautiful flowing writing for strings and harp and the whole suite is instinct with the strongly national feeling the composer loved so much and used so well. The playing, by the London Symphony Orchestra, is noticeable for i.s combined strength and delicacy, especially fine being the brilliant trumpet passages and the flowing string themes in the Homage march. Tho Columbia electric recording has captured the varied forcecolours in all their beauty, and will be immensely appreciated by music lovers here, where it is due for release shortly. • •# e Good Instrumental Music. W. Al. Squire is one of the oldest and most reliable of Columbia favourites. Never once, from his very first record, has he disappointed us, for there is sonic hing about his method of tone production that always records well. His latest, due to arrive here gives a nice contrast of the old and the new, the first being represented by a “Vivace” by the 18th century composer Sammartini (or more properly San Alartini) and the second by “Passionnc” by Panzato, the title of which gives sufficient indication of its feeling. Both pieces are beautifully rendered, the expression of the one being balanced by the clean precision of the other, and both are electric recordings of absolute truth. Bernard Rcillie has drawn on familiar themes for his two violin solos, but he certainly infuses his own individuality into tho .Beethoven “Minuet” and Kreisler’s well-known arrangement of tho “Hindoo Song” from “Sadko.” The graceful chromatic phrases of the latter are played with a caressing smoothness that makes then sound even more suitable for tho violin than for the voice. The new Columbia proceess has repro duced the violin tone with conspicuous success. * * * ♦

Clarity in Song Recording. Tho words of songs are so clearly recorded nowadays that one has no difficulty at all in following every syllabic, whether purveyed in English, American or Scots. Gone are the days when one strained one’s cars to catch a few intelligible words here and there, from a mass of mumbled or distorted consonants. This word'-definition is no doubt largely responsible for the greater output and readier public acceptance of song records. Among recent Columbia issues under this head the following are to be commended. The singing sophomores in ‘ ’Honey Bunch,” and “Hello, Aloha (4025). This new troupe is now in the front rank of the world’s topical songsters, and they have done nothing better than the above. Layton and Johnston may not handle brand new material always, but their style is exclusive and they give a freshness and vim to numbers that a dozen other footlight or restaurant couples may be simultaneously addicted to. Their way of singing “Dreaming of a Castle in the Air,” and “Headin’ for Louisville” marks this as an out-of-the-way record. They give us “Then I’ll Be Happy” on another disc (4024) with which is a weird composition hardly any other duettists could intelligently manage. This is “In the Atiddle of the Night,” which has to be heard to be appreciated. In the restaurant music section there is a very fine Lensen disc of Columbia’s —giving two favourite and very beautiful melodies—“ Le Houre Exquise,” and “Paysage” (4011), while the Jasqucs Jacobs’ Ensemble plays in first class fashion the Indian Love Lyrics, in two discs: “Kashmiri Song,” and “Till I Wake” (3983); and “Less Than the Dust,” with “The Temple Bells” (3982). Of the numerous Columbia dance records Bert Ballon’s Syncopated version of Maritana (9111) stands out head and shoulders. It is clever to a degree —catchy, fascinating, memory haunting and it is safe to say it will be one of this year’s biggest successes. « * * • A Superb Mandolin? Novelty. The mandoline is not in the first rank of musical instruments by any

means—largely because is it seldom heard excepting in the hands of amateurs who successfully fail to extract anything like music from it. Numerous efforts hhve been made in the past to “ record” it, but all have failed. Now comes the inevitable exception that will, it is to be. hoped, mark a new era in the music value and history of this old medium. It has taken Columbia to prove that it can be recorded with a .faithfulness so little short of life as not to matter, and it has taken an Italian troupe of mandolinists to show us what magic and beauty is in this despised, maltreated ins. rument. The Guiseppc Verdi Mandoline Band of Leghorn just perform miracles in the two serenades given on the new Columbia disc. This combination proves beyond dcspute that the mandoline holds a world of beauty and expression when one is artist enough to extract it and heard en masse the mandoline is as different again in effect and impression as the manipulation of a single instrument. Some Edgar Coyle Songs.

A baritone who has had a solid reputation for good work for twenty years, and who has his name on dozens of the most popular of Columbia vocal records is Edgar Coyle. His speciality is airs and songs that axe as British in sentiment and structure as Shakespeare. Indeed, Coyle’s collections from old English songs alone marks him as one of the most notable' vocalists of our day —certainly in a gramaphone sense. Recently ho has given us such unchallengeable favourites as “The Arrow and The Song” and “Oft in the Stilly Night” (3899), each of which his richly pleasant voice fits admirably. His “Eleanore,” by Coler-idge-Taylor, and “A Memory,’’ by Goring Thomas, are again, two of the “parlour” type of songs that ever find fresh admirers. A delightful record for a quiet mood. Following this is his fine interpretation of Poe’s “Eldorado” and Stevenson’s “Bright is the Ring of Words” (3946). piano accompaniment in both being a delightful feature.