RECORDS Who's who and What's what

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 12, 29 September 1933, Page 10

RECORDS Who's who and What's what

(By

Bolton

Woods

Records To Buy ee THIS WEEK’S SELECTION "And Love Was Born’? and "The Sony Is You," sung by Lawrence T'ibbett, baritone. (H.M.V. DA 1318). "Afusic in the Air" vocal gems, Suiy by the Light Opera Company. (H.M.V. EB Ti). "Old Irish" [rish melodies (arr. Bridgewater), played by Leslie Bridgewater Quintet. (H.M.V. B 4337). "IO discover Wagner is a sort of epoch in one’s life. One is borne away in a swirl of emotion; tossed Hither and thither in a wild surf, con-

scious only of an intensity of, feeling so nameless and sublime' that it is beyond all powers of words to describe."-Lloyd Osborne, "The Gramophone." A Melodious Motet. )MENDELSSOEN’S motet "Hear My Prayer," is one of those lesser works that seems to grow more popular as the years go on. Within recent memory it has had a tremendous fillip from the recording by Master Hrnest Lough and the Temple Church Choir, but on no record has the main soprano solo been more exquisitely rendered than by Isobell Baillie. The Columbia dise containing her singing of "O for the Wings of a Dove," the words of which are by W. Bartholomew, is a disc no one should miss hearing from 2YA on Sunday evening’s concert programme, October 8 (Col. DOX265). The Immortals Burlesqued. N Offenbach’s day, burlesque was a favourite form of humour, and no subject was too sacred to be made fun of. His three-act comic opera "La Belle Helene," is a case in point, wherein the heroine of Troy comes in for satirical attention. This flippaney with serious subjects gained him many enemies, among them Richard Wagner, who, though he had in earlier years entertained friendly feelings towards Offenbach, ended by re-

Saraing Nim With estllemc aversion. Wagner sent to Coventry a young con-ductor-protege who had dared to conduct "Helen." Wagner’s Sarcasm. BE described Offenbach’s music as being "warm, it is true, but with the warmth of the dung-hill in which all the swine of Europe can wallow!" Probably Wagner's hostility was part-

ly due to Offenbach’s characteristic irreverence. If a man dared to parody the gods of Olympus, he might so easily go one step further and parody the gods of Valhalla! But there was a more concrete reason, says Francis Toye. In 1860 Offenbach had written the music to a skit Wagner called "The Music of the Future. To be frank, it was a-very poor affair, nothing more, in fact, that a scene in a revue, but Wagner, neyer blessed with much sense of humour at any time, was less disposed even than usual during the trials and troubles of 1860 to tolerate any skit on himself. Vocal gems from Offenbach’s "Helen" are featured on

1YA’s programme at 8.12 p.m. on Friday, October 6. They are rendered by the Light Opera Company. (H.M.V., C2359). A Burns Song. HEN Robert Burns set "Oh, My Love’s Like a Red, Red Rose" to the traditional tune, "Graham’s Strathspey," he wrote a gem that will live until "all the seas gang dry." Beautifully

rendered by Joseph Hislop, the Scottish tenor, the song’s charms seem to be intensified. This fine H.M.V. recording (DA901) will be heard from 3YA. at 9.35 p.m. on Thursday, October 5. In the words of Lord Roseberry (who might have had this song in mind when he wrote his centenary tribute), "The Chivalry that made Don Quixote see the heroic in all the common eyents* of life made Burns (as his brother tells us) see a: goddess in every girl that he approached." , Tragic’ Overture. HE "Tragic"? Overture of Irahms which has been so splendidly recorded by the B.B.C. Symphony Orchestra (H.M.V., DB1803-04) is scheduled

to open the concert programme at 4YA on Monday, October 2. It was composed in the same year (1880) as the "Academic Festival Overture," and the two works made their first appearance in the same programme at a concert which was given in Breslau, with Brahms himself conducting ; the occasion being his graduation as honorary Doctor of: Philosophy, at the University there. The title is the only clue which Brahms gave to the mood of its music, Controlled Temperament. MIL SAUER is one of the greatest pianists of our time. His individuality is almost as well defined and as fascinating as that of Paderewski or Hoffman, and his technique is marvellously perfect. This man with the sympathetic face had everything necessary for the pianist. Dignity, breadth and depth are evident. He has temperament enough for ten players, but wonderfully controlled. A Scottish Mother. MIL SAUER was born An | Hamburg on October 8, 1862, His mother (nee Gordon), who was from Scotland was his first teacher in piano. But Anton Rubinstein heard him play when quite young, and recommended his being sent to his brother Nicholai Rubinstein at the Moscow Conservatory, where he remained for two years (1879-81). Later,

ne made the acquaintance of U1szt, wid "became his friend and counsellor, and with him he studied at Weimar (188485). He paid his first visit to London in 1894, and his first appearance in America was made in New York in Also Composer. IN the course of his extensive tours he has received a great number of

tokens of royal and official appreciation. In all, he is a member of over twenty orders, including: the French Legion of Honour. As a composer, Sauer, like Chopin, has devoted himSelf almost exclusively to the piano. The most outstanding of his-composi-

tions are two piano concertos, two piano sonatas twenty-four studies for piano and also songs. Hmil Sauer’s piano recordings are the more precious because they are not numerous. ‘ Musicians Agree. MUSICIANS agree with Frank Swin- . nerton when he says: "The gramo-' enables the listener to distinuish between what is best in music. ahd ‘what is best only as material for the virtuoso, It enables him to discover the music he really likes, and the music that stimulates him and awakens his emotion. Correspondence. "J.W.," Milton,-Your surmise is correct. On account of copyricht difficulties the song, "On the Road to Mandalay," by Oley Speaks, is now no longer available in New Yealand. The same music, however, is obtainable in a song ealled "The Fairy Wood." the words of which are by Theo(lore Flower Mills. "Mandalay" sung to this accompaniment is exactly the thing you want. This song. "The airy Wood." is published by the Frederick Harris Co,, of London, in no less than three keys, for high, medium and low voices. I will deal with Leslie Stuart at an early date. "Pick-up," Dunedin.--No recording by either choir or quartet of "The Little Old Chureh in the Valley" can be tracedSarry.