RECORDS

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 18, 10 November 1933, Page 10

RECORDS

Whox Who and Whabs wha

(By

Bolton

Woods

Records To Buy

THIS WEEK’S SELECTION "Tialians in Algeria" Overture (Rossini), played by the New Light Symphony Orchestra. (H.M.V. HA1237). "All’s Well" (Brahms), and "Flow Gently Devar" (Parry), sung by Walter Glynne, tenor, and Stuart Robertson, bass. (H.M.V. B4231). "Poem" (Fibich) and "Serenade" (Millions @Arlequin) (Drigo), organ solos by Sydney Gustard. (H.M.V. B4889).

‘STNHDRD is a lot of overconducting nowadays. lt takes a good deal of study and experience to be able to under... conduct."-Sir Henry Wood. Two Franz Schuberts. A MAN called Franz Schu bert once composed a playful little composition ealled "The Bee." It is his best known piece, which fact proves him to be a different person from his illustrious namesake. This man was so anxious that there should be no confusion between his work and that cf the "Master of Melody" that he allowed his name to appear on programmes as Francois Schubert, much to the indignation of an anonymous listener, who wrote to protest against this "Frenchifying" of the great Schubert’s German "Franz." The man responsible for "The Bee" was 4 Dresden conductor (1808-1878), who had a wife (an operatic soprano) and wrote music mostly for strings. The other Franz died a bachelor. "The Bee," played by Winifred Small. violinist, will be heard from 1YA on Monday, November 13, at 8.17 p.m. It is an attractive recording. Tabulated 55,000 Songs.

HAT remarkably gifted friend and piano virtuoso, Bela Bartok, friend of Josef Szgeti, violinist, is a red-hot enthusiast for Magyar Yolk Music. Just what it means to him may be gathered from the fact that his amazing industry has yielded a tabulated collection of 55,000 folk songs. His musical style is a personal one, based primarily upon these researches, but individual in its uncompromising refusal to be influenc: od by Wagner, Brahms, or his fellow modernists, Nearly everything by

Bartok is tinged with strong, strange and often barbaric rhythms, a certain emotional introspection, and often a high degree of passionate bitterness. From ‘‘Phono" to "‘Gramo.’’ T is most entertaining to read of the "modus operandi" of Bartok. He travelled to remote villages and lived in wretched and primitive conditions. Like Mrs. Kennedy Fraser in the Hebrides, he had to win the confidence of the peasants. Only the oldest among them remembered the real trea-

sures of song, and inducing them to sing was a problem. Slowly he began (like Alfred Hill with the Maoris) to live the folk music of his nation, and later of other nations-Roumania, Slovakia, and that of the Arab peasants on the Sahara Desert. 1YA listeners will enjoy the hearing of Josef Szigeti playing a violin arrangement of some of Bartok’s Roumanian Folk Dances on Friday, November 17, at 9.30 p.m. (Col, LO6.) During this

item listeners should attempt to visualise Bartok tramping the wild countryside with his portable phonograph recording ouifit strapped to his back in search of old folk tunes. Men and artists do more for art than they would ever dream cf doing for money. Harpsichord Revival. PZDURING the past few years we have had some good harpischord records, but nothing so exquisitely satisfying of this kind has appeared as one particular dise made by Madame Regina Patorni-Casodesus. Her tone is full of variety, sometimes pleasantly rough, sometimes clear and clanging

like a bell, sometimes rich and noble, and sometimes almost jocular. The instrument used is one well-nigh exceptional perfection. But the player's art is equally perfect. ° She plays a charming Toccatina by Searlatti, who was the first concert virtvoso of the harpischord. "Too, Too Solid Flesh!" ‘THE second of the Searlattis, Domenico, had so amazing a technique that easy thinking Italians were wont to say: "He is possessed of the Devil." Scarlatti made much use of the practise of crossing the hands, which he was able to do even in rapid passages, with great skill and neatness. It was observed, however, in his later works the practise was mueh less frequently indulged jn, the explanation being that the composer had hecome sO immoderately fat that this method of execution had become quite impossible for him! ‘This exceptional recording will be heard from 1YA on Sunday, November 19, at 8.50 p.m. "Signor Crescendo." OSSINI was only 21 when his opera-buffa, "L’Italiana in Algeria" (The Italians in Algeria). anneared in

Venice, But his position as one of the most popular composers of the day was already established, by the charm of his own personality almost as much as by his genius for music. In. the previous year, 1812, he had produced no fewer than six operas. It was in one of them that he first made notable use of a device which was afterward recognised as peculiarly his own, although he could make no claim to its invention--a long crescendo, rising gradually from ‘Quite soft tone to the fullest volume of

sound which could be dtawn-from the orchestra of that simpler agé. He made use of it so frequently that for years he was known to a very wide ly ----7

circle of admirers as "Signor Crescendo." Rossini’s Gaiety. "THE Italians in Algeria" is exhuberantly gay and sparkling music. its overture rivals all others in this happy quality. Full of Rossini’s irresistible melody, it was a great popular success, The opera, as a whole, has long ago vanished from the boards, but the overture retains its hold on the popular affections, ahd deservedly so; it is a characteristic example of Rossini’s wonderful gift for sparkling melody, and it, too, makes full use of his favourite device -crescendo. This overture, together with no less than four others, viz., "The Thieving Magpie." "William Yell," "Taveredi,’ and "Semiramide," is included in a delightfully conceived "One Hour With Rossini," which is featured on 4YA’s programme from 8

to 9 on Monday, November 13. The New Light Symphony Orchestra will play the Italian masterpiece at 8.30 p.m. (H.M.V. BA1237). Poetically Inspired. KLGAR's Overture, "In the South," has been pluyed by the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the composer, and issued on three red H.M.V. 12-inch dises that will find a welcome in every cultured bome where they are heard. Listening to this gorgeously beautiful work is an emotionally exciting experience for even a hard-bitten critic, and the words "lost in admiration" sum up the impressions of the first hearing. The Overture has for its motto two quotations from Tennyson and Byron respectively, "ands of palm and south- =

ern pine," and "a land which was the mightiest in its old command." The Italian Scene. T records his impressions .of Italy formed by 4 visit to that country in 1903-1904, particularly in the splendid beauty of the Vale of Andora. The whole work is a spontaneous outburst in music, The composer further en- . deayoured to paint the relentless and dorhineering onward force of the ancient day, and to give a sound-pic-ture of strife and wars, the drums and tramplings of a later time." A @alimer spirit follows with a gentle "Ttal’an melody," the source cf which. we are assured, is genuinely original. The Overture is dedicated to "My Friend, L. F. Schuster," aud was first produc: ed at the Elgar Festival, Covent Garden, London, 1904.