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GRAktiOPHONEedited by
Compton Mackenzie oh.Christopher Stone
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AUG1932
1,
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COVER II THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932
Records for the Lover of Chamber MusicLATEST ISSUE
OTHER RECORDINGSBACHSonata No. 1 in G major, for 'Cello
andPiano. Played by John Barbirolliand Ethel Bartlett. 2 records,
133-4Sonata in 115 major for Piano andFlute. Played by Kathleen
Longand Ren6 le Roy, three sides, andHONEGGER. " Danse de la
Chivre,"Flute solo. 2 records, 135-6Concerto "in F minor for piano
andstrings, and " Blessed Jesu, here westand." (Chorale, arranged
for pianoby Rummel.) Piano, Ethel Bartlett.
2 records, 151-2
ARNOLD BAXOboe Quintet. Played by Leon Goos-sens (Oboe) and the
InternationalString Quartet (Andre Mangeot, BorisPecker, Frank
Howard and lierbertWithers). 2 records, 76-7String Quartet in G
major. Played bythe Marie Wilson String Quartet(Marie Wilson,
Gwendolen Iligham,Anne Wolfe and Phyllis Ilasluck).
3 records, 153-5Sonata for Two Pianos, and HARDANGER.Played by
Ethel Bartlett and RaeRobertson. 3 records, 156-8
BOCCHERINIString Quartet in E. Played by thePoltronieri String
Quartet of Milan.
2 records, 92-3
BRAHMSTrio for Pianoforte, Violin and Horn inE5, Op. 40. Played
by York Bowen,Spencer Dyke and Aubrey Brain.
4 records, 65-8
Pianoforte Quartet in C minor, Op. 60.Played by Olive Bloom
(piano),Spencer Dyke (violin), Bernard Shore(viola) and B.
Patterson Parker ('cello).
4 records, 88-91
THE CURLEW (W. B. Yeats)PETER WARLOCK
John Armstrong, R. N1urchie, T. MacDonagh, andInternational
String Quartet. 3 records, 163-5
Conducted by Constant Lambert.
String Sextet in G major, Op. 36,played by the Spencer Dyke
Quartetwith James Lockyer and EdwardRobinson. 4 records, 105-8Trio
in C minor, Op. 101. Played bythe Pirani Trio (Leila Pirani, violin
;Charles II ambourg, 'cello ; Max Pirani.piano). 3 records,
147-9
HANDELSonata No. 3 in G major for Flute andPiano. Played by Rene
le Roy andKathleen Long. I record, 137
HAY DNString Quartet in 135 major (The Sun-rise), Op. 76, No. 4,
played by theInternational String Quartet.
3 records, 109-11Pianoforte Sonata in C minor, threesides, and
RAMEAU. Variations in Aminor, one side. Played by KathleenLong. 2
records, 138-9String Quartet in E5, Op. 76, No. 6,five sides, and
PURCELL. Four-partFantasia No. 4 in C minor, one side.Played by the
Internationai StringQuartet (Andr6 Mangeot, Albert Voor-sanger,
Eric Bray and Jack Shine -bourne). 3 records, 140-2
PAUL JUONChamber Symphony, Op. 27. Playedby the New Chamber
Orchestra, coa-ducted by Charles Kreshover.
3 records, 144-6
MATTHEW LOCKEString Quartet No. 6. Played by theInternational
String Quartet.
record, 143
MOZARTQuartet in D major (K285) for Flute,Violin, Viola and
'Cello, played byRene le Roy, Andre Mangeot, FrankIloward and
Herbert Withers.
2 records, 112-3
Quintet in E5 major, for Piano, Oboe,Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon.
Playedby Kathleen Long, Leon Goossens,Frederick Thurston, Aubrey
Brain andJ. Alexandra. 3 records, 121-3Piano Sonata in D major
(K576).Three sides ; and GOTTLIEB MUFPAT.(a) Minuet, (h) Air, from
Suite in B5 ;and FRANCOIS COUPERIN " Le Tic-Toc-Cloc " ou " Les
Maillotins." One side.Played by Kathleen Long.
2 records, 129-130String Trio in G major, No. 5 (K564).Played by
the Budapest Trio (NicholasRoth, violin ; Georges Roth, 'cello ;and
Lyell Barbour, piano).
2 records, 15)-60Trio in E fiat major, No. 7 (K498).Played by
Rebecca Clarke, viola ;Frederick Thurston, clarinet ; Kath-leen
Long, piano. 2 records, 161-2
SCHUBERTString Quartet in BI), Op. 168. Playedby the
International string Quartet(Boris Pecker, Andre Mangeot,
FrankHoward and Herbert Withers).
3 records, 124-6
VIVALDISonate en Concert, No. 5 in E minorfor Violoncello and
Strings (arrangedVincent d'Indy). Played by GeorgesPitsch and
String Quartet, three sides,and Three Pieces (arranged
EthelBartlett) : (a) " Golden Slumbers,"(b) " An Ancient Lullaby,"
(c) " MyLove's an Arbutus." Played by JohnBarbirolli ('cello) and
Ethel Bartlett(piano), one side. 2 records, 131-2
WOLFItalian Serenade. Played by theInternational Quartet
(Mangeot, Voor-sanger, Bray and Shinebourne).
1 record, 150
EVERY record is electrically recorded, and is a twelve -inch
disc. For terms of membershipwrite to the Secretary. Every
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O1 a, Soho Square,Aational gramophonic Society, London, W.1
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AFGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE [ADVERTISEMENTS I
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NO GREATER
Sir Henry J. Wood says
MODEL 602- 32 GNS.A hich'y efficient rachnieramoph Inc
e-ros3dlinr he latest 3,a vecinuit with ; screen -g- / valves.
3ancegme tin ng for great s.4-e-tiV Sort- tuning control.
ilinninnt-ell arid narked in wavelergahs. Mum. aerial eluipmene.
Cal cbci. eJ weaker. Ela,riemotor.
"Your latest Radio-Graphopione is asplendid instrument. Its
standard representsthe highest achievement in mJsical per-formance
to -day, and I should like to seeone IN EVERY HOME. Indeed, this
isnot an unreasonable wish, judging by itsvery modest price."
TRIBUTE
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ADVERT! S. EMENTS THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932
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AUGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE [ADVERTISEMENTS' Di
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w.1
PACE
TABLE OF CONTENTSAUGUST 1932-No. 111
In the case of MSS.or letters requiringan answer,
stampedenvelope must be
enclosed.
89 EDITORIAL . Compton Mackenzie92 POTPOURRI . . Richard
Holt
93 G.B.S. AND MUSIC IN THE 'NINETIES Herman Klein
95 ADDITIONS TO THE H.M.V. CONNOISSEUR CATALOGUE
98 THE MUNICH FESTIVAL AND THE GRAMOPHONE . . P. B. Medawar
99 CHAMBER MUSIC AND THE GRAMOPHONE (continued) Cyril M.
Crabtree
101 THE ORGAN, ITS MUSIC AND THE GRAMOPHONE A. C. D. de
Brisay
102 ANALYTICAL NOTES AND FIRST REVIEWS
111 DANCE AND POPULAR RHYTHM . Edgar Jackson
115 TURN TABLE TALK . Christopher Stone
116 AMERICANA . . R. D. Darrell
117 TECHNICAL REPORTS
118 TRADE WINDS AND IDLE ZEPHYRS
120 TECHNICAL TALK . P. Wilson
121 COLLECTORS' CORNER P. G. Hurst123 CORRESPONDENCE
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DVERTISEMENTS IV] THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932
Supplement No. 104
IHUIIHIPA R LO P H
Dr.Wolaamann.
Olgaraley
DaJosShia.
INSTRUMENTALCONCERTGEBOUW TRIO OF AMSTERDAM
Trio in D Minor (Op. 49) (Mendelssohn)Andante and Scherzo E
11206
ORCHESTRAL
GRAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA(Conducted by Dr. Weissmann)
The Poor Jonathan (Potpourri). Two Parts(C. Milliicker-arr. Dr.
W. Romer) R 1255
BERLIN STATE OPERA HOUSE ORCHESTRA(Conducted by Dr.
Weissmann)
Bluebeard (Offenbach)Selection. Two Parts R 1229Slavonic Dances
Nos. 3 and 8 (Dvorak)Op. 46 E 11204
(Conducted by Otto Klemperer)Fra Diavolo (Auber)Overture. Two
Parts E 11201
(Conducted by Dr. Weissmann)The Beggar Student
(MilNicker)Potpourri. Two Parts R 1187
MILAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA(Conducted by A. Albergoni)
Nabucco (Verdi)Overture. Two Parts E 11205
BERLIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA(Conducted by Dr. Weissmann)
Blossoms from Mozart's Garden. Two PartsR 1163
Series E 12 -inch 4s. Series R 2s. 6d.
NEVOCAL ,
CONCHITA SUPERVIA (Mezzo -Soprano)(With Orchestra. Sung in
French)
Mignon-" Connais-tu le pays ? " (Thomas)Samson and Delilah-"
Printemps qui commence "
R 20192A Lesson with the Fan (Sung in English)Should he Upbraid
RO 20186
HELENE CALS (Soprano)(With Organ. Sung in English)
Only a Rose (" The Vagabond King")The Song of Songs R 1256
RICHARD TAUBER (Tenor)(With Orchestra. Sung in German)
Ich liebe dich (I love thee) (Grieg)Last Spring (Letzter
Friihling) (Grieg) RO 20191
Tosca (" E lucevan le stelle ") (Puccini)(" Recondita Armonia ")
RO 20189
Tales from the Vienna Woods (" Song of Love ")Castles in the
Moon (" Frau Luna ") RO 20190
HERBERT ERNST GROH (Tenor)(With Chorus and Orchestra. Sung in
German)
Come in the Gondola (" A Night in Venice ")(Joh. Strauss)
The Gyspy Baron (" Wer uns getraut ? ") (Whotied the knot ?)
(Joh. Strauss) R 1257
(With Emmy Bettendorf, Soprano)
Series RO 10 -inch 4s. Ceries R Odeon As.
SPECIAL 10 -inch DARK BLUE LABEL RECORDS, 2/6 each
S. TRANSLATEUR(Conducting his Viennese Orchestra)
Viennese Birds of Passage (Waltz)A Dream after the Ball (Waltz)
R 1254
(Both Composed by S. Translateur)
THE HAVANA MARIMBA BANDSomebody Loves You (Tobias -de Rose)Five
Minutes to Twelve R 1238
JACK BUND'S BRAVOUR BANDMy Baby (Fox -Trot) (McGilbert)Eccentric
(Fox-trot) (Caphat) R 1246
WELTE ORGAN SOLOS(Gerrard Gregor)
Lohengrin (Wagner)-Prelude-WeddingMarch R 1248
GINO BORDIN AND HIS HAWAIIANSCiribiribin (Pestalozzi) (With
Vocal Refrain)Valse Bleue (Alfred Margis) R 1247
ORQUESTA FRANCISCO CANARO(Specially Recorded in Buenos
Aires)
Rancho Embrujao (Tango)Pensalo Bien (Tango)
(R. Courau)R 1253
-
AUGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE [ADVERTISEMENTS" V
RECORDS.10 -inch DARK BLUE LABEL, 2/6ELSIE and DORIS WATERS
(With Orchestra)The Cuckoo in the NestThe Seaside Band
THE CARSON SISTERS(With Instrumental Accompaniment)
Lullaby of the LeavesMean MusicPut that Sun back in the SkyIf it
ain't Love
LESLIE HUTCHINSON(At the Piano)
When Work is ThroughDisappointed in LoveAfter All is Said and
DoneWhat makes You so Adorable ?Falling in Love again (" The Blue
Angel")Without a Song
It 120
Supplement No. 104
New Records by the" Trumpet K
LOUIS ARMSTRONG(Issued in connection with his Personal
Appearance
at the London Palladium)Second New " Rhythm -Style" Series
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS ORCHESTRA(With Vocal Refrain)
No. 15 Keeping out of Mischief (Fox -Trot)No. 16 Love, You Funny
Thing (Fox -Trot) R 1260
R 1251 No. 17 I can't Believe that You're in Love withMe (Fox
-Trot )
R 1242 No. 18 I ain't got Nobody (Fox -Trot) R 1261
R 1250
R 1228
R 760
NORTH AND COMPANY(In a Masterpiece of British Humour)
North Sees the Family off (Descriptive Sketch)Two Parts R
1249
EDDIE CLIFTON (Comedian)(With Chorus and Orchestra)
Sing, Brothers ! (" Tell Her the Truth ")Hoch, Caroline ! ("
Tell Her the Truth ") R
TOMMY MORGAN (Comedian)(With Piano Accompaniment)
The Four Masted CruiserOh ! Clarity, Clarity
TOMMY MORGAN and TOMMY YORKESir Walter Raleigh (Dialogue). Two
Parts
E 3964
THE SCOTT -WOOD ACCORDEON QUARTET(With Vocal Refrain)
Tell Her the Truth (Selection)Out of the Bottle
(Selection)Paradise (N. H. Brown-Gordon Clifford)Lovable (Gus
Kahn-Harry Woods)
R 1259
R 1258
ANNY AHLERS in " The Dubarry "(With Chorus and Orchestra
conducted by
Ernest Irving)I Give My HeartThe DubarryHappy little Jeanne and
To -dayWaltz Song " Beauty "
All 10 -inch Double -sided Records, 2/6 each
R 1205
JOE VENUTI'S BLUE FOURNo. 13 Little Buttercup (Fox -Trot)
JACK PURVIS AND HIS ORCHESTRANo. 14 Be Bo Bo (Fox -Trot) R
1252
THE STOKERS OF HADESNo. 11 My Pretty Girl (Fox -Trot)
DORSEY BROTHERS AND THEIR ORCHESTRANo. 12 Why did it have to be
Me ? (F. -T.) R 1239
DAJOS DANCE ORCHESTRAWhat could be sweeter than your Love ?
(Waltz)Give Me a Tune (J'ai deux amours, F. -T.) R 1262I could be
Happy with You (Tango)Nothing but a Lie Russian Tango) R 1245
OTTO FRITZ AND HIS SYNCOPATORS1244 Falling in Love again ("The
Blue Angel") (Waltz)Blonde Women (Fox -Trot) R 723
THE MELODY GENTS (Novelty Quartet)(With Orchestra. Sung in
German)
When Yuba plays the Rumba on the TubaE 3963 Rosa (My Bella Rosa)
(" Gloria ")
THE HAVANA MARIMBA BANDSomebody Loves YouFive Minutes to
Twelve
123:3
R 1238
DAJOS BELA DANCE ORCHESTRAI Lost My Heart in Heidelberg
(March)Lieutenant, Are You of the Hussars ? R 1231In Spring I want
a little Girl Friend (Fox -Trot)Erica (" I am so keen on Erica ")
(Fox -Trot) R 1171
BARNABAS VON GECZY'S ORCHESTRAA Tender Glance, a Whispered Word
(Tango)
(" Casanova ")Fair Lady, Can You be True ? (Tango, R 350
PAVILION LESCAUT ORCHESTRAJealousy (Tango Blues)Enchantment
(Tango Blues) R 3529
R 1206 ORQUESTA TIPICA FRANCISCO CANAROLa Cumparsita (Tango)Esta
Noche Me Emborracho (Tango) R 1221
Richardauber
Errl,rlfBettendor:
PatriciaRossborough
ASK YOUR DEALER FOR CATALOGUE C SUPPLEMENTS*CIS.
-
ADVERTISEMENTS VI] THE GRAM() l' 11 0 E AUGUST 1932
Use Caviare of Recorded MusicSonata in A Major for Violin and
Piano,Op. 13 (FaurE). Jacques Thibaud andAlfred Cortot DB1080-2 6/-
each" If I were to be offered the choice of any one violinand piano
piece on this year's Connoisseur's Catalogue,this is the one I
should choose The principalcharacteristics of the work are
transparency andfreshness, and it is brimful of melody. If you are
inany doubt get the DBio82 first. This contains theScherzo (Allegro
Vivo) and the Finale. If, afterhearing it, you don't immediately
order the rest of theSonata, I shall be greatly surprised . . . .
The Sonatamight have been written for the gramophone andrecords
superbly."
P.L. "The Gramophone," July, 1932
Sierra Morena La Romanesca. YehudiMenuhin DB12b7 6/-" La
Romanesca has a lovely breadth and characterabout it-though I am at
a loss to know what tne un-accompanied prelude and the epilogue
have in commonwith it. As an excellent contrast to it comes
SierraMorena, a gay, even, at times, giddy affair of
littlesignificance but a great deal of charm and servingadmirably
to show up the violinist's art. (As far asplaying goes, in fact,
there is a double -stoppingpassage in the interlude which could
alone justify theinclusion of the record in your library). These
twopieces would seem to prove that Menuhin is not onlyat home among
his Hebrew melodies."
"The Gramophone," July, top.
Sonata in B flat minor Op. 35 (Chopin).Sergei Rachmaninoff
DA1186-9 4/- each" The -laying itself is in Rachmaninoff's most
masterlymanner ; the Sonata is evidently a romantic
excursionexactly after his own heart. The Finale-that cascadeof
apparently unintelligible notes which only the finalchord at last
resolves into intelligibility-is played witha whirlwind keenness
All in all, this is an idealrecording of the Sonata."
"The Gramophone," June. rola
Concerto Grosso in G Minor (Vivaldi).Mischa Elman, with London
SymphonyOrchestra, conducted by Lawrance Coiling -wood DB1595-6 6/-
eachAn exquisite performance by Mischa Elman of theConcerto Grosso
in G Minor by one of the old Italianmasters-Vivaldi. Not a long
work, it occupies onlyfour twelve -inch sides, but its musical
content is ofthe loftiest beauty. Elman's playing of this music isa
revelation of style, perfection of technique, andbeauty of
tone.
Quartet in E Minor (Smetana). FlonzaleyS ,ng Quartet DB1359- 1
6/- eachThere are still many people who mistrust chambermusic and
think that string q iartets are beyond them.There could be no
better " first steps " in chambermusic than Smetana's Quartet in E
Minor, of whichthe Flor.z'ley String Q.tartet, now
unfortunatelydisbanded, have made ,nree lovely records. Thesecond
and last movements are absolutely instan-taneous and irresistible
in their appeal.
" Don Giovanni " Catalogue Song Alex-ander Kipnis E599
4/-Kipnis's is undoubtedly the best performance of thisfavourite
aria on record, and he makes more enter-taining than ever
Leporello's account of the adven-tures of his master, the bold, bad
Don. Kipnis hasthe sense of comedy that is so necessary to sing
thismusic convincingly, and, incredulous as we may be,we cannot but
laugh when he to Is us that his masterhas had six hun.lred and fo
ty affairs in Italy, onehundred and twenty one in Germany, a mere
fifty inFrance, ninety one in Turkey, but in Spain-onethousand and
nine.
Further Selections from
THE NEWCONNOISSEUR'S
CATALOGUE
Thibaud
I
Menuhin
Rachmaninoff
Kipnii
111111111110
Stock
Cortot
Rethberg
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor (Mozart).Chicago Symphony Orchestra,
condo -ted byFrederick Stock DB1573 6/- eachFor years musicians
have been waiting for a recordingof Mozart's great G Minor
Symphony. At last it hascome from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,
con-ducted by Frederick Stock. The orchestral detail isadmirably
clear throughout and the interpretationis right.
Sonatine for Piano (Ravel) - Jeux d'Eau(Ravel). Alfred Cortot
DB1533-4 6/ -each"A brilliant performance. On the fourth side of
thishappy work comes the familiar Jeux d'Eau, the spray-ing,
springing figures of which are marvellously playedclear and bright
and ecstatic. Indeed, I put thisparticular piece at the top of
Cortot's list of recordings;it is a triumphant forecast of the
possibilities of pianodiscs." "The Gramophone," June, 1932
Waltz from " Intermezzo" (Strauss). ViennaPhilharmonic
Orchestra, conducted byRobert Heger C2343 4/ -Of the later Strauss
- the Strauss since " DerRosenkavalier "-we in England hear all too
little.In fact there is practically nothing that he has
writtenduring the past sixteen years that has been played overhere.
His Opera " Intermezzo " is like "DerRosenkavalier," generously
served in those lusciouswaltz tunes that Strauss writes so well,
and the charmof these melodies is intensified by his gorgeous
orch-estration. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra hasmade a
splendid record of this attractive but un-familiar music.Benvenuto
Cellini, Overture-Les TroyensCarthage, Overture. Symphony
Orchestra,conducted by M. Pierre Monteaux
D2060-1 6/- eachFor over a hundred years the world of music
haswarred over the merits and demerits of Berlioz as acomposer.
Now, at last, it seems that he is cominginto his own and that his
genius is being universallyrecognised. No man who listens to these
records ofthe Overture to Benvenuto Cellini and Les Troyens
aCarthage can deny the greatness of their creator.
Canzone del salce (Willow Song)" Otello "-Ave Maria, piena di
grazia (Hail, Mary, fullof grace)" Otello." Elisabeth RethF erg
DB1517 6/ -Elisabeth Rethberg is probably the best Desdemonain
the world to -day, and this record is certainly one ofthe most
perfect pieces of singing and interpretationof Italian opera that
has ever been recorded. Theperfectly controlled pianissimo with
which she singsthe Ave Maria serves but to intensify the
dramaticsignificance of the passionate outburst, " Ah !
Emiliaaidio," which is the most electrifying thing in thewhole of
Verdi's wonderful score.
" Siegfried " (Wagner). Selected passagesfrom Acts I and II.
Siegfried Lau rit z MelchiorMime Heint ich TessmerAlberich
Eduard HabichWanderer Friedrich Schorr
and London Symphony OrchestraDB1578-83 6/- each
Scho,r This magnificent set of records of selected
passagesfront" Siegfried " will rank as one of the gramophones
voice and orchestra been achieved on records. Here
greatest achievements. The cast is that which isacknowledged
through the world as the finest possible-the truly heroic Siegfried
of Melchior, the diabolicaland crafty Mime of Tessmer, the venomous
Alberichof Eduard Habich and the noble and godly Wandererof Schorr.
Never before has such balance between
for the first time we have the orchestral part repro-duced with
the clarity with which it is heard in theopera house.
The Gramophone Co. Ltd., London,
"HIS MIA1111111/11 VOICE"
-
London Office
10A Soho Square
London W.1
THE GRA OPHO EIncorporating VOX, THE RADIO CRITIC and BROADCAST
REVIEW
Edited by
COMPTON MACKENZIE and CHRISTOPHER STONETelephone
Gerrard 6098, 6099Telegrams
Parmaxto, Rath, London
Vol. X. AUGUST 1932 No. 11.1
EDITORIAL91 HE competition for casting The Ring was a greatI
success, but the task of finding out the winner in-_
volved some tough counting. My co-editor announcedlast month
that I would deal with the ideal cast in thiseditorial.
Unfortunately, the ideal cast as finallyreached by the votes of
competitors has not been sentme, and I am in the Outer Hebrides far
from com-munication ; so I shall print instead the cast chosen
bythe winner, Mr. Needham, of Hull, who achieved 22 outof a
possible 27. Mr. G. H. Deeming, 1, Hill Crest,Potters Bar,
Middlesex, was second with 21 right, andMr. Alan V. Wilks, 36,
Monkmoor Road, Shrewsbury,was third with 20.
DAS RHEINGOLDFriedrich SchorrVictor MadinAlbert ReissFritz
WolffOtto HelgersIvar AndresenEduard HabichHeinrich TessmerMaria
OlszewskaGota LjungbergSigrid OneginTilly de GarmoAnny HelmElfriede
Marherr
DIE WALKURERudolf Laubenthal
. Otto HelgersFriedrich SchorrLotte Lehmann
.. Frieda LeiderMaria Olszewska
WOTANDONNERFROHLOGEFASOLTFAFNERALBERICHMIMEFRICKAFREIAERDAWOGLINDEWELLGUNDEFLOSSHILDE
SIEGMUNDHUNDINGWOTAN ..SIEGLINDEBRUNNHILDEFRICKA
SIEGFRIEDMIMEWOTAN ..ALBERICH ..FAFNERERDAFOREST
BIRDBRUNNHILDE
SIEGFRIEDGUNTHER ..ALBERICH ..HAGEN ..BRUNNHILDEGUTRUNE
SIEGFRIED. Lauritz Melchior
Heinrich Tessmer.. Friedrich Schorr
Eduard Habich. Ivar Andresen
. Sigrid OneginNora Gruhn
.. Frieda LeiderGOTTERDAMMEREJNG
Lauritz MelchiorHerbert Janssen
. Eduard HabichIvar AndresenFrieda LeiderGota Ljungberg
WALTRAUTEFIRST NORMSECOND NORMTHIRD
NORMWOGLINDEWELLGUNDEFLOSSHILDE
.. Maria Olszewska
.. Noel Eadie
.. Evelyn Arden
.. Gladys Palmer
.. Tilly de GarmoAnny HelmElfriede Marherr
Competitors from Hong -Kong in the East to Californiain the
West, from Sweden in the North to New Zealandin the South, entered
for this competition, and it isremarkable that this time the first
three places shouldbe gained by England. Perhaps this notable
triumphwill be some consolation for not doing quite so well atlawn
tennis. The voting was, of course, very close, andthe casting more
judicious than in the previouscompetiticitis of this kind. The
explanation, presumably,is that the Wagner enthusiasts took the
trouble tomaster their subject more thoroughly. Perhaps indoing so
they feel that their subject is better worthmastering. What is the
fascination of Wagner's music ?There is no sign that I can see of
any falling off ingeneral appreciation. He has long outlived a
fashion-able admiration, and his devotees need never besuspected of
being devoted because they think it isthe right thing to be devoted
to his music. Yet, thetaste in literature and painting which used
to go withthe taste for Wagner's music is at the moment
almostextinct. Romanticism has not been at such a low ebbduring the
last 200 years. What, then, in contemporaryhuman nature responds to
the fairy tale of The Ring ?Neither the story itself nor the
literary treatment of itdisplays the eternal verities. The
psychology is asclumsy as the dragon, and creaks like the
machinery.Who would read a page of such stuff if there were nomusic
to illustrate and express it ? Wagner himselfcould not have
believed that the events of The Ringever really happened. Yet the
music to which he setthem is never insincere. To me the music of
Parsifalsounds completely insincere, but it must be admittedthat
many thousands have found in that music aprofound expression of
religious aspiration, and hewould be a presumptuous critic who
would assertpositively and confidently that it is insincere. Someof
the younger generation and many of the oldergeneration are revolted
by what they feel is Wagner'stheatricality. His music will always
have that effecton a minority, but there is no apparent increase
of
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90 THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932
such hostility. Indeed, there has never been anystrong reaction
against Wagner's music. It might beargued that it is the beauty and
passion and splendourof the music itself irrespective of any story
which stillexert the seemingly invincible influence over the
humanmind ; but the more fervid devotees of The Ring arenot in the
least prepared to throw the story over andstand by the music alone.
They even discuss the storyseriously, as once upon a time people
discussed a storyby Victor Hugo.
I remember once reading a remark by ErnestNewman about the
elemental quality in Siegfried'sFuneral March. Yet on the one
occasion in my lifetimethat demanded a funeral march of such
elementalquality it was not used. There are four funeralmarches
familiar to most people : Siegfried's FuneralMarch, the Funeral
March in Beethoven's EroicaSymphony, Chopin's Funeral March, and
the DeadMarch in Handel's Saul. I suppose that to -day thebest
known of these, and the one for the majoritymost poignantly
evocative of regret for death, isChopin's Funeral March. Now this
was written, asreaders will remember, as a movement of a piano
sonata,and played as such does not seem to rise much above thelevel
of pretty sentimentality. The fashion now amongpianists is to play
it as severely as possible, but theonly effect of such an
unemotional performance is tomake it sound a little dull, and it
sounds a little dull onevery one of the recordings we have of it.
It mightsound thin if scored for an orchestra, but it stands upto
brass. What I remember most vividly of that stillgrey February
morning thirty-two years ago whenQueen Victoria's funeral
procession passed through theLondon streets is the sound of the
bands playingChopin's Funeral March down Park Lane. I wasstanding
in Hyde Park, where the trees themselvesseemed frozen in an
immobility of grief. Close to whereI stood in the sombre crowd, a
man climbed up one ofthe great plane trees to obtain a full view of
the solemnpomp. On arriving at the top of the tree he foundhimself
astride a branch with his back to the procession,and so much awed
was he by the music and the majestybelow, that he did not dare even
to turn his headwhile the procession passed, but sat there hugging
thetrunk lest one irreverent twig should crack, and gazedrigidly in
the direction of the Albert Memorial.Chopin's Funeral March was
succeeded by the DeadMarch in Saul, and though that was a more
appropriatemarch for the tremendous obsequies of an epoch, it
didnot, at any rate for myself, then aged just seventeen,express
anything like the universal grief Chopin'sFuneral March seemed to
express. The Dead March inSaul was such a familiar accompaniment to
death, thatit seemed to reduce that great funeral to the level ofan
ordinary funeral. I cannot recall the playing ofBeethoven's Funeral
March on this occasion, butI believe it was played from time to
time. Siegfried'sFuneral March was not played, and
inappropriate,almost ludicrously inappropriate, as the contrast
between Queen Victoria and that mythical Teutonichero appears,
surely Siegfried's Funeral March was theonly music which would have
worthily expressed theemotion of that awed multitude of
mourners.
I wish one of the recording companies would giveus a record of
these four funeral marches played by amilitary band, so that we
could compare them directlyone with another. There is no record at
all, as far asI know, of the Dead March in Saul. There used to
beone played by the Band of the Coldstream Guards, anda very good
record it was some twenty years ago.
Lalo's Symphonie EspagnoleSince I mentioned the desirability of
a complete
recording of Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole, I havebeen kindly sent
from the headquarters of His Master'sVoice in Paris their recently
issued version of it played bythe Paris Conservatoire Orchestre
under Piero Coppolawith M. Merckel as the soloist on four twelve
-inch discs.We had in pre -electric days two of the movements
playedby Madame Chemet with a piano accompaniment, andone played by
Heifetz with an inadequate orchestra,but both were excerpts only.
The whole work is a mostmelodious affair, a set of Spanish dances
really, playedby violin and orchestra. Although the charm of them
isimmediately apparent at a first hearing, I have neverfound that
one wearies of the melodies after repetition.The latest version is'
an admirable piece of recording,and the performance of M. Merckel
is most exhilarating.I do not know whether this version will
ultimately bepublished in this country, but meanwhile the
recordsare obtainable from Rimington, Van Wyck at 6s. 3d.each, and
most delightful they are. I notice in theRimington, Van Wyck list
that a complete performanceof Verdi's Othello by the Artists,
Chorus and Orchestraof La Scala Theatre, Milan, under Sabajno is
now avail-able on sixteen discs. I suppose it is too much to
hopethat these will soon be published in this country, butperhaps
it will figure in another Connoisseur's Catalogue.
Beethoven's Choral SymphonyThe Decca-Polydor version of
Beethoven's Ninth
Symphony is played by the Berlin State Opera Orchestraand
conducted by Oscar Fried on seven twelve -inchdiscs at 5s. apiece,
which makes it the cheapest versionof this mighty work we possess
for the gramophone.The debateable point of the Ninth Symphony
iswhether Beethoven spoilt it with the Choral finale ornot. My own
feeling is that he did, and that in doing sohe was the victim of
the democratic enthusiasm firstroused by the French Revolution. I
said last monththat the Agnus Dei of the Mass in D should be
playedbefore any meeting of the League of Nations, but insaying so
I was under no delusion that the delegates ofthe League of Nations
would respond with suitablehumility. The delegates of the League of
Nationswould respond emotionally with a much more alertreadiness to
the finale of the Ninth Symphony, whichdisplays a confidence in the
natural brotherhood of man
-
AUGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE 91
entirely unjustified by the facts. The Agnus Dei is aprayer. The
finale of the Ninth Symphony is like achorus of triumphant Ramsay
Macdonalds, W. W.Wilsons, David Lloyd Georges, President Hoovers(et
hoc genus omne) all indulging in musical congratula-tions on the
success of the latest Conference.
The Ninth Symphony opens in a mood of mysticperception. In
passing I might say that the onlyconductor I have heard who seemed
to grasp the fullsignificance of this mood was Koussevitsky. Some
ofthe humility of the Mass in D persists in this firstmovement. Man
is in the presence of God, and hedoes not feel perfectly sure of
himself. Throughoutthat first movement Beethoven seems to be
preparingus for some tremendous revelation, and to my mindthere is
nothing more tragic in art than the failure ofthe Ninth Symphony
after the triumph of the Mass in D.I have for some years realized
that it was a failure,but it was not until I had the opportunity of
becomingreally familiar with the Mass in D that I began toapprehend
how complete the failure was. By makingthe second movement a
scherzo Beethoven seems to cuthimself free abruptly from any will
to surrender furtherto the mood of humility. It is as if he had
lost faithin a Divine revelation, and had set out to arrange hisown
revelation. Hence the jangle and discordantclamour which he,
Beethoven, not God, is going to lull.Beethoven appears throughout
the Ninth Symphonyas a kind of Prospero, and indeed it would not
bedifficult to find a parallel between Shakespeare's lastplay, The
Tempest, and Beethoven's last symphony.After the scherzo comes the
adagio, as lovely as any ofBeethoven's lovely adagios, and yet
somehow unsatisfy-ing. The usual criticism of Beethoven's slow
movementsis that he overdoes them. The linked sweetness is toolong
drawn out. My own feeling is that this adagioat any rate should be
impugned less for its length ordirect appeal to emotion that for
its insincerity. Itwas really too easy for Beethoven to write these
lovelyadagios, and the sound of them at last in our ears failsto
move. I was particularly struck by that whenlistening to the new
records of the Emperor Concerto,which were published last month by
H.M.V. Thegenius of Schnabel puts the three movements intorelation
with one another marvellously, and as inter-preted by him the rondo
actually becomes a profounderpiece of music than the second
movement. Theperformance of the first movement is surely one of
thefinest things that we ever had for the gramophone.I look forward
with great eagerness to the FourthConcerto, of which we do not
possess a satisfactoryversion.
To return to the Choral Symphony. Beethoven wasevidently much
puzzled to know how to lead up to hisinnovation of a choral finale,
for it must be rememberedthat his original scheme for the Ninth
Symphony hadnot included such an ending. So he conceived the ideaof
a kind of competition for the- right tune, and in turnthe three
preceding movements present themselves as
candidates. He dismisses the first abruptly, almostcasually, and
yet ironically enough he was never sonear to the threshold of
transporting his hearers intoeternity as in that first movement of
the NinthSymphony. After rejecting the melody of the firstmovement,
he rejects the scherzo, but in rejecting thescherzo he goes further
and reproves it. We detectmegalomania here, that curse of genius. "
Stop thiswrangling and jangling," say the strings. " I,Beethoven,
have a panacea for all the ills of humanity."He rejects the third
movement tenderly and almostreverently, as if awed by the beauty of
his own creation." Beautiful though you are," he seems to say, " I
mustreject you, because I possess something even morebeautiful, and
not only more beautiful, but morecapable of being appreciated by
everybody, high andlow."
With this begins the march leading up to the singingof
Schiller's Ode to Joy. Musicians usually haveexecrable taste in
literature, and the banality ofSchiller's words inevitably suggests
that the musicBeethoven gave to them is equally banal. The
fatalfacility of humanitarian ejaculation reflects itself inthis
music. " All men are brothers ! " " Liberte,ggalite, Fraternite ! "
" A land fit for heroes to live in ! "" Make the world safe for
democracy ! " Slogans likethese require a good easy tune to march
to. IfBeethoven had lived to see some of the results of thatfacile
humanitarianism he might have cancelled theend of the Choral
Symphony as he cancelled thr,,dedication of the Third Symphony to
Napoleon. Yet,this anticlimax is paradoxically the peak of
Beethoven'ssupreme genius. The finale of the Ninth Symphonymay
offer too facile a solution of life's problems, butthe simplicity
of the man himself in accepting such asolution destroys the memory
of the egoism and thefits of megalomania to which he was subject.
Theinspiration of it seems almost as naïve as the inspirationof
some of those rondos in his earliest work. But thegreatest tribute
to the grandeur of the Ninth Symphonyis the comparative
unimportance of Brahms's FirstSymphony, which infatuated admirers
actually daredto salute as the Tenth Symphony. The above remarksare
to be read as an expression of my first reactions tothe opportunity
provided by these Decca-Polydorrecords of studying the Mass in D
and the NinthSymphony together, and I only set them down in printas
a tentative and probably a temporary opinion. Therealization of
what a supreme work of art the MissaSolemnis is has shaken my
previous beliefs about theNinth Symphony, and it is in the hope of
persuadingother readers of THE GRAMOPHONE to study that greatwork
themselves that I have committed myself to somuch tentative
criticism.
The Society MovementMr. Norman Cameron in his letter last
month
undoubtedly expressed the feelings of many gramo-phone
enthusiasts when he pointed out that the spread
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92 THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932
of the society movement might seriously affect thosewho are not
able for financial reasons to buy allBeethoven's sonatas or all
Haydn's quartets or allSibelius's symphonies, and his suggestion
that membersof the general public should be allowed to
purchasesingle records or sets of discs issued by the societies ata
slightly higher price than that charged to membersdeserves the
attention of those in charge of launchingthese societies.
Nevertheless, Mr. Cameron and hisfriends must remember that the
great obstacle to thepublication of a representative collection of
a composer'swork has always been the susceptibility of the
generalpublic to favourites. It has been idle to remonstratewith
the recording companies for issuing version afterversion of the
Moonlight Sonata while the later andgreater sonatas of Beethoven
remained unrecordedwhen a reference to the sales books always
showed apublic response to the nth version of the MoonlightSonata
and an indifference to the first rendering ofsome sonata less.well
known. The trouble always withthe public is that some work of art
asserts itself aboveothers, not necessarily by its merits or even
by itsgeneral appeal, but by some mysterious quality whichwe can
only call publicity. When Mr. NormanCameron asks to pick and choose
we can sympathizewith him, but he and his friends will agree that
anextension of that principle has been the cause ofkeeping hundreds
of musical works that deserved to berecorded from ever being
recorded. The success ofthe two Sibelius Symphonies published by
Columbiawith the help of the Finnish Government has created ademand
for a Sibelius Society. But a sufficientpopularity for the work of
Sibelius is by no meansguaranteed. It may be that one of his other
symphonieswill equal the popularity of the First and Second.Should
that be the case the recording company respon-sible for the first
issue of that symphony to the membersof a society will no doubt
consider the advisability ofmaking such a symphony more generally
available. Atpresent, however, the only chance to continue the
workof publishing good music is to give the public anopportunity of
guaranteeing a minimum sale for suchmusic. THE GRAMOPHONE is
perfectly willing to keepa register of particular requests for
recordings, andI have no doubt that if any particular work
obtained500 votes we could persuade a recording company topublish
such a work to members of what might becalled the Special Request
Society. It might be possibleeven to make such a Special Request
Society dependenton these other societies which are coming into
existence,so that special terms could be accorded to them
forselected works published by particular societies.
Frankly, I am a little sceptical about the support sucha society
would receive. The brutal fact remains,whatever way we look at it,
that the real enemy of thepublication of good music is not lack of
taste to appre-ciate it, but lack of means to acquire it.
COMPTON MACKENZIE.
POT-POURRI
Sinfonia domesticsMention has been made of his remarkable
restaurant habits :
at his own dining -table they were no better. He used to
tryevery egg even before it was cooked, and if one smelt bad,
theback of the offending housekeeper would be made a target forit
or it would be heaved through the open window into thestreet to the
peril of the passer-by . . . a disturbance in thestreet was often
the result. (Trans. from Bildnis Beethoven'sby Richard Specht.)
Two Views of JazzJazz may therefore be defined as the distortion
of the normal
or conventional in music. . . . Liszt was a jazz composer
parexcellence, and a good showman to boot. Along conventionallines
he would hardly have been noticed. Monteverde,putting a deliberate
dissonance into Ariadne's lament toexpress its tragedy, becomes
perhaps the first of all jazzcomposers. Beethoven definitely jazzes
the choral melody inthe Finale of the IXth Symphony, when he
orchestrates it fora combination of brass, bassoons, cymbals and
triangle, andat the same time breaks up the tune into a sprightly
skippingrhythm. (Sigmund Spaeth in the North American Review.)
Beneath its superficial irregularity, snap and go, the best
ofjazz stands inert. Rhythm is precluded, not permitted todevelop
itself in its hard-boiled sphere. In place of trulyrhythmic,
periodical, unpredictable displacement of volumesand accents,
intrinsic phrases and freely flowing periodscapable of organic
extension and development, the typicaljazz composition offers mere
beat, mechanic iteration, duplica-tion, conformation to pre
-established pattern. (An Hour withAmerican Music by Paul
Rosenfeld.)
All the World's a Stage (for Opera Singers)" I recall another
bit of Niemann's characteristic criticism :
Adolf Robinson was an excellent singer and actor, but hebelonged
to the old operatic school and was prone to extrava-gant action and
exaggerated pathos. He was moreover fondof the footlights. At one
of the last rehearsals for Tristan,Robinson, the Kurvenal of the
occasion, was perpetuallyrunning from the dying hero's couch to the
front of the stageto sing his pathetic phrases with tremendous
feeling into thefaces of the audience. Niemann, reclining on the
couch,immovable as a recumbent statue, as was his wont, giving
notrace of the seething impatience consuming him and mirroredin the
expression of his face, and particularly his eyes, watchedthe
conventional stage antics of his colleague till he could endurethem
no longer. He gave a sign to Seidl, who stopped theorchestra to
hear the dying knight addressing his squire inwing6d but
un-Wagnerian words to this effect : ' My dearRobinson, this scene
is not all yours, Tristan also has somethingto say here : but how
am I going to make my share of thedramatic effect if you are always
going to run down to theaudience and sing at it ? After a while
there will be nothingleft to do but hurl my boots into the
auditorium. And I'm avery sick man. Now there's a good fellow, come
over here tothe couch, stay by me and nurse me, and you'll see
there'ssomething in my part too.' " (Chapters of Opera in New
York-H. E. Krehbiel.)
The Depth of MozartAnd not without reason has one of the
earliest and finest
connoisseurs and lovers of Mozart, the great
Stendhal,characterised melancholy as the keynote of his music. In
thisrespect Mozart's work, as so much of great art, seems to be
theecho of a tragic life. What do we really know of this? Inmany
respects the man Mozart is still a mystery to us to -day.(Trans.
from Klassische Musikstatten by Carl Kobald.)
RICHARD HOLT.
-
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-
AUGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE 9If
a reliable guide to the dramatic action, while the datesof
production are quite correct, though I would remind" H.W.L." that
at the time when Siegfried was firstgiven in London (1882) we spoke
of the old opera housein the Haymarket as " Her " and not " His "
Majesty'sTheatre. Apart from the Album, Melchior has donewith the
same orchestra (DA1227, 12in.) Am stillen Herd,one of the
Probelieder from Die Meistersinger, and theLenzlied from Die
Walkiire. Both are good, but thelatter is the finer of the two.
The large proportion of foreign vocal recordingsincluded in the
new Catalogue will not have escapednotice, nor am I going to find
fault with that whichundeniably adds alike to its interest and
variety. Take,for instance, the specimens provided by the
Metropoli-tan Russian Church Choir in Paris and the Orfeo Catalade
Barcelona. It is not so much on account of theirmusical beauty
(though that is by no means to bedespised) as of their
characteristic national qualities that
they are welcome, since they enable you to study atyour ease the
curious features of Russian Church music(B4131, 10in., and C2395,
12in.) ; or, again, a typicallySpanish choir of boys and men in two
cantatas by Bach(D2066-8 and D2075-6, 12in.), of which No. 4
iscomplete and No. 140 excerpts only. Some of the effectsin the
former are quite beautiful, and in the latter thefamous Sleepers,
wake is particularly well sung. A Frenchbasso cantante, M. Louis
Morturier, displays a fine voicewith admirable results in airs from
Haydn's Seasons andBerlioz's Enfance du Christ (D2058, 12in.) ;
while aRussian tenor, N. I. Nagachevsky, shines less brightlyin a
couple of songs (B4120, 10in.) that could easilyhave been spared
from a connoisseur's collection.En revanche, the luscious tones of
Sigrid Onegin areworthily employed in Du bist die Ruh' and
Liszt'sDie Lorelei (DB1291, 12in.), the pure, unaffected phras-ing
of Schubert's gracious melody calling for especialpraise. HERMAN
KLEIN.
ADDITIONS TO THE H.M.V. CONNOISSEURCATALOGUE
(continued)
D2065. BERLIN STATE OPERA ORCHESTRA, conductedby Dr. Leo Blech :
Ballet Music from the opera Idomeneo---Chaconne and Gavotte
(Mozart) and Andante for Flute(Mozart).Idomeneo, written when
Mozart was twenty-four, was not
a success, publicly, though its influence is to be traced in
laterworks by the composer, which owed at least a little of
theirquality to some of its ideas. Various people revised the
opera,and recently Strauss's version was staged at Vienna. Theplot
is intractable, and no touched -up libretto can save it.The ballet
music stands, perhaps best of all, on its own feet,and even that
reminds us that Mozart studied good models.It is not clear whether
the Andante for flute is K.315 (1778).I presume so. The number
should have been given on thelabel. It is a lovely thing, gracious,
pure, almost other-worldly. The style of the soloist (not named on
the label, thisside of which, by the way, is titled in German,
while the otheris in English) beautifully befits the music's gentle
discourse.May we ask our friends to give us consistently full
informationabout the sources of the works, and to decide upon
onelanguage or the other for their titles? Labelling
unaccountablyremains one of the weaker elements in record
-production.
D2069. BERLIN STATE OPERA ORCHESTRA. conductedby Dr. Leo Blech :
Divertimento No. 9 for Wind Instruments,H.V.PAO (Mozart).This, one
of the ten Divertimenti for wind instruments,
written between 1772 and 1777, belongs to 1776. It is possibleto
find in the style here some subtle reaction to Mozart's contactwith
society. There is in part of this record (the second move-ment on
the first side, for instance, and the first on side 2) asuggestion
of the refined meditative or slightly melancholymanner which later
we find reinforced and deepened into richerfeeling. All the
movements are meaty-the concentratedexposition of well-turned
ideas, more satisfying, because a
little more finely polished, one may feel, than those in someof
the other Serenades. Divertimenti and Cessations. Nothingis too
weighty, of course : the title marks an easy, naturallimit to
complexity and profundity ; but within that limita-tion, here is a
high degree of satisfaction for the spirit, andnot less, in the
dexterous writing, for the ear.
D2070-2. BERLIN STATE OPERA ORCHESTRA, conductedby Dr. Leo Blech
: Symphony No. 5 in B flat (Schubert),five parts, and Slavische
Tanz, Op. 46, No. 4 (Dvorak),sixth side. Min. scores of Schubert,
Philharmonia andEulenburg.Polydor was the only firm to do
Schubert's Fifth (May
1930, page 565). The work was finished October 3rd, 1816,and
first played by an orchestra of friends. Note the scoring-with only
one flute, and no clarinets, trumpets or trombones.You could do it
with little more than a score of players. Quitolikely, Schubert had
in mind the restricted number of friendsable to make up a band. My
labels have gone wrong : theygive, for the first three sides, the
titles of both first and secondmovements. Actually, the first
movement takes one side andabout an inch of the second. and the
slow movement ends onside 3. Then the minuet is called 2nd Movement
" and thefinale " 3rd." The catalogue is wrong, too. There are
somecuts in the slow movement, and one in the finale. Some
nicetouches of phrasing appear in the minuet, but above mf thetone
is drawn out of its quality, and is too big to be true.The finale
loses less, and it may be felt that the little Dvorakpiece (one of
those less commonly heard, it is pleasant to note)loses least of
all. The scrap of 'cello cadenza is not quitehappy. On -the whole,
I prefer works only just as large aslife. If that is looked to, the
naturalness will look after itself,on records. But this happy
little symphony is worth having.Try it for yourself first, and
decide whether the tone offendsyou or not.
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96 THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932
B3942. LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, conducted byEugene Goossens :
Le Roi l'a dit (Delibes).Delibes lived two lives-that of a ballet
composer for the
Grand Opera, and an operatic writer for the other Opera,where
lighter works were in demand. His weightier worksmissed success in
the larger world, but the lighter weightsproved his power and
place, and one cannot imagine themlosing their attraction. Le roi
l'a dit came out in 1873,and this funny story of the complications
arising out ofLouis XIV's royal assumptions, and a subject's trying
toplay up to them, made a good partner for a serious
musician'slively thoughts, always refined and h propos. The tune
thatends side 1 is a good sample of purely French musical
expression,and of Delibes' particularly engaging vein of delicacy.
No onecould handle these with a better balanced hand than
Mr.Goossens, of whom we hear too little. The B.B.C. performedthis
opera in the middle of 1929, I remember, and though studiooperas in
the old shape are apparently not to be pursued, weMight have some
attempt at reviving the best of those wethen enjoyed. If 'only
there were any scope for the purveyorsof opera, or sufficient
experience in the potential public for it,what fares to Paris we
might save !
C2348-9. NEW SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, conducted byDr. Malcolm Sargent
: Patrie (Bizet), Herodiade, BalletNo. 4 from Les Pheniciennes
(Massenet).Patrie, inspired by the events of 1870, may well be
heard
always with respect, as the work of one above all
fervent,impassioned, enthusiastic. Bizet is always welcome : we
givethanks for his warmth, and wish he had lived longer.
Theoverture was produced the year before he died. Grade, I
see,gives the usual explanation of it as planned for Sardou's
dramaPatrie, but I have seen another account, on good
authority,which says that Bizet simply called it a " dramatic
overture,"frankly based on French feelings after the war, and
thatPasdeloup, who first performed it, suggested the title.
Thefirst group of thematic matter occupies most of side 1 ;
justunder 2 in. in comes the second chief tune, in rather
morelively time. This is worked up to a ff presentation on side
2,and in slower time comes a third chief theme, in the lowerstrings
(which are strongly used elsewhere in thematic signi-ficance). This
section might be thought of as a lament or elegy.An inch from the
end of side 2 comes a smooth fresh theme,comforted (cor anglais,
clarinet and violas). Side 3 develops alittle, concludes the
section, and brings back, first in pp excite.ment, the opening
theme, and then (with some small inter-polations of theme 2, and
the brass fanfare heard near thestart) goes to the coda, which
emphasises theme 2 in aspiringconfidence. Probably we should only
appreciate the workquite fully if we could enter into the mind and
heart of Franceafter 1870 ; but in spite of its slight constructive
value, itgoes straight to the mark. The Massenet fill -up is
poorlychosen. One would think that recorders had a job lot
ofMassenet to get rid of. Why not seek out music withmeaning? The
recording makes the Patrie basses slightlymuzzy. I like it because
the volume is not excessive.D1495. ORCHESTRE ROYAL DES GUIDES
BELGES
(BELGIAN ROYAL GUARDS BAND), conducted by A.Prevost : Offertoire
pour la Messe de Minuit (Franck) andKhovantchina, Danse des
Persanes (Moussorgsky, trans.Godfrey).The title is misleading. This
is unavoidable as far as the
band's name goes. The word " Orchestra " on the label(left-hand,
bottom) ought, however, to be " Military Band."These transcriptions
demonstrate respectively the rich,smooth depths of the band's tone,
in the " offertory " on afamiliar French sacred theme, often used
in organ music, whichcomes off excellently in this medium, and its
lighter resources,in the dance. The band leaves an excellent
impression. Itmay be noted that there are several other, lighter,
pieces by itin this list ; they were reviewed Iv W.A.C. in June (p.
22).
W. R. A.
DA1069-72 (in album). FLONZALEY STRING QUARTET:Quartet in A
minor, Op. 41, No. 1 (Schumann).
DB1359-61. FLONZALEY STRING QUARTET. Quartet inE minor, " Aus
meinem Leben " (Smetana).The Schumann is recorded complete. The
repeats in the
first and last movement are given and also the two repeatsin the
Intermezzo of the Scherzo. But the two repeats in theScherzo itself
are omitted. Breaks (references to Eulenburgmin. score) : first
movement, page 6, end of line 3 andpage 10, line 1, bar 2 ; third
movement, page 29, line 2, bar 2 ;fourth movement, last bar but one
of page 40.
In the Smetana no repeats are indicated. There are twocuts (p.
25, end of line 2 to p. 27, beginning of line 2, and p. 43,letter "
T," to p. 45, letter " W "). Breaks : first movement,p. 7, line 4,
bar 1 ; third movement, p. 31, line 3, bar 1.
These are vintage Flonzaley laid down before the break-upof that
excellent organisation, and left to mature till now inthe cellars
at Hayes. Like all dated " vintages " they havethe virtue of
preserving something that would otherwisehave been lost
irretrievably-and a performance by theFlonzaley was well worth
preserving. On the other hand,an old wine is often inclined to lack
" body," and these twoFlonzaley samples sound strangely light and
ethereal besidethe full-blooded modern recordings of the Budapest.
TheSchumann, indeed, cannot be regarded as entirely satisfactory
;the extreme notes at both ends of the gamut do not
actuallydisappear, but there are times when they do undoubtedly"
fade." And there is a curious haze over a good deal of
thepart-writing that occasionally makes it impossible to
distinguishall the detail. The Smetana is distinctly better, and
thesensationally high E, long held by the first violin towards
theend of the Finale, is quite able to make its presence felt. On
thewhole, this is the quartet I prefer ; the " cuts " are
regrettable,but not of paramount importance.
A brief but adequate analysis of the Schumann by H.W.L.is pasted
in the album. The gentle music and refined playingmake a striking
contrast with the heroic rendering of theGram Fuge by the Budapest,
to which, as it happens, I hadjust been listening. The Flonzaley
could be splendidly virilewhen they chose (we have Beethoven
records of theirs to proveit), but it is the dreamy, romantic
element, the naive grace thatthey (like most modern artists) tend
to accentuate in Schumann.Probably they are right, though we should
not forget thatour fathers regarded him as the most masculine of
his contem-poraries. I liked the Scherzo best-a good example of
theFlonzaley's brilliant ensemble. They probably play theFinale
just as well, but the music here is not quite so interesting.The
opening movement has a quiet charm that is attractive ;the slow
movement I found dull-and if you think I haven'tgot a soul, I can't
help it.
Smetana's quartet is analysed in Cobbett's CyclopedicSurvey
(heading " Smetana "). The first movement (Allegrovivo
appassionato) " depicts," so the writer tells us, " his earlylove
of art, his romantic tendency," while in " the restlessquaver
figure " on the violins " Smetana has caught theagitated atmosphere
of the revolutionary year, 1848." Of thesecond movement, Allegro
moderato a la Polka, Smetana himselfsays that it " recalls memories
of my gay life in youth when Iused to write dance music and give it
away right and left toother young folk " ; and of the Largo
aostenuto, " The thirdmovement recalls the bliss of my first love."
There is aheavenly melody here, worthy of Schubert at his best.
Nowonder Dvorak admired Smetana ! The two great Bohemiancomposers
draw very close together here. On the Finale,Smetana comments " The
discovery how to treat the nationalmaterial in music ; joy at the
results of following this path !"The sudden catastrophe near the
end stands for the tragedy ofthe composer's life, deafness ; and
the long, high E representsthe singing in his ears. " I allowed
myself this little joke,such as it is, which has proved so fatal to
me."
If you are in doubt, try DB1360 as a sample. It contains
thePolka and the first half of the slow movement. P. L.
-
AUGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE 97
DA1026. FRITZ EREISLER : En Bateau; La Fine auxCheveux de Lin
(Debussy).Once grant that Debussy, being richer in harmonic than
in
melodic interest, is hardly a good subject for violin
transcrip-tions, and you have in this Kreisler record at once a
favourite-Kreisler is, perhaps, the subtlest and most sensitive
violinistwe have and therefore able to do full justice to these
exquisitelittle tone -pictures. (It might have been an even
happierrecord if more prominence had been given to the piano
accom-paniment-played perfectly by Carl Lamson.) I give
mypreference to the " Girl with the Flaxen Locks," which isplayed
with a wayward elasticity and is only not perfect (to mythinking)
in the strangely withheld climax. Even Kreisler hasexcelled himself
in the fading close of this delicious fragment.Here is certainly
one of Kreisler's most poetic short records.
DB1338. JACQUES THIBAUD: La Vida Breve (De Falla)and Le Deluge
(Saint -Satins).Perhaps the most attractive quality in Thibaud's
playing
is its restraint-its ability to maintain an interest in an
almostcontinuously level tone. Such playing is hardly to be heard
atits best in such exotic fragments as the Danza Espanola No.
1,from La Vida Breve. There is a fine sense of rhythm shownhere but
that hardly atones for the absence of fire and turbulencewhich are
the essential ingredients of such music. TheSaint -Satins, being
far less flamboyant and more a matter ofsheer melodic line, is
better : as Thibaud plays it, one becomesabsorbed in the lovely
thin thread of sound which the composerhas spun and is content to
leave it at that. The recording israther subdued and, for the same
reasons, obviously moreeffective in the Prelude to Le Deluge. A
musicianly record-and yet strangely unsatisfying.
DB1470. MISCHA ELMAN : Serenade Melancholique (Tchai-kovsky, Op.
26).This is Tchaikovsky in a most attractive mood-his Slav
melancholy has dictated a brief and typical tune round whichhe
has built, with all the cunning of which he was master,
someappealing part-writing for orchestra. (The orchestra,
admirablyrestrained, is under the direction of Nat Shilkret.
Tchaikovskyknew well how to use the horn and the wood -wind, and
thereare some beautiful examples here of their exploitation to
fineeffect.) Against this delicate orchestration, Mischa
Elman'sviolin -playing stands out full-blooded and dark, as suits
thenature of the music. There is some fine emotional
playing,particularly in the agonised recitatives. How much Elmancan
put into a simple phrase is revealed when, upon repetition,the wood
-wind takes up the melody whilst Elman plays anelusive figure above
it : by comparison the tune then becomesalmost abrupt. This is a
beautiful record and I stronglyrecommend it, unless, of course,
Tchaikovsky is anathema toyou : rarely have I heard Elman playing
better and therecording does him ample justice.
DB1536. MISCHA ELMAN : Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20(Sarasate).When
Sarasate essays the Romany mood you know what to
expect : some feverish moments of arpeggio work on the
violin,with reiterating accompaniment on the piano, and altogethera
great to-do about nothing in particular. Of course, therewill be
splendid opportunities for the soloist to show how cleverhe
is-whilst the poor accompanist gets along as best he canwith his
dum-diddle-dum. For all the show of passion in theseso-called Gypsy
Airs there is never any depth of feeling-thewhole thing is much
more Apache of the Latin Quarter thandownright Romany.
Nevertheless, as I say, Elman has somerare chances to show his
astonishing ability as a mere technician,and there is always a kind
of satisfaction in that-though not avery lasting one. These
disjointed fragments of recitative anddance must be great fun (as
they say) to play, so far as theviolinist is concerned ; but oh,
the boredom for Carroll Hollister,the accompanist !
B
DB1594. MISCHA ELMAN : Airs Tziganes (Cesar Espejo) ;Weve
d'Enfant (Ysaye).As far as pure music goes there is little to
choose between
Sarasate and Espejo ; but the former, needless to say, has
atleast the advantage of being more interesting in the sheeragility
of his violin -writing. Gypsies, as composers for theviolin see
them, are evidently a frantic, nerve-racking lot.Ysaye's Reve
d'Enfant may be poor music, but I very muchprefer it to all this
pseudo -gypsy nonsense. There is in it aquality of genuine
innocence-like some well -painted Victorian" picture with a
meaning." The simple melody rides andswings over a grateful
accompaniment (played by Marcel vanGool with considerable delicacy
and exquisitely clear in therecording) in a most pleasing fashion :
it is a charming essayin restraint. This and Elman's Tchaikovsky
should both bepopular records.
DA1073. GIIILHERMINA SUGGIA : Rondo (Boccherini)
andPolichinelle-Serenade (Kreisler).The Boccherini Rondo, cleverly
transcribed by Bazelaire,
was hardly worth the trouble : it is straightforward and
ratherdull. Nevertheless, it gets an almost loving attention from
itsexponent-another example, perhaps, of how grateful 'cellistsare
even for the least interesting additions to their so
limitedrepertoire' The Serenade is typical and effective
music,without any pretensions, but appealing and fairly
musicianly.
DA1065. Melodie, from Orfeo (Gluck) and Piece en formede
Habanera (Ravel).The Melody is, needless to say, an arrangement of
the Dance
of the Blessed Spirits. I cannot say I think it is improved
inits translation from orchestra to 'cello solo : it becomes far
toobold a thing, not half ethereal enough. The accompaniment,too,
suffers to the extent of becoming excessively monotonous.The Ravel
is so completely right-saying its little say with ex-quisite
distinction-that I cannot understand why it is not moreoften heard.
Here is something that, although it may havelittle to do with
Spain, is altogether lovely in a light-hearted way.I would like to
draw attention to the perfect accompanistSuggia has found, both
here and in DA1073, in George Reeves.The recording is
impeccable.
DA1130. WANDA LANDOWSHA : Sonata No. 9, Pastorale(Scarlatti) ;
Le Rossignol en Amour ((', ,,wrin ).The Scarlatti is a remarkable
performance : Landon ,ka's
playing demands just that mixture of strictness. ofoutline and
dramatic content that Scarlatti supplies. Ifthere is a fault it is
in the tendency to " tightness " in the toneand the slightly steely
quality that consequently emerges.These defects completely
disappear, however, in the Couperin,whose tenderness is brought out
with a greater resilience inthe tone of the playing and a
consequent heightening ofresonance. There is, moreover, some
beautiful sustaining inthe bass and some really understanding
phrasing. This shouldeasily be one of Landowska-'s most favoured
records. (Oneis so used to the continuous excellence of harpsichord
recordingthat I almost omitted to give it high praise once
more.)
DA 1 129. WANDA LANDOWSHA : English Suite in E minor,Passepied
(Bach) ; Fantasia in C minor (Bach).There is a welcome intelligence
behind the playing of both
these pieces : every line of Bach's writing stands out brave
andclear. Purists might accuse Landowska of putting too muchmood
into the Passepied ; but the offence, if any, is a slightone. Her
tone is always crisp, though capable (as the quietending serves to
prove) of the subtlest gradations. TheFantasia on the other side
suffers, to my thinking, by thenecessary omission of the Adagio and
Fugue that are so muchpart and parcel of it ; and I do not care
much for the excessiveregularity with which it is here played. But
Landowska isa welcome antidote to the purist (I would rather call
it thepuritanical) school of harpsichord performers, and this
particu-lar example of her work is brilliantly recorded.
C. H. W.
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98 THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932
THE MUNICH FESTIVAL AND THE GRAMOPHONETN recent years Munich has
provided the finest operatic"entertainment to be heard in Europe.
The repertoire ismore extensive than that of Covent Garden, and the
artists-if not as well known-are of an equal standard. Three
theatresare used : the National, which is in use all the year round
; thePrinzregent, perhaps the finest Wagnerian theatre in theworld
; and the Residenz, which, though often staging smallerand
unpretentious operas, was this year devoted largely to
theperformance of festival plays. The principal artist was
WilhelmRode, the magnificent Viennese baritone who appeared
atCovent Garden in 1928. On that occasion he was hailed as
theforemost interpreter of Sachs and Wotan before the public,and at
the present time he is perhaps to be considered the
finestinterpretative artist of the century. His Polydor records-the
best of which will no doubt be available on Decca shortly-are
rather poorly recorded, but the quality of the interpretationmakes
them in all cases well worth buying. I can especiallyrecommend
Wahn, Wahn, uberall Wahn and Wotans Abschied.Of far superior
quality are his recent Ultraphon records, therecording of which has
not yet been surpassed. The Credofrom Othello is a masterpiece of
characterization, paired withsome vocal fireworks, in Ich der geist
der stets verneinet fromBoito's Mefistofele (F525). The remaining
solos are all indi-vidually interpreted, the Torerolied being
especially fine(together with Hei Adatnastor from Africana, F534).
It is apity that he takes liberties with the vocal line for the
sake ofeffect-but the effect is undeniable. Die Frist ist um
fromThe Flying Dutchman is a slightly disproportionate
recording,but worth having for the artistry of performance. The
duetswith Eva Hadrabova are not so satisfactory-the Te Deumfrom
Team is too loud to be pleasant, and the performance ofthe duet in
Aida, except for some thrilling moments (in everycase not written
by the composer), is strangely pedestrian. Ifone hears the record
this will become quite clear. There arealso some old Odeon records
of Wagnerian excerpts and songsof some interest ; the company will
only re -press them, however,if the demand is sufficient, so if
anybody wishes to have theparticulars I can send them a list.
The author saw Rode in the Mastersingers, Valkyrie,
FlyingDutchman, Lohengrin, and the Tales of Hoffmann. In
theMastersingers the cast was :
HANS SACHS RodeBECKMESSER RiesPOONER SterneckKOTHNER HannWALTHER
FischerDAVID ... CarnuthEVA FeugeMAGDALENA Fichtmuller
The performance was perhaps the best of the festival,
underKnappertsbusch's baton ; the scenar:o in general,
andparticularly the lighting in Act 2, were very fine. Only Rodeto
my knowledge has recorded. Knappertsbusch is representedon the
Decca-Polydor list by a rather lukewarm performanceof this Opera's
Overture, on Parlophone by Beethoven'sseventh, and on H.M.V. by
some Strauss Waltzes. Fischerhas a fine voice, but being built on
Melchioresque lines withoutthe latter's height, he scarcely looks
the part. Rode himselfwas perfect, a far finer Sachs than Schorr or
Nissen. InLohengrin, his Telramund rather outweighed the remainder
ofthe cast, both vocally and in the vehemence of his acting. Hewas
ably supported by Gertrud Kappel's Ortrud. Theemainder of the cast
was :
LOHENGREN FischerELSA Hiini-MihacsecKING HENRY HarmHERALD ...
Hager
Fischer was less incongruous as Lohengrin than as Walther,
buthis acting-especially the habit of remaining fixed in a
dramaticpose-was uninspiring. Hiini-Mihacsec made an
attractiveElsa. Of the other Wagner Operas, Tannhduser, the
FlyingDutchman and the Ring were given, the latter two with Rodeas
Vanderdecken and Wotan respectively. Siegfried had a newsetting
which I am told was very effective. Knappertsbusch,easily
recognizable again by his blonde hair, conducted Tristan,in which
the cast was :
TRISTAN ... Fritz WolffISOLDE KappelKING MARK Paul BenderSAILOR
... Patzak.
Fritz Wolff seems scarcely to have lived up to his formerpromise
as the future heldentenor par Excellence, but he looksthe part.
Patzak has a pleasant light tenor voice, and is apermanent member
of the Opera ; he has made numerousPolydor records, of which one
10in. has so far been issued inEngland-Lebewohl mein Blutenreich
from Butterfly. PaulBender is represented on Ultraphon by a
magnificent Loeweballad record Odin's Meeresritt and Kleiner
haushalt (E415),obtainable either from stock or by order from the
GramophoneExchange, with any other Ultraphon record.
Rehkemper, whose magnificent performance of Mahler'sKindertoten
limier has just appeared on Decca-Polydor, sangthe name part in
Rossini's William Tell, supported by Feuge,Helsing, Grifft,
Gerlach, and Fichtmilller. Elmendorff, theBayreuth conductor of
Columbia's Tristan, was in command.Patzak, mentioned just above,
appeared as Hoffman in theOffenbach opera, supported rather
overwhelmingly by Rodeas Coppelius. Fritzi Jokl, a Polydor artist
whose Deccareleases we are still awaiting*, appeared to great
effect as thedoll Olympia. Other National theatre productions
includedRosenkavalier, Zouberflote, Aida, Othello, Zigeunerbaron,
andFidelio. The cast of the first -mentioned opera included
Kappel,Sterneck, Hann, Helsing, Sendai, Fichtmiiller, Kries,
Grifft,Graf and Carnuth, amongst which profusion of stars Kappelwas
outstanding, though on one occasion she sounded verytired. Fichter
was a far greater success as Othello than in theprevious operas,
and the death scene was especially effective.Hiini-Mihacsec took
Elisabeth Schumann's famous part ofPamina in Zauberfiote and
brought it off very well.
The plays performed during the festival included
PrinzessinTurandot, Friedrich Friesen, Freie Bahn dem
Tuchtigen,Jewelrand in der Karritnerstrasse, Shakespeare's Wie each
esgefdllt, and others. Adolph Busch and Rudolf Serkin gave aseries
of concerts of Beethoven's Violin and Piano Sonatas.The quantity
and the excellence of the entertainment at Munichamazed a Londoner
such as myself, in whose town twosimultaneous major operatic
performances would be impossible.But what a pity so many of the
excellent Munich artists areunrecorded ! P. B. MEDAWAR.
*[But she is already in the Parlophone Catalogue.-
LONDONED.]
The Forty -Eight SocietyMr. Gerald H. Hayes, the Hon. Secretary
of The Dolmetsch
Foundation, invites any of our readers who would be likelyto
subscribe to a Society formed under Columbia auspices forthe
recording of Bach's " 48 " and Chromatic Fantasia byArnold
Dolmetsch on the clavichord to communicate withhim at 37,
Clanricarde Gardens, London, W.2.
It is hoped to start the recording as soon as the
HaslemereFestival is over, and to issue four or five records at a
time in aportfolio at about two guineas. But the details are still
vague,and at this juncture it is only advisable to get the names
andaddresses of everyone who would be interested.
-
AUGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE [ADVERTISEMENTS IX
FOREIONRECORDING'SUndeniably the finest
Collection in the countryBACH
Chorale. Les temps anciens sont revolusChorale. jam Christ etait
dans son suaire
M. Edouard Commette (Organ) I record, 4./-
BRAHMSTrio-Op. 87
Poltronieri Trio 3 records, 5/6 each
BRUCKNER
Tota pulchra es MariaKlagelied des Propheten Jeremias
Choir and Soloist of the Salzburg CathedralI record, 6/9
DEBUSSYDances for Harp and Orchestra
Danse Sacree Danse ProfanePhiladelphia Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by L. Stokowski2 records, 6/- each
ELGARIn the South-Overture
London Symphony OrchestraConducted by Sir Edward Elgar
3 records, 6/- each
LOEWEThe Heilige Franziskus-
Spirito SantoLeo Schutndorf (Bass)
record, 6/9
CHAUSSONConcerto in D major, Op. 21,
for Pianoforte, Violin and StringsMM. Cortot and Thibaud
MM. Isnard, Voulfman, Blaupain and Eicemberg5 records, 8/3
each
Have you tried our new extra tough fibres?2 /- per packet of 5o
needles
ONLYFIBRE
NEEDLESARE
USEDFOR
DEMONSTRA-TIONS.
B2
AND MANY OTHERS EQUALLY ATTRACTIVE
fl full range of new season's instruments are on view and
readyfor immediate delivery
Special attention to all mail orders. Safe delivery guaranteed
andpostage paid in the British Isles on orders of 15/- or over.
MINGION:VANWYCK4213, CRANBOURN STREET.LTD
(JUST OPPOSITE THE HIPPODROME)
LONDON, W.C.2usI1.7
NORECORD
ISEVER
TOUCHEDWITH
A
STEELNEEDLE,
-
ADVERTISEMENTS X] THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932
That Divine Spark ofJohn McCormack
The amazing popu-larity of John McCormack is as welldeserved as
it can beeasily understood.London, New York,Paris-all are
unani-mous about hisamazing mastery inevery field of vocalmusic.
These twosongs-ordinarysentimental songs, ifsung by any other-
reveal the supreme artist, an artist pos-sessing that divine spark
which gives to thesimplest song a new beauty of his owncreation.THE
IRISH EMIGRANT-BY THESHORT CUT TO THE BOSSES. JohnMcCormack DA1234
4 /-Melville GideonMelville Gideon Medley 02441 4 /-Roses at
Dawning-When a pal bids a palgoodbye B4221 2/6Peter DawsonHills of
Devon-Devil-may-care
B4219 2 /6New Symphony Orchestra(conducted by Dr. Malcolm
Sargent)" Tom Jones " Selection 02442Salon OrchestraBy the blue
Hawaiian Waters B4078 2 /6Walter GlynneSweet Genevieve-Won't you
buy mypretty flowers ? B4217 2 /6
4/ -
FROM "HIS MASTER'SAsk Gracie about this . . .
The puzzle of " Where do flies go in thewinter time ? " has
never been solvedsatisfactorily. And although Gracie Fieldscannot
throw any light on the problem,she does tell us what a fly does on
its dayout. Apparently a fly likes to celebrateright royally on its
birthday. So listen, andchuckle, at this, the latest release of
Grade's,in which she tells in her own inimitableway, of a s3mewhat
amorous fly when" on the sple:."A FLY'S DAY OUT-WALTZINGTIME IN OLD
VIENNA. Gracie Fields
B4214 2 /6Cortot and ChopinOf all composerswho wrote for
thepianoforte none hasattained to suchheights of romanticbeauty as
Chopin.Here is a concep-tion of the greatest-conception thatneeds
interpretationof the highest order.The two works re-corded are
amongthe lesser known,but Cortot, with his sure understanding
anddelicate touch brings out Chopin's wealthof imagery and fine
phrasing in a brilliantand masterly manner.VALSE IN A FLAT, OP. 69,
NO. 1.(Chopin) - TARANTELLE, OP. 43Alfred Cortot DAI2I3 4 /-Marek
Weber and His OrchestraPotpourri of Waltzes, No. 2 (Robrecht)
B4216 2 /6De Groot (Violin) and Herbert Dawson(Organ)Love's old
sweet song-Love's garden ofRoses B4185 2,6The Pickens SistersLawd,
you made the night too long-Dream Sweetheart B4212 2 /6Ernst
RuckstuhlSwiss Yodelling Song-The Herdsman'sDelight B4047 2 /6Anni
Frind with Orchestra and Chorusof the Grossen Schauspielhaus,
BerlinNuns' Chorus (" Casanova ") (In German)Orchestra of the
Grossen Schauspiel-haus, Berlin Spanish Romance (" Casa-nova ")
C2435 4 /-
Aldershot Tattoo, 1932, RecordsArrival of H.M. The Queen-Bugles
sound"Retreat"-Massed Physical Training Dis-play-" Jolly Good
Company "-MassedMounted Bands " Salute " and March-Massed Bands "
Aldershot "-MassedPipe Bands " Scotland the Brave "-Battle of
Inkerman : The Roll Call-" Andante Cantabile " (from 5th Sym-phony)
(Tchaikovsky) C2437 4 /-Grand Finale-Massed Bands " NationalEmblem
"-" Recessional " (Kipling)-Reveille-Cheers for H.M. The Queen-Air
from " Berenice " (Handel) c2438 4 /-Massed Bands of Aldershot
CommandBlaze away March-Marching throughGeorgia B4218 2 /6"
Monsieur Beaucaire "Vocal Gems by Light Opera Company
C2443 4 /-Keith FalknerCome, landlord, fill the flowing
bowl-False Phyllis B3991 2 /6Patrick WaddingtonWhat makes you so
adorable ?-The Echoof a Song B4213 2 5Derickson and BrownLullaby of
the leaves-Shadows on thewindow B42I I 2 /6Sydney GustardHits of
the Moment (Summer 1932)
B4207 2;6Irish Medley
Tito Schipa-masterTo hear Italiansongs sung in alltheir
emotionalbeauty and purity,you must hear anItalian sing them.Tito
Schipa, one ofthe greatest livingmasters of bel canto,puts into
these twogay Neapolitan airshere recorded, thatincomparable
artist-ry which has long given him rightful claimto be considered
one of the foremost lyricaltenors of our time.NAPULITANATA (Fair
Maid of Naples)-CHI SE NNE SCORDA OCCHIU(Oh, how can I forget).
Tito Schipa
DAI054 4/-
C2444 4
of bel canto
-
AUGUST 193'2 THE GRAMOPHONE [ADVERTISEMENTS Itr
TR.FASURE OFMuSie ENTERTAINMENT
VOICE" MID-JULY AND 1st AUGUST LISTSMischa Elmatt woos you
softlyWhat more gracefuland soothing tothe eye than a swangliding
across theunruffled bosom ofa lake ? And whatmore soothing
andgrateful to the earthan the mellowlimpid tones of aviolin under
thecommand of a mas-ter ? Mischa Elmancombines these foryou, as
only he could, in his playing ofSaint-Saens' beautiful study " Le
Cygne "from " Le Carnival des Animaux." Onthe other side he plays
one of Tchaikovsky'sloveliest melodies.
LE CYGNE (The Swan) (Saint-Saens)-MELODIE, OP. 42, No. 3
(Tchaikovsky)Mischa Elman DA 1143 4 /-
"Out of the Bottle""The Brass Bottle,"that twenty year oldplay
now emerges,reburnished and re-furnished, into onecf the most
divert-ing and entertainingmusical plays on theLondon stage to-day.
And from itare recorded thesetwo delightful duetssung by FrancesDay
and Max
Kirby. You will find this record com-pletely captivating in its
gaiety and tune-fulness.EVERYTHING BUT YOU-I DON'TWANT YOU TO.
Frances Day and MaxKirby B4223 2 6Polly Walker and Clifford
MollisonPut that down in writing-We've got themoon and sixpence
(both from " Outof the Bottle ") 84224 2 /6
A clever Viennese SopranoGretl Vernon, oneof the most
recentnewcomers to Bri-tish Vaudeville,has recorded twomore German
hits,and her attractivepersonality which isindividual and en-tirely
different fromthat of English ar-tistes of her kind," comes over "
inan entrancing man- Photo by Manuel Freres, ,rumitner in these
numbers.HEUT N