Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 1, No. 11 (1927-08)

479 The Phonograph Monthly Review John Barbirolli (leader, Andre Mangeot). Miss Ethel Bartlett is the soloist in the Debussy dances. (The recording is electrical throughout.) Before considering the above records, the first group of orchestral works to be issued by the National Gramophone Society, reference should be made to the outline of the aims of the society, printed in the February number of this magazine. Since that time the terms of membership have been altered, so the new ones might well be mentioned here. “The annual subscription, to cover costs of printing and postage, is 2s. 6d., payable on October 1st. All annual sub- scribers to “The Gramophone” who register their names and addresses with the Secretary are, ipso jacto, members and pay no subscription to the Society. “Members are entitled to buy any records issued by the Society which are in stock at 6s. for each 12-inch and 4s. for each 10-inch record. They can fetch them from 58, Frith Street, Soho, London, W.I.; or they can have them packed and dispatched to any address in the British Isles or Ireland at a charge of 6d. a record. Orders exceeding one pound in value are despatched post free. “Overseas members are charged 6s. 6d. for each 12-inch record and 4s. 6d. for each 10-inch record. Orders exceeding two pounds in value, post free. Seven records can be packed in a parcel conveniently, but 7s. 6d. per parcel will be charged on smaller numbers, for packing, freightage, and insurance. “Records damaged in transit will be replaced free of charge. Records must be paid for in advance. A deposit account is recommended. “All cheques, money orders, etc., should be made payable to ‘Gramophone (Publications) Ltd.,’ crossed ‘Bank of Liver- pool and Martins’ and sent to The Secretary, N.G.S., 58, Frith Street, London, W.l.” The work the Society has done during its several years of existence in recording and issuing rare and beautiful chamber music is probably well known to most readers. Most of the pieces recorded by the N.G.S. are unavailable from any manufacturing company and all are of unusual musical and artistic interest. With the issue of the above named orchestral works, the Society seems to have made an auspicious entry into a larger field and if these are well received, they will undoubtedly be followed by more orchestral recordings of the type which is not likely to be chosen by the regular phonograph companies. (And by the way, there is no conflict between the society and the manufacturing companies; the former merely supplements the work of the latter.) We have on hand the attractive little 1927 catalogue of N.G.S. records, containing the terms of membership, lists of works, program and descriptive notes, pictures of the artists, etc. There is also an introduction by Mr. Compton Mac- kenzie, founder of the Society outlining its aims and plans. Copies have been sent to the various American Phonograph Societies. American enthusiasts who are interested and who cannot get a copy from the Secretary of their nearest Phono- graph Society, may no doubt obtain them by writing to 58, Frith Street, London, England. On hearing the orchestral N.G.S. records, one finds the following note in the 1927 catalogue almost unbelievable. “The Chamber Orchestra which made these records was organized by M. Andre Mangeot, and contained a galaxy of first-class players from London orchestras—perhaps the strongest combination that could have been found anywhere. In consequence, under the able and indefatigable baton of Mr. John Barbirolli, after a single morning’s rehearsal, they were able to create something of a new standard in output by making seven double-sided records in one day. It would not have been wise to disclose this fact unless the records themselves were as remarkable as the tale of the day’s achievement.” Beyond a doubt, this is one of the most remarkable feats in the history of recording, understandable onty when one remembers the excellence of the orchestra. It is readily apparent that the individual musicians are all highly skilled ensemble artists. What is more, they play as if they enjoyed the music themselves, not with the cold detachment of the average orchestra, which skilled as it may be, is often more a well oiled machine than a group of individuals. Perhaps one might say here that the N. G. S. orchestra plays like an enlarged string quartet, a real virtue in a chamber orchestra organization. The recording is adequate; there is no striving after brilliance or impressiveness, either of which would seriously detract from the character of the music played. Surface noise is perhaps not as completely eliminated as one is growing to expect from records nowadays, but it is by no means noticeable enough to be of serious demerit. Of the five works the finest (to us) is Corelli’s Concerto for string orchestra (for Christmas Night), a lovely example of early 18th century music, beautifully played. The (first movement is alternately vivace and grave, followed by an allegro and adagio, the next two are vivace and allegro (respectively suggestive of a minuet and a gavotte), and the finale a Pastoral ad libitum. One feels here a mingling of the charm of Mozart, the strength of Bach, and the nobility of Handel, yet one is always conscious of Corelli’s own personality and unmistakable touch. The choice of this work for recording can hardly be praised too highly (nor indeed the interpretation and performance of it). We hope it is the first of many of Corelli’s concertos to be rescued from the neglect of all too infrequent concert hall performances. The Debussy dances were originally written for the chro- matic harp, but as this ingenious instrument never came into great favor, an alternative version was arranged for the solo part to be taken by a piano. They are characteristic of Debussy’s earlier work, but are not unusually interesting after they have been heard a few times. The reading is excellent, particularly on the part of the soloist, Miss Bartlett. The Mozart Symphony, we learn, was written when the composer was but nineteen. Not to be compared with his later works, it is still of more than historical interest. The slow movement is perhaps the most enjoyable, but the symphony as a whole is to be welcomed as another example of the virginal age of music, tender, delicate, and ineffably appealing. Peter Warlock is the name under which Philip Heseltine, the critic, composes—as if to detach as far as possible the critical and creative sides of his character. Not content with paying Delius the tribute of writing a splendid biographical and critical study under one name, he has composed this Serenade for Strings under the other, especially for Delius’ sixtieth birthday, a few years ago. Warlock is most noted as a composer of songs and has established a distinctive style of his own, which is partly abandoned here for a reflection of Delius’ as a compliment to his friend. The work itself is not only a tribute of the most graceful sort, but also a bit of music to be cherished for its own sake and by no means unworthy to bear the dedication it does. Delius’ own composition, Summer Night on the River (and by the way, one wonders at the Society’s prefixing an indefinite article to the title—there is none in the published version of the score by Tischer & Jagenberg), is one of two pieces for small orchestra, both of which are now available in recorded form. The other, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, is perhaps the better known, from its performance in this country under the baton of Eugene Goossens (and in the piano arrangement by Percy Grainger), and also by the H.M.V. (Goosens) and Yocalion (Chappie) records. Both are introspective and reminiscent in nature rather than strictly programatic. The tentative approach of spring, the nostaglia of midsummer and the flow of the river play only ‘catalytic parts in these pieces; like the cake dipped in tea that brought back to Marcel Proust the sudden reality of his childhood, the first spring cuckoo and the summer night allow Delius to “summon up remembrance of things past.” As for the music itself one must accept it as it is. Here the players are in evident sympathy with its spirit, yet the performance can hardly be as satisfying as the conception of the composition from the score. In this work alone Mr. Barbolli’s reading can be questioned; despite his sincerity and musicianship he makes the all-too-common mistake of literalness, and in consequence the piece sounds “choppy” and a trifle disjointed. As in so many performances of Delius’ works, the detached notes of accompaniment and subsidiary figures are made too prominent, and the flow, the melos is lost. Perhaps the idea has gained too much strength that Delius’ music is entirely dependent upon its harmonic qualities. Indeed, each progression is worthy of interest in itself. But Delius surely never intended his harmonies and accompaniments to obscure the onward flow of the music as an entity. Yet in spite of all this, one will cherish the record, for after all a musical score is a cold-blooded thing, no matter how perfect in conception, beside the living (even if sometimes erring) performance. In recommending every American phonograph enthusiast