Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 1, No. 12 (1927-09)

520 The Phonograph Monthly Review The story of the Ballet deals with the search for the flower of immortality by Iskender who finds it in the hand of a sleeping Peri, reclining on the steps that lead to the hall of Ormuzd at the end of the earth where sea and clouds are one. Iskender steals the flower, but when the Peri awakes and at- tempts to recover the precious lotus, he is torn between his thirst for immortality and his desire for her. “The Peri dances the dance of the Peris; always approaching him until her face touches his face; and at the end he gives back the flower without regret. Then the lotus is like unto snow and gold, as the summit of Elbourz at sunset. The form of the Peri seems to melt in the light coming from the calyx and soon nothing more is to be seen than a hand raising the flower of flame, which fades into the realm above. Iskender sees her disappear. Knowing from this that his end draws near, he feels the darkness encompassing him.” Dukas’ music is a dance poem in tone as beautiful as the legend which inspired it. An unique addition to the wealth of recorded music—to be treasured perhaps not by many, but surely and deeply by some. H.M.V. D1154-7—Elgar: Enigma Variations (4 D12s Alb.). Played by the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra, conducted by the composer. With the Kreisler-Mendelssohn violin concerto (reviewed last month), this re-recording of Elgar’s best known work is outstanding among the batch of records recently received through Imhof’s in London. The older acoustic versions (H.M.V. and Columbia) were never made available in this country; perhaps the new one may be at some later date, for while the Variations have not enjoyed the overwhelming popularity here that the 3 r have in England, they figure regu- larly on Symphony programs and are well liked by all except the more modernist music lovers. From standpoints of recording and performance this is a very effective set of records and while the interpretation varies in many details from those we are accustomed to in American concert halls, it is presumably far more authentic; Elgar may not be a great ’conductor, but he is a capable one and thoroughly adequate to play his own work in exactly the way he wishes it to go. Those already fond of the com- position will find this version all that they had hoped for and it undoubtedly will be the means of winning new friends for Elgar. Mechanically, the set is of the same standard as Ronald’s brilliant Fifth Symphony of Beethoven, made about the same time. The H.M.V. album contains program notes with thematic illustrations in notation—a most commendable feature. On re-hearing these Variations as played in such adequate manner, one who had begun to find them decidedly old- fashioned is forced to reconsider somewhat. There can be no denying the life or the beauty of this work, but again one is baffled by the sensation of incompleteness: one is just realizing he likes a variation when it ends! The seemingly excessive speed with which some of the variations are taken emphasizes this feeling. Yet for music which has meant so much to so many sincere and well equipped amateurs one cannot but have respect, no matter what his personal reactions may be. This recording will intensify that meaning of the work for those who love it; to them it hardly needs to be recommended. In all events, it is worthy addition to recorded literature. H.M.V. D1051-2—Beethoven: Leonora Overture No. 3 (2 D12s). Played by the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra, con- ducted by Sir Landon Ronald. (On the 4th side, Schubert: Ballet Music from Rosamunde.) A work made about the same time as the same conductor’s Finlandia and Grieg Lyric Suite and consequently sharing the same faults of recording. It is, however, superior in several respects to the other two pieces mentioned; although by on means an outstanding version of Leonora No. 3, it is a fairly competent one from standpoints of performance and reading. The Rosamunde Ballet Music is quite good; a very satis- factory version of this popular Schubert excerpt. It would seem very doubtful that the Victor Company would care to re-press this recording, so we must still look to Stokowski or some other for an available version here. Meanwhile, Sir Henry Wood has just issued a four-part ver- sion in England and it is probable that the Columbia Com- pany by re-pressing this recording will be the first to give us a complete electrical Leonora Overture. HGV Parlophone E10383-5—Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4, in D (3 D12s). Played by Riele Queling with orchestral accom- paniment. A rather pleasant brief version of this well-known concerto, but it can hardly be compared with the complete set by Fritz Kreisler in the Victor Music Arts Library (reviewed on page 186, January issue). Both sets are acoustically recorded, a matter which is not of great importance especially where the violin and an orchestral simplicity of Mozart is concerned. A note to the review of the new (electric) Kreisler-Men- delssohn violin concerto in the last issue should be made here, as no mention was made there of the old (acoustic) incomplete version played by Eddy Brown for Odeon (Nos. 3121, 2, and 3). This occupies a place of honor in the Studio Library and possesses more than historical interest. But while many an “old-timer” will cling to it—and not unjustly so— Kreisler’s is of course the only one to be seriously considered for purchase today. A correspondent, having read the review of the new set and not having heard the records, writes to express his unbelief that electrical recording can ever repro- duce the violin tone as beautifully as did the Odeon acoustic process. It is true that in its early stages the new process was extremely unkind to the string tone, especially in the upper registers, but with the perfections that have been made today, one may confidently give assurance that the violin tone has never been more realistically recorded. A certain ‘ roman- tic” warmth, present in the best old violin records, has been lost, it is true, never to return. But the tone now reproduced is more authentic and (with the best artists) no less beauti- ful. And of course from every other point of view there can be no comparison between the new and even the best of the old. Lucky the music lover whose library includes both! English Columbia L1974-5—Dukas: L’Apprenti Sorcier (2 D12s). Played by the Orchestra of the Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire, Paris, conducted by M. Phillipe Gaubert. (Part 4 contains Mozart’s Overture to the Marriage of Figaro by the same artists.) The remaining record of this work (mentioned in the Gen- eral Review of last month) was hastily shipped to us by Imhof’s and as had been expected, the conclusion confirmed the estimate gained from parts 1 and 2. The long-awaited electric Sorcerer’s Apprentice is at last recorded—most capably, too, in a version that leaves nothing to be desired. Thor- oughly adequate rather than ultra-brilliant from the stand- point of recording alone, it is the musi’c itself and the ex- cellent performance that seize and hold one’s attention. M. Gaubert has previously made several records for the French H.M.V. of short works, some of them his own, but here he is given a better opportunity to display talents that for a scherzo of this character at least are most admirably suited. It is seldom that one hears a reading as satisfying as this, in spite of the fact that the work figures constantly on symphonic and popular orchestral programs. The Figaro overture on the fourth side is equally well done. In particular the wood wind choir of the Conservatoire Orchestra impresses one; the fame of French wood wind playing remains undimmed even under the severe handicap of the emigration of so many leading artists to this country. This set of records deserves and surely will have a big success in this country and we well may look to the American Columbia Company for its speedy release here. Few works are more deservedly popular than Dukas’ scherzo or Goethejs tale of the daring apprentice who unloosed his master’s demons—the “program” is too well known to bear repetition here— a nd this version retains all the color and verve of the original. Dukas is to be congratulated that his two principal works, this and La Peri, reviewed elsewhere in this issue, have been recorded by French orchestras and conductors in such worthy fashion. Now we should like to hear M. Gaubert or M. Coppola try his hand at Espana, Debussy’s Fetes, Enesco’s Roumanian Rhapsody, and Ravel’s Second Daphnis and Chloe suite! Edison Bell Velvet-Face—Berlioz: Le Carnival Romam Overture. (D12.) Played by The Royal Symphony Orches- tra conducted by Eugene Goossens, Sr. In the same package from London as the Sorcerer s Ap- prentice were also the above Velvet-Face record and Melbas Farewell Speech, to be mentioned later. The former is par- ticularly interesting as the first electrical recording of Ber- lioz’ famous overture—a leading favorite in the “to be re- recorded” class of the contest, Is Your Favorite Work Re- corded? This record is probably characteristic of the many