Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 2, No. 12 (1928-09)

426 The Phonograph Monthly Review September, 1928 Rose Trio. Vocals: Pagliacci Prologue by Fausto Ricci; Violetta’s Aria from La Traviata by Marg- herita Salvi; two Lohengrin excerpts by Emmy Land; Die Loreley and Die Himmel Riihmen by the Berlin Union of Teachers conducted by Pro- fessor Rudel. The English Brunswick Company issues a six- part recording of Dvorak’s “Dumky” Trio, played by the Budapest Trio, and re-presses a number of its American releases by Godowsky, Rethberg, Thomas, etc. A number of new orchestral disks have ap- peared in France during the last month, among which the most important are Glazounow’s Sten- ka Razin, in four parts by Dufauw and the Brus- sels Conservatory Orchestra (Columbia) ; and De Falla’s Love of the Sorcerer, four parts, Cloez and Grand Orchestra (Odeon) ; Chabrier’s Bourree Fantasque, two parts, Pierne and the Concerts Colonne (Odeon) ; Satie’s Trois petites pieces montees, two parts, Pierre Chagnon and Symphony Orchestra (Columbia) ; Rimsky-Kor- sakow’s Coq d’Or Suite, two parts, Pierne (Odeon) ; Siegfried’s Journey to the Rhine, two parts, Defauw (Columbia) ; Blue Danube Waltz, two parts, Kopsch (Polydor) ; Don Giovanni Overture, two parts, Von Zemlinsky and the Charlottenburg Orchestra (Polydor) ; and the Air de danse and Cortege from La’Enfant prodi- que by Cloez and Grand Orchestra (Odeon). In Germany, Bodansky and the Berlin State Opera House Orchestra play The Magic Flute, and Fledermaus overtures for Parlophone, and Josef Lindlar, of the Leipzig State Theatre, sings the finale of Die Meistersinger for the same com- pany. Heading the domestic releases of the month is Brunswick’s much heralded first recording of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. With his usual efficiency and courtesy, Mr. Robert Lanyon of the Brunswick Company’s Chicago office had the white label samples of this work sent to us nearly a month ago so that we might have ample time to study the recording and the composition. From the advance announcements we expected a great deal, but a single hearing quickly made us realize that our fondest expectations would be exceeded. From some of the Cleveland Symphony’s previous releases we had perhaps underrated its real tal- ents. This set goes to prove that when con- ductor and orchestra get a real opportunity to display their abilities, they take full advantage of the chance, and the result is a true recorded masterpiece and a new appreciation of the artists’ merits. We congratulate Sokoloff and his ex- cellent orchestra which shows to such advantage in this recording. The thanks of American record enthusiasts are due to Brunswick for making this remarkable set available, and for making it available at the no less remarkable price of $1.00 a record. After hearing even the most discriminating will have to admit it is easily worth twice the amount. Another commendable record by the same ar- tists is the ten-inch disk of The School of the Fauns and Shepherd’s Hey, both executed and recorded in a most creditable manner. For next month we are promised Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony from the Clevelanders, with other works for easly release. From the Minneapolis Symphony also we expect to see some big works in the near future. We shall look forward to these new additions to the rapidly growing Brunswick Symphony Series with eager anticipa- tion. Other releases this month from Brunswick de- serving particular mention include a very effec- tive recording of the popular In a Clock Store and The Hunt in the Black Forest, by the Bruns- wick Concert Orchestra, a disk which proves again Mr. Katzman’s skill for light orchestral works. There are noteworthy vocal releases by Rimini, Karin Branzell, Chamlee, and Tiffany. As always, the long lists of dance records main- tain an uniformly high standard. From the Columbia Company we have two new Schubert sets: Tauber’s records of the Winter- reise which have been given so much praise across the water, (Masterworks Set No. 90), and seven- teen miscellaneous songs (on eight double-sided records) sung by Alexander Kipnis, Elsa Alsen, Sophie Braslau, and Charles Hackett (Master- works Set No. 89), both of which will be wel- comed by all admirers of Schubert’s songs. When one comes to talk of conductors creating a climax that really is a climax, our hats must go off to Mr. Bowers, whose record of Faust Selec- tions is by far the best to date in the Columbia Symphony Orchestra’s series. Mr. Bowers is ab- soltuely at home in such operatic selections; I hope that he will release more of the same type. Other orchestral works are Wagner’s Kaiser March in a interesting performance by Sir Dan Godfrey, and Ketelbey’s In a Persian Market by the Odeon Orchestra, formerly released under the Odeon label. A record of the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 1 by the Squire Celeste Octet is a remarkable feat in demonstrating what an en- semble of this size can really do, but the com- position hardly lends itself to this sort of novelty performance. “Old timers” will remember the wonderful old acoustical Vocalion version of this piece; when will we get a real electrical recording of it? Among the instrumental releases are: the Cat- terall String Quartet in a record of Schumann’s Traumerei, Schubert’s Moment Musicale, and Mozart’s Ave Verum, which will be splendid for educational work; Percy Grainger in vigorous re- recordings of his two most popular morris dance settings; Ignaz Friedman playing Chopin’s Heroic Polonaise; and Felix Salmond, ’cellist, in Bruch’s Kol Nidrei. The vocals are led by Stracciari’s astonishing recording of Largo al Factotum, very brilliantly performed. It is very interesting to compare this interpertation with acoustical Victor one by de Luca. Sophie Braslau, Charles Hackett, Alexander Kisselburgh, and Edna Thomas are the other featured singers. There is the usual diversified list of popular, danie, Southern, Irish, and race record. The excellent Victor September supplement is headed by the complete opera, Rigoletto, recorded in fifteen records (Masterpiece Album (M-32)