Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 2, No. 1 (1927-10)

The Phonograph Monthly Review 2 *aic for English and German sale, proving that Mr. Hibbard's genius is making itself strongly felt abroad as well as in this country. In the H.M.V. lists, the Rienzi Overture of Sto- kowski leads; followed by a Lohengrin Prelude conducted by Siegfried Wagner, and a three-part harpsichord recording of Bach's Italian Concerto, played by Violet Gordon Woodhouse. A large number of Lamond's and other standard favorites are re-recorded electrically in a special release. A rather odd thing to be noticed is the release of the Soldiers' Chorus from Faust and the Anvil Chorus from II Trovatore by the La Scala Chorus of Milan by the Columbia Company, and the non- appearance of the same organization's Victor re- cording of the same works under the H.M.V. label. It will be remembered that none of Tosca- nini's old Victor records was ever re-pressed in England and it is apparent that some rather com- plicated arrangement of contracts prevents the His Master's Voice Company from making Tos- canini or La Scala records available in England. It is fortunate indeed thaJ the English Columbia Company should be able to save the day, at least as far as the La Scala Chorus is concerned, for it would be a real pity for Great Britain to be de- prived of their great recordings. From the Polydor Company comes word of some very striking chamber music releases. Moz- art's String Quartet in E flat has been recorded by the celebrated Amar Quartet, and a trio fromi the same organization has done the Reger Trio in A minor, also a one record Trio of Paul Hinde- mith, making another of this composer's notable additions to recorded modern music. For those who have been looking for major piano works, Rehberg's four record version of the superb Schu- mann Phantasie, Op. 17, will be a real joy, espe- cially as it has been hailed as one of the finest piano recordings to date. Turning to the domestic releases, one is con- fronted with the greatest array of worth-while records that ever drove a poor enthusiast frantic with mingled delight and bewilderment: delight in the opportunity to obtain so many long desired works and bewilderment as to how best to choose the inadequate few that his means allow him to purchase. Never was choice more diffi- cult, yet never was there less danger of erring, for whatever one chooses is almost certain to be both of interest and high merit. The release lists are led by the announcement of the first six albums of the long expected Sym- phony Series of the Brunswick New Hall of Fame. To No. 1 falls the distinction of the Strauss Ein Heldenleben, conducted by the com- poser, directing the orchestra of the State*Opera House, Berlin. No. 2 is the Beethoven Fifth Sym- phony in Furtwangler's unconventional reading. No. 3 is Strauss' version of Beethoven's Seventh. No. 4, the Waltz from Der Rosenkavalier and selections from the opera Intermezzo, with Dr. Strauss conducting his own works. No. 5 is the new Mozart Jupiter Symphony (not yet heard in the Studio in the Polydor pressing), also con- ducted by Strauss. And No. 6, the most startling surprise of all, is the first of the long-called for October, 1927 = recorded major organ works, the Handel Organ Concerto No. 4, and the Rheinberger Concerto Op. 177, played by Walter Fisher to an orchestral ac- companiment. The retail price will be at the rate of $1.50 a Sisk, with no extra charge for the unusually fine gold and leather albums, another tribute to the Brunswick Company's slogan of u Superior Merchandise Always!" Accompanying each al- bum is an explanatory booklet by no less an au- thority than Felix Borowski, the distinguished author of the annotations in the programs of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Another noteworthy feature is the superior record mater- ial use* by the Brunswick Company, which will make these re-pressings superior to the original Polydor pressings, for which the material and stamping machinery were of course not up to those of the American Company. On a recent trip to New York I had the pleas- ure of meeting Mr. L. L. Sebok, who will have charge of the repertory of the new celebrity series. The Brunswick Company is to be con- gratulated on its selection of such a capable and thoroughly-trained musician for this work, who gives convincing proof in this first group of al- bums of both discriminating artistic taste and, keen business acumen. Mr. Sebok has authorized me to state that one or more releases in the Sym- phony Series will be made every month from now on, both in album sets and in single records of voca 1 , instrumental, and lighter works selected from the lists of both the Polydor and Poly- phone issues. Also that arrangements are now being completed by tvhich it will be possible to ob- tain through the Brunswick Company all works in the Polydor and Polyphone catalogues besides those actually re-pressed here. That is, a stock of imported records will be kept on hand, making it unnecessary to order these works from abroad Our, and every music lover's welcome to this new series so impressively inaugurated is most sincerely appreciative. Further details, reviews, and the like, will follow shortly, but already we can extend our heartiest congratulations to the Brunswick Company for its achievement. While the new series is beginning with its first six works, an old one is surging into its seventies! Five new additions to the Columbia Masterworks are announced, four album sets and the justly praised L'Apprenti sorcier rec- ords. Mozart is represented by a delightful odd Bassoon Concerto and the great Jupiter Sym- phony. Detailed comment on the latter will be deferred until a comparison can be made with the new Brunswick-Strauss version, but a word of praise for the splendid Columbia recording evidenced in this work should not be forgotten here; Sir Dan Godfrey's interpretation seems Fkely to arouse considerable discussion and al- ready the debate begins to wax hot upon it! In the chamber music issues, the two new sets are both unusually significant contributions to re- corded music; neither has been recorded before and each has been long needed. The Beethoven Quartet, Op. 130, surely the most serene and un- worldly of them all, nearly completes the lists