Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 2, No. 5 (1928-02)

162 The Phonograph Monthly Review February, 1928 by two movements from Goldmark’s Trio Op. 38 and Rubinstein’s Melody in F, and Dajos Bela by Leo Fall and Franz Lehar waltzes. For special novelty, Mischa Spoliansky plays Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with a Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Julian Fuhs. This record is claimed to be the first made of the work by a large symphony orchestra and not by a “so called augmented dance orchestra.” H. M. V. issues a list which comes close to rival- ing Columbia’s for extensiveness. Most import- ant is a special release of fourteen Walkiire re- cords made under Coates and Blech, with Frida Leider, Florence Austral, Friedrich Schorr, Gota Ljungberg, and Walter Widdop as soloists, and the orchestras of the Berlin State Opera House and the London Symphony (some of the records were made in Berlin and others in London). This special issue is not yet officially released, but will be out very shortly and perhaps will appear in this country at an early date. In the regular December list Malcolm Sargent plays Tchaikowsky’s Sleeping Beauty Waltz and Brahm’s Fifth Hungarian Dance; Elgar directs the London Symphony in his third and fourth Pomp and Circumstance marches (it will be re- membered that the first two were issued here last year) ; and the Cortot-Thibaud-Casals Trio brings out a third album set, this time of Men- delssohn’s Trio in D minor, Op. 49 (four records). Coates’ Hansel und Gretel Overture and Sto- kowski’s Invitation to the Waltz have been releas- ed earlier by the Victor Company, as were mis- cellaneous records by Bori, McCormack, De Go- gorza, Paderewski, Kreisler, Creatore’s Band, and the Victor Symphony (re-named “New Light Symphony” for British consumption). Marcel Dupre plays two Bach Chorale-Preludes; the H. M. Chapel’s Royal Choir records four Elisabeth- an part-songs; the Oriano Madrigal Society sings Coventry Carol and Grainger’s arrange- ment of the folk-tune Brigg Fair, used in Delius’ English Rhapsody of that name; and John Goss sings four folk-songs. Mark Hambourg plays Chopin’s Nocturne in E flat and Liszt’s Forest Murmurs; the Virtuoso String Quartet couples the Gossee c-sharp Tambourin and Grainger’s Molly on the Shore; and there are numerous vocal and instrumental disks by Alessandro Valente, Manuel Hemingway, the New Light Opera Company (Mikado Gems), Elisabeth van Endert, Florence Austral, Arthur Meale, Marek Weber, etc. The English Brunswick Company releases a new Meistersinger Overture by Max von Schill- ings and the Berlin State Opera House, as well as a number of American Brunswick re-press- ings. “Vories” mentioned (in the Christmas issue) the new Children’s Corner Suite of Debussy, re- corded by M. Pierre Coppola and the Orchestra Symphonique du Gramophone for the French H. M. V., but was he not misinformed in stating that the new Pelleas et Melisande Interludes by the same artists were not electrical? The num- bers, P-710-2, are listed as replacing the acous- tical ones, P-520-2. Coppola also does a new Afternoon of a Faun Prelude. The French Odeon Company releases a six-part recording of Massenet’s Scenes alsaciennes; The French Edison Bell Company re-presses the Russian Bal- let Orchestra records; and The Two Black Crows make their French debut under the Columbia label. The most notable feature of the January re- leases is a series of re-recordings from H. M. V., issued as a New Year’s Special presumably. Cor- tot and Sir Landon Ronald bring out an elec- trical version of the Schumann Concerto, issued by the Victor Company a little over a year ago; and Coates at last electrifies his famous reading of Die Meistersinger prelude. The other works on the list—Coates’ Oberon Overture and de Greef’s Hungarian Fantasia have already been brought out here. Also in the H. M. V. list are Pasternack’s Egmont Overture (issued in this country last spring) ; Delibes’ Sylvia Ballet music (four parts) played by Sargent and the Covent Gar- den Orchestra; a complete Gondoliers in the Sa- voy Gilbert and Sullivan series; and the usual miscellany—considerably smaller this month, as is the case with all the British recording com- panies. The Columbia and Brunswick releases of note have already been listed. The N. G. S. brings out Brahms’ Piano Quartet in C minor. Op. 60, for significant chamber music recording, and v promises in addition an earlv issue of the Brahms Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Op. 56, in the two piano version, plaved bv Ethel Bartlett and Rae Robertson, who also play Bax’s Moy Mell. Haydn’s London Symphony bring the total of N. G. S. works up to 104, 56 of which are acoustic- ally recorded, and the rest electrically. The only other announcement of special significance is that of the release of the Polydor Schumann Fan- tasie. Op. 17, by the English Brunswick Company, which probably indicates that its American re- lease will not be too far off. Outstanding among the domestic releases are: first, the current Brunswick Symphony Series Al- bum, Dr. Pfitzner’s re-played Schumann Fourth Symphony in D minor. The performance is a good one, but the recording would seem to give further proof of the Polydor Company’s evident difficulty in getting the knack of handling the new process to the good effect obtained by the other companies in recent months. No such criti- cism can be made of the Brunswick Company’s domestic issue of Dubinuschka by the A & P Gyp- sies, which is the best orchestration, perform- ance, and recording of this piece that I can re- member having heard. Sigrid Onegin’s record of two Brahms lieder also deserves the hig 1 est praise. The Columbia disk of the Entry of the Bo>rs by the Columbia Symphony is a wonderfully realistic recording. But having heard Halvor- sen conduct his favorite composition many times it is easy for me to find reason to quarrel witl Mr. Robert Hood Bowers over his interpretation. I played the record for a prominent Norwegian musician who went so far as to say that the piece