Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 2, No. 9 (1928-06)

318 The Phonograph Monthly Review June, 1928 from the Marriage of Figaro, and the Choir of St. Marylebone Church is heard in a six-part re- cording of Stainer's Crucifixion. From Parlophone comes another Tristan ex- cerpt by Max Schillings and the Berlin State Opera House Orchestra, Night Scene and Love Song from Act II. Cloez and the Opera-Comique Orchestra are heard in a two-part L'Apres Midi d’un Faune and a four-part Ballet Egyptien; Szell conducts the Grand Symphony Orchestra in the Fra Diavolo Overture; Emmy Bettendorf sings Mozart's Abendempfindung and Silcher's Die Lorelei; Victor Staub, pianist, plays De- bussy's Golliwogg's Cake-Walk and Minstrels and Chopin's Waltzes in F and G flat; Oehman and Andresen sing Lohengrin excerpts, and Margher- ite Salvi is heard in Gilda's Aria from Rigoletto. In addition there are the usual lighter works by Edith Lorand and Dajos Bela, the latter in a two- part Traviata Fantasy. Miscellaneous other works are the Hansel and Gretel Prelude played by John Barbirolli and his Symphony Orchestra for Edison Bell; two piano arrangements of Chopin's Etude No. 12 in C minor and Waltz in D flat played by Tapp and Johnson; a Cavalleria Rusticana Fantasia played by the Polydor Orchestra for Brunswick; and Bizet's L'Ariesienne Suite by the Pathe Sym- phony Orchestra for Actuelle. Of the domestic lists this month, the unusually fine one from Columbia leads. First in impor- tance is Masterworks Set 87, Schubert's Sonata in A major, Op. 120, played by Myra Hess, one of the finest piano recordings that has ever come be- fore us. Two other album sets are listed, the Dvorak American Quartet played by the London String Quartet (Set 85) and Schubert's Quartet in A minor, Op. 29, by the Musical Art Quartet (Set 86), both worthwhile additions to recorded chamber music. For orchestrals there are im- portant disks by Mengelberg and Harty. The latter is represented by the Dvorak Carnival Overture, which I mentioned in my April General Review on hearing the English pressing, and by an equally excellent Berlioz excerpt, the Queen Mab Scherzo from the Romeo and Juliet Choral Symphony. As usual, the American pressings are mechanically superior to the English ones. Mengelberg's two records contain a most inter- esting three-part recording of the little known Anacreon Overture of Cherubini and on the fourth side, the Allegretto Scherzando movement of Beethoven's Eighth Symphony, both of which present Mengelberg at his very best. I cannot recall what famous singer made the remark, but one has been known to state on returning to Am- erica from an European tour that until Mengel- berg was heard with his own Concertgebow Or- chestra, he could not be fully appreciated; anyone hearing him with the New York Philharmonic was mistaken in thinking he was heard there at his best! Listening to this Anacreon Overture, the truth of this remark can be vividly realized. And perhaps still better is Mengelberg's latest British release of a Christian JBach Sinfonia which we have just received from London and which undoubtedly will soon be made available here also. Among the other Columbia records, mention should be made of a fine 'cello record by W. H. Squire, a remarkable organ recording of Luigini's Egyptien Ballet by Quentin MacLean, Wagner's Homage March conducted by Sir Dan Godfrey, and parts 7 and 8 of the Two Black Crows, in which Moran and Mack are if possible funnier than ever. This month's Victor list is smaller than usual in the number of releases it contains, only 21 records, exclusive of the weekly popular releases, but as far as quality goes, there are many very fine disks. First comes the album set M-30, the electrified version of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony played by Coates and the London Symphony. This time even R. D. D. had to admit that Coates was not everything that could be expected of a Mozart conductor. The work is very interesting and possesses many merits, but it still seems that for Mozart's works Hamilton Harty and Oscar Fried are the only recording conductors. Stokowski and the Philadelphia Symphony providede the much needed electrical version of Berlioz' Rakoczy March, very brilliantly played and recorded, but as far as interpretation is con- cerned, rather a disappointment. A noted vet- eran member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra visited the Studio one afternoon when we were listening to this record and comparing it with the old one by Toscanini (Victor 6300). I had heard this gentleman criticise a Mengelberg per- formance of the same march, one evening about two years ago when we rode home together after a concert of the New York Philharmonic, so I was naturally interested to hear his opinion of the versions of two such other celebrated conduct- ors as Toscanini and Stokowski. He shared our opinion that Toscanini's interpretation was bet- ter than those of the others, but even it did not fully catch the character of the piece as a pro- cessional march; instead, it was played entirely too fast, “like a polka," as he contemptuously re- marked. However, it is not my intention to start a new quarrel on the much debated subject of in- terpretations. As Mr. Rehrig pointed out so well, there are all sorts of people and all sorts of interpretations. Anything that has received the careful consideration of a sincere artist cannot be dismissed merely on the grounds of personal dislike. Someone else will perhaps find it his ideal version. Two very fine piano records are also on the Victor list. One is the first release of the sensa- tional pianist Horowitz who has lately been con- quering the entire musical world. The other is a virile performance of La Campanella by Pad- erewski, recorded with as much effectiveness as his recent record of Schelling's Nocturne a Raguze. No piano enthusiast should miss these two disks. Mention should also go to a new Martha Overture by Bourdon and the Victor Symphony, possibly the finest work in all their excellent series of semi-classical overtures. Shil-