Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 3, No. 11 (1929-08)

c MUSIC LOVERS’ PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY REVIEW AXEL B. Managing Editor Published by THE PHONOGRAPH PUBLISHING CO., Inc. General Offices and Studio: 47 Hampstead Road, Jamaica Plain, Boston, Mass. Telephone Jamaica: 5054 : Cable Address: “Phono” THE PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY REVIEW appears on the twenty-eighth of each month. All material is fully protected by copy- right and may be reproduced only by permission. Yearly subscription price $4.00 in the United States and $5.00 in Canada and other foreign countries, postage prepaid. Single copies 35 cents. All communications should be addressed to the Managing Editor at the Studio, 47 Hampstead Road, Jamaica Plain, Boston, Mass. All unsolicited contributions must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. All checks and money orders should be made out to THE PHONO- GRAPH PUBLISHING CO., Inc. General Review T HREE new Masterworks Sets are issued by the Columbia Company, Schumann’s Piano Concerto by Fanny Davies (a former pupil of Madame Schumann) and the Royal Philhar- monic Orchestra conducted by Ernst Ansermet (Set No. 114), Strawinski’s Fire Bird Suite in complete form conducted by the composer (Set No. 115), and Chopin’s Piano Sonata in B flat minor, Op. 35, played by Percy Grainger (Set No. 116). The sonata has not yet reached the Studio as this is written, but if it arrives in time a “Too Late for Classification” review will be slipped in this issue. Undoubtedly it will emulate the success enjoyed by Grainger’s recording of the Chopin Sonata in B minor (Masterworks Set No. 32), one of the most sensational major piano record- ings of phonographic history. The Schumann Concerto is a fine recorded performance, but the Strawinski work has unusual interest in addition to sound merit. Strawinski is by no means a great conductor, but he gives a new and remark- ably effective idea of the way his lovely Fire Bird music should go. This is the first complete re- corded version of the ballet. Among the other Columbia orchestral works, I much prefer the two records by Arbos and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra—Turina’s Proces- sion del Rocio and Arbos’ own Noche de Arabia— to the two by Dohnanyi and the Budapest Phil- harmonic—Liszt’s First Hungarian Rhapsody and Berlioz’ Rakoczy March. The Spanish works are both remarkably fine, but Dohnanyi’s reading of the Liszt work is rather disappointing. The instrumental releases include Bridge’s Melodie and Popper’s Gavotte, played by Felix Salmond, ’cellist; Ravel’s Jeux d’eau played by Robert Cas- adesus, pianist; Debussy’s La Plus Que Lente and Goeyens’ Paysage Triste played by A. Dubois, violinist; Commette’s organ Scherzo played by the composer on the organ of St. Johns Cathedral of Lyons, France; Faure’s Apres un Reve and a Mozart Minuet played by Yovanovitch Bratza, violinist. The strong vocal list includes the Brid- al Chorus from Lohengrin and the Spining Cho- rus from The Flying Dutchman sung, by the Irmler-Madrigal Chorus, arias from The Barber of Seville and Boheme by Dino Borgiolo and Gino Vanelli, Handel’s Angels Ever Bright and Fair and an aria (Non go piu cosa) from Figaro by Anna Case, and two Negro Spirituals by Edna Thomas (I Got Shoes and Nobody Knows). Special praise goes to the records by Salmond, Dubois, Bratza, Case, and Thomas. The Grand Odeon Orchestra is heard under the Columbia label in very brilliant performances of Holzmann’s Blaze Away and Strauss’ Radetzky March. The popular vocal and dance lists are unusually exten- sive. The Victor feature release does not appear in the regular supplement but in the Special Educa- tional List No. 6, a remarkable collection of out- standing recordings, topped by Haydn’s Surprise See last page for Table of Contents Copyright, 1929, by the Phonograph Publishing Company, Inc.