Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 3, No. 5 (1929-02)

February, 1929 The Phonograph Monthly Review 153 ments perpetuels played by the composer (French Columbia), Ibert’s Petit ane blanc played by Moiseivitsch (H. M. V.), Hilberg’s debut record, Levitzky’s Sixth Hungarian Rhapsody, Arrau’s Islamey and Busoni Elegy Nocturne, three special releases by Novaes (South American Victor), and several noteworthy Polydor works by Brailowsky and Hirt Among the records of other solo instruments, the following were outstanding: Segovia’s guitar records, the Handel oboe sonatas for Polydor, the Weber clarinet Concertino, Moyse’s flute solos in the Victor foreign lists and John Amadio’s record of a Mozart flute concerto (H. M. V.), the Edison Bell horn concerto played by Aubrey Brain. The most notable organ work was Franck’s A minor chorale, followed by the Mozart fantasia, the Bach prelude and fugue in D major, and the Franck Andantino (H. M. V.) First on the list of larger vocal works were Elena Ger- hardt’s Winterreise records and miscellaneous Schubert songs, followed by Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder by Heinrich Rehkem- per (Polydor), Kipnis’ Schubert songs, the Chicago Gramo- phone Society records by Mina Heger, Die Schone Miillerin by Hans Duhan (H. M. V.), Tauber’s Winterreise album, and the extensive Schubert song releases by Rehkemper, Mysz- Gmeiner (Polydor), and Mellot-Joubert (French Columbia.) There was a multitude of single vocal disks of unqualified merit. Personal taste perhaps largely dictates my first group classification: Elisabeth Schumann’s four Schubert songs; the Rosenkavalier excerpts by Barbara Kemp (H. M. V.); Han Sach’s Monologue from Die Meistersinger, Wie aus der Feme from Der Fliegende Hollander, and the Finale of Das Rhein- gold sung by Friedrich Schorr; La dove prende from the Magic Flute by Raisa and Rimini; Der Nussabaum sung by Reth- berg for Brunswick and the two Wagnerian arias by the same artist for Victor; and of a different type and art level, Edna Thomas’ and Robeson’s spirituals, and Richard Tauber’s light songs. The following are also all out standing: the Prince Igor arioso and Eili Eili by Nina Koshetz, Aida arias by Eva Turner, excerpts from Jonny spielt auf by Ludwig Hofmann (Parlophone), the Otello Credo by both Formich and Stracciari, Isoldes Liebestod and Du ring an meinem Finger by Elsa Alsen, Ah mon fils and the Chopin Impromptu by Onegin, Murmelndes Liiftchen by Rethberg, Clair de Lune by Melba, Isa Kremer’s Jewish folk song Disappoint- ment, Ella Vera from Tosca by Formichi, Dolores del Rio’s record for Victor Raquelle Meller’s record for the French and Spanish Odeon companies, Tibbett’s excerpts from the King’s Henchman, Nina Vallin and Maria Barrientos in de Falla songs (Parlophone and French Columbia), Branzell’s Death and the Maiden, Kipnis’ Faust arias, Mein Gott und Herr from Lohengrin sung by Andresen and Habich (Odeon), and several Victor celebrity operatic works, particularly those with Pinza or Gigli. John Barrymore’s Shakespearean excerpts (Victor) and the Moissi recitations (Columbia German list) were the out- standing works in their class. As in previous years the light orchestral lists were headed by the works of such familiar organizations as those Dajos Bela, Edith Lorand, Marek Weber, Ferdy Kaufmann, and the Brunswick and Victor concert orchestras. The most pre- tentious efforts of the year were Shilkret’s Victor Herbert and Stephen Foster albums, and the English Columbia Ketelbey album. A few of the more important single disks were: Dajos Bela’s Traviata Selection, the Hungarian Rhap- sody Orchestra’s Dreams of Schubert, the International Concert Orchestra’s Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, Paul Whiteman’s Tchaikowskiana (Columbia) and Herbert Serenades (Victor), Marek Weber’s Viennese Potpourri and Waltz Potpourri, Ferdy Kaufmann’s Schwartzmadel Potpourri, the A. and P. Gypsies’ Beggar, the Odeon Orchestra’s In a Persian Market Place, Edith Lorand’s Gems from Favorite Operettas, the Tower of Gold overture by the Orquesta “Del Norte” (Victor foreign list), the Campanone overture by the Orquesta Tipica Fronteriza (Victor foreign list), the Fledermaus Selection by Johann Strauss (fils), and the coupling of Song of India and Danse Orientale played by Biljo’s Balalaika Orchestra (Brunswick.) The leading band records were Schmitt’s Dionysiaques by the Republican Guard Band (French H. M. V. and Columbia); Siegfried Fantasy and Fidelio overture (Columbia) and, clarinet concertino (Victor) by the same organization; Crea- ture’s Rigoletto and Traviata excerpts and II Guarny over- ture; the debut records of the U. S. Military Academy Band, National Emblem March by Roger’s Band, On Wisconsin by the Columbia Band, and Anchors Aweigh by the U. S. Navy Band. The concert jazz group grew to remarkable proportions during the last year and included such worthy works as Ferdy Grofe’s Metropolis and Three Shades of Blue played by Whiteman for Victor, Gershwin’s Rhadsody in Blue by Frank Black’s Orchestra (Brunswick), Whiteman’s Show Boat Selec- tions with Paul Robeson (Victor), Sweet Sue—Just You, Merry Widow and My Hero waltzes (Columbia), the Victor prize-winning works by Thomas Griselle and Rube Bloom, Ragging the Scale by Louis Katzman (Brunswick), Alexan- der’s Ragtime Band by Vincent Lopez (Brunswick), W)as It a Dream? by the Dorsey Brothers (Okeh). and Red Nichols’ coupling of Can’t You Heah Me Callin’, Caroline? and Poor Butterfly (Brunswick.) Among the novelty disks mention should go to the Black Crows, the Happiness Boys in Twisting the Dials, and the three records of American speech in the Victor educational list. It would be impossible to make any adequate selection of outstanding popular and dance records. Significant works of all types were issued by all the leading companies. These summaries make no pretension to completeness; many records of unusual significance and merit have unquestionably been omitted. But the records named are all worthy of praise. Many of them stand in no need of having attention called to them; others are likely to have been overlooked. All of them are deserving of a place of honor in the record libraries of the most discriminating music lovers. Together they represent last year’s magnificent contribution to the phonographic repertory. Phonographic Echoes VICTOR PRIZE CONTEST Winners of the largest prizes ever offered for short jazz compositions were announced at a dinner at the Waldorf- Astoria given by the Victor Talking Machine Company, spon- sors of the prize contest. Thomas Griselle of Mount Vernon, N. Y., was awarded the first prize of $10,000 for his “Two American Sketches”, and Rube Bloom of Brooylyn, N. Y., was named as winner of the second prize of $5,000 for hit composition, “Song of the Bayou.” The playing time of each inumber is less than five minutes. The contest, which was announced last May, was open to American citizens and was designed by the Victor Company to encourage the art of musical composition in America. Prizes were offered for the two best compositions “within the playing scope of the American dance, jazz, or popular concert orchestra, not hitherto published or performed in public.” Hundreds of manuscripts were received from every section of the country, many of them being of such excellence that the judges’ committee required two months to reach their final decision. Thomas Griselle, winner of the first prize, is a native of Upper Sandusky, Ohio. His early musical training was at the Cincinnati College of Music where he studied piano with Albin Gorno and composition with Louis Victor Saar. On his graduation in 1911 he was awarded the Springer Gold Medal with Great Distinction. Later he studied organ with William C. Carl of New York, and more recently he was a student at the Conservatoire American at Fountainebleau, France, where he studied composition with Mile. Nadia Boulanger, Andre Bloch and Raymond Pech. For one season he was accompanist for Nora Bayes and for five years he was solo pianist and accompanist for Alice Nielson. He has also accompanied Marie Sundelius, Clarence Whitehill and many other well-known singers. More recently Mr. Griselle has been associated with several radio programs as conductor, special arranger and pianist. Among them are the Eveready Hour, Dom Amaizo, the Collier Hour, the American Magazine Hour, the Woman’s Home Companion Hour and Goldy and Dusty. Mr. Griselle’s published compositions include “Two Dances of Olden Times”, “Minuet”, “Bourree”, “Danse Modeme”,