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

February, 1929 The Phonograph Monthly Review 171 could attribute it to none other than Dvorak. It is some- what more loose jointed than the symphony “From the New World,” but it has the same qualities of exuberance, unsophistication, and homely sentiment. A refreshing symphony: honest joyous music making grateful devoid of heaven-storming ambitions. The surface of the disks is not as smooth as one would like and in the louder passages the strings are somewhat “edgey,” but these trifling flaws apart the work is one that calls for hearty recommendation. Such off the beaten track choice of selection and virile in- telligent performance are worthy of unqualified praise. Chamber Music Victor (special January 11th list) 9290-2 (3 D12s, $1.50 each) Quartet in B flat (“Hunting Quartet”), played by the Budapest String Quartet (Hauser, Roismann, Ipolyi, Son). The fine poetic sensibilities of the admirable organization find a perfect medium of expression in Mozart’s music. This work displays all the musical virtues of the Budapest Four’s previous recordings and displays them to even better advantage. Any carping criticism of composition, playing, or recording would be ungracious indeed. May we have more Mozart from these artists’ hands! Victor (special January 11th list) 9273 (D12, $1.50) Schu- bert: Quartettsatz in C minor, played by the Budapest String Quartet. This disk complements the Budapest Quartet’s recording of the “Death and the Maiden” quartet. Comparison of this version with that of the London String Quartet for Colum- bia would be both odious and fruitless. Either version is worthy the respect and admiration of every music lover. Columbia 50115-D (D12, $1.00) Boccherini: Menuet, and Hasse: Canzona, played by the Catterall String Quartet. The Catterall Quartet has a way of its own even with so familiar a piece as the Boccherini Menuet. Invariably its records are models of their kind. The Hasse Canzona is equally well suited for appreciation work. An excellent disk for the chamber music novice. National Gramophonic Society 118-20 (3 D12s Bax: Phantasy Sonata for Viola and Harp, played by Raymond Jeremy and Marie Korchinska. The N. G. S. having given us Bax’s splendid oboe quintet was evidently unwilling to rest on its laurels. One has cause to be no less grateful to it for this other remarkable work of one of the ablest, if not the best known, modern composers. Like the quintet this is not a puzzling work. The fantasy lies in the character of the musical feelings of the work rather than in the form. (The sonata is in three movements, one to each disk.) The harp is treated imagin- atively and brilliantly; seldom does one hear this instrument used expressively rather than decoratively. It is. played with true artistry and it is well recorded. The viola, by fault either of the playing or recording, comes through rather hazily at times, the only criticism one has of the work, and a slight one. A very grateful addition to the recorded repertory and one to make us ask why such a first rate work is not more familiar in the concert hall. National Gramophonic Society 114-7 (4 D12s) Beethoven: Sonata in G major for violin and piano (seven sides), and Bach: Sonata in A Major—Andante (one side), played by Adila Fachiri and Donald Francis Tovey. The Kreutzer Sonata has unfortunately eclipsed Beetho- ven’s other works in this form for violin and piano; un- fortunately, because the other sonatas contain music that is certainly no less moving. This G major sonata is generally figured the most difficult, interpretatively if not technically. Most music lovers I think will find it a finer work even that the Kreutzer. For me at least it has much of the pure beauty of the quartets. The N. G. S. performs a real service in making it known, and particularly in the perform- ance of two such distinguished musicians as Mme. Fachiri and Prof. Tovey. The former is a grand-niece of Joachim and is well known and highly esteemed in Europe. Prof. Tovey has recently toured America and is a renowned authority on the classics. NEW RECORDS for YOUR COLLECTION BAX Phantasy Sonata for Viola and Harp. Played by Ray- mond Jeremy and Marie Korchinska. Three 12-inch discs. Price $2.00 each. N.G.S. Recordings, BEETHOVEN Sonata in G Major, Opus 96 (Violin and Piano). Played by Adila Fachiri and D. F. Tovey. Four 12-inch discs. Price $2.00 each. N.G.S. Recordings, CHOPIN Concerto in E Minor. Played by Alexander Brailow- sky, piano, and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Julius Pruwer. Four 12-inch discs. Price $1.50 each. Poly dor Recordings. LISZT Concerto No. 1 in E Flat Major. Played by Alexander Brailowsky, piano, and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Julius Pruwer. Three 12-inch discs. Price $1.50 each. Poly dor Recordings. MEYERBEER The Huguenots: Overture. Played by the Berlin Phil- harmonic Orchestra under the direction of Julius Pruwer. One 12-inch disc. Price $1.50. Polydor Re- cording. DEBUSSY Nocturne No. 3: Sirenes. Played by the Gramophone Symphony Orchestra under the direction of M. Piero Coppola. Augmented by the Chorus of the Colonne Concerts. One 12-inch disc. Price $2.00. H.M.V. Recording MONTEVERDE Cor mio mentre vi miro. Madrigal. One side and Ecco mormorar l’onde. Madrigal. One side. Sung, unaccompanied, by the chorus of La Scala Opera of Milan under the direction of A. Guarnieri. One 12- inch disc. Price $1.60. Fonotipia Recording. RESPIGHI Villanella. Aria antica. Played by the Grand Sym- phony Orchestra of Milan under the direction of A. Guarnieri. Complete on one 12-inch disc. Price $1.60. Fonotipia Recording. HONEGGER Quartet for Two Violins, Viola and Violoncello. Played by the Krettly String Quartet, of Paris. Four 10- inch discs. Price $1.30 each. French Columbia Re- cordings. Mail orders are sent via insured parcel post the same day they are received. H. ROYER SMITH CO. Dealers and Importers of All Ma\es of PHONOGRAPH RECORDS 10th and Walnut Streets, Philadelphia “THE WORLD’S RECORD SHOP”