Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 3, No. 7 (1929-04)

The Phonograph Monthly Review 223 April, 1929 /5> l B5 1 *' ■ = ■ soloists themselves. The black label disk of the Egmont overture (Victor 35790) is Pasternack’s only electrical major orchestral work, but his acoustical series of overtures and abbreviated versions of the better known symphonies will not soon be forgotten. That list is too long to be repeated here, but I should make at least passing mention such symphonies as Mozart’s G minor, Haydn’s Military and Surprise, Mendelssohn’s Italian, and Beethoven’s Fifth; and such overtures as Der Freischiitz, Sakuntula, Semiramide, Magic Flute, etc., etc. Pasternack is now virtually retired, although I believe he is still occasionally to be heard in concert in Philadelphia. Rosario Bourdon, Pasternack’s former assistant and now successor, is emulating his achievements in no less com- mendable fashion. To Bourdon has fallen the opportunity of re-recording many of Pasternack’s acoustical works— how successfully is general knowledge. A note on Mr. Bourdon’s career and recordings appeared in the August 1928 issue, accompanying the publication of his photograph on the cover. His overture series is now branching out to include some of the better known concert works, exempli- fied by his records of Smetana’s Moldau (Victor 21748-9). There are unplumbed opportunities in this particular sector of the orchestral repertory. Bourdon has already set an enviable standard for recorded works of this kind. It is not too much to expect that his future releases will continue to raise this standard. The mention of Pasternack brings to mind another great repertory conductor of the acoustical days, Charles A. Prince, whose work for the Columbia Company resulted in the long series by the Columbia Symphony and Prince’s Orchestra that was one of the glories of the early days of the phonograph. When one considers the handicaps under which the recording of orchestral works labored in those days, one begins to realize the full significance of the achievements of a man like Prince. The majority of his works have now disappeared from the Columbia catalogue; but I might call attention to 53008-D, Debussy’s En Bateau and Sibelius’ Finlandia (there is a rumor that the composer himself led or was present at the performance of Finlandia; true or not, the performance is easily the best on records, despite its extreme abbreviation and the fact that it is an old style recording). This disk is advisedly retained in the current catalogue (its old number was A-6907). Some of the withdrawn works of special note were: A-6080, Ro- man Carnival overture; A-5933, Marche slav; A-5594, the Magic Fire Music from Die Walkiire and the first move- ment of Tchaikowsky’s “Pathetique;” A-6202, Chabrier’s Espana and the Valse lente and Pizzicati from Delibes’ Sylvia ballet, etc., etc. Prince is still alive;. is there not a possibility of his recording again? His place in the phono- graphic Valhalla is secure as it is, but—the hope of some electrical recordings from his baton is a most pleasant one. . . . Another conductor exclusively of the acoustical era is Josef Stransky, former conductor of the New York Phil- harmonic, and conductor of that orchestra in a number of records for Columbia. The complete list is given in the article on the New York Philharmonic in the January 1925 issue of The Phonograph Monthly Review. Three disks are retained in the current (1929) Columbia catalogue: 7013-M, Ippolitow-Iwanow’s Cortege du Sardar and Berlioz’ Hungarian March: 7012-M, Moszkowski’s Spanish Dance and Chopin’s “Military” Polonaise (orchestrated by Glazounow); and 7014-M, Liszt’s Second Hungarian Rhapsody and Mozart’s Turkish March. The first record (7013-M) is probably the best, but none was of great ex- cellence, even considered by relative standards. Eugene Ysaye is represented as a conductor by a number of acoustical disks in the old Columbia catalogue, made with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The catalogue does not state which of the Cincinnati records were made with Ysaye and which with Kumwald as conductor; the labels however are more complete. Only three pieces are retained in the current catalogue: Lassen’s Festival over- ture and the Navarraise from Le Cid (7015-M),. and the Midsummer Night’s Dream scherzo (7022-M, paired with the intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana played by Gino Marinuzzi and his symphony orchestra). There were some dozen more in "the old catalogue, of which Chabrier’s Marche joyeuse (paired with the Lassen overture on A-6197) and the Scheherazade excerpts (A6172) were the most signi- ficant. Turning back to repertory and “concert orchestra” con- ductors, we come to the names of Nathaniel Shilkret of the Victor Company, Robert Hood Bowers of the Columbia Company, Frank Black and Louis Katzmann of the Bruns- wick Company, Erno Rapee and David Mendoza of the Capital Grand Orchestra, and others. By nature and intent Shilkret has devoted his efforts most closely to the “salon” feld, but he has a number of noteworthy larger works to his credit. The most significant are: Victor Con- cert Series Album C-l, Victor Herbert Melodies; Album C-2, Stephen Foster Melodies (both of these selections are arranged as well as conducted by Shilkret); 35956, Die Fledermaus overture; 35924, Raymond overture; 36000, Victor’s concert jazz contest prize winners by Griselle and Bloom; 35775, Tales from the Vienna Woods (with the original zither part) ; 35777, In a Persian Marketplace and In a Chinese Temple; and 68717, Kuhlau’s Elverhoj over- ture. (All of these are electrically recorded, of course. The Kuhlau work is not listed in the general catalogue, but appears in the Danish and Educational catalogues. The Strauss waltz is not listed in the current general cata- logue, either; it was referred to on page 134 of the Decem- ber 1926 issue of The Phonograph Monthly Review.) Robert Hood Bowers conducts the current series of re- leases by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, of which one might mention: 1297-D, Herbert’s A1 Fresco and La Boheme selection; 50060-D, Herbert’s March of the Badinage; 50052-D, Madame Butterfly selection; 50059-D, Toys and Grieg’s Norwegian Bridal Procession; etc. Erno Rapee and later David Mendoza conducted the Capital Grand Orchestra (of the Capital Theatre, New York City) in a series of acoustical recordings for the Brunswick Company. A detailed study of orchestra and conductor was published in the December 1926 issue of The Phono- graph Monthly Review, together with a complete list of their records. Perhaps the best were: 20015 and 20023, the ballet music from Faust; 20041, Pique Dame overture; 2793, Melodies from Herbert’s operas; and 2656; Herbert’s Panamericana and Badinage. Rapee and Mendoza are featured currently “on the air”; the former with the sym- phony orchestra at Roxie’s Theatre (I believe), and the latter with the Capital Grand Orchestra. Possibly they soon may be heard again “one the disks” in electrical record- ings. Both men have a fine flair for works of the “concert” and “light classics” type. I am not very familiar with the work of Frank Black, but I understand that he is known as a fine arranger and conductor of light concert works. He was with the Bruns- wick Company at one time, and perhaps his most effective recorded representation is the Brunswick record of Gersh- win’s Rhapsody in Blue (20058). Louis Katzman’s photograph was published in the Septem- ber 1928 issue, accompanying a short note on his work. He is now managing the Brunswick recording laboratories in New York, in addition to conducting the Anglo-Persians and other orchestras. He is a coming man in this particular field and undoubtedly he will soon have the opportunity of recording larger works. I should not overlook Paul Whiteman, whose major works entitle him to consideration here. One can hardly deny an accolade to such significant contributions to the recorded repertory as: Victor 35822 the Rhapsody in Blue; 35859, Grofe’s Mississippi suite; 35933-4, Grofe’s Metropolis; 35926, Herbert’s Serenades; 35942, Grofe’s Three Shades of Blue; and Columbia Modern Music Album Set No. 3, Gershwin’s Concerto in F (Roy Bargy, soloist.) Returning to the symphonic ranks we come to two pianist- conductors : Ethel Leginska and Percy Grainger. Leginska is unrepresented on records as a conductor, but she has re- corded several piano works for Columbia. Grainger, who is occasionally heard in concert as a conductor of his own works, has directed several of them for Columbia: 2066-M, Colonial Song; 7147-M, Gum Suckers’ March and The Power of Love (Danish folksong); 163-M, Lord Peter’s Stable Boy (Danish folksong) and Shepherd’s Hey. My next group is that of visiting foreign conductors who by virtue of their extended stay or frequent appearance