Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 3, No. 8 (1929-05)

May, 1929 The Phonograph Monthly Review 279 unsatisfactory compromises, for the work demands three sides for a proper representation. But where a version like Dr. Herz’s makes a generous excision in the coda, completely destroying the effect of the ending, Dr. Weissmann’s, by virtue of cutting less essential passages, and also by the use of brisk tempos, makes a much happier impression. Victor Masterpiece Set M-47 (3 D12s, $6.00; Alb. 50c extra) Dohnanyi: Suite for Orchestra, Op. 19, played by Frederick Stock and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I. Andante con variazioni (parts 1 and 2). II. Scherzo (part 3). III. Romanza (part 4). IV. Rondo (parts 5 and 6). Dr. Stock seems to have found his true recording metier at last. On the very heels of his splendid Bach Suite of last month comes this stimulatingly original release of a suite by Erno Dohnanyi (The name is sometimes given as Ernst von Dohnanyi), Hungarian composer-pianist-conduc- tor and a familiar figure in the American concert halls. In music of this type Stock is at his best and here he is abetted by superb recording that captures and holds all the color and salt of Dohnanyi’s piquant orchestration. If the Chicago wood winds at times are a trifle over-reedy, they are never unpleasantly so, and the orchestral coloring is all the brighter for it. These disks provide a three-fold delight to the ear in the zestful flavor of the instrumentation, the jocosity of the performance, and the supreme lucidity of the recording. Listen to the Scherzo—and altogether apart from the delicious humor of the music itself, one cannot fail to be bewitched by the sheerly sensuous tonal spell of the recorded performance. The suite is so admirably annotated in the leaflet ac- companying the disks that further analysis here would be quite redundant. It is pleasant, friendly music; not over- heavy, and crisp and sharp in its outlines and colors. There are Brahmsian echoes and touches of facile exoticism, but Dohnanyi writes from both heart and mind,—and the former is light and the latter alert! There are moments of obvious- ness, particularly in the writing for the harps, but there are many more of force and originality (in the predominating wood wind* passages especially). Altogether a highly desirable addition to recorded literature, and an effective work for familiarizing the tints and timbres of modern orchestration. It is worthy of the warm welcome that unquestionably awaits it. Brunswick 15199 (DIO, 75c) Johann Strauss: Die Fleder- maus—Czardas (orchestrated by Verbrugghen), played by Henri Verbrugghen and the Minneapolis Symphony Or- chestra. Now we have the opportunity of hearing the Minneapolis Symphony in its full powers. This is easily the best oS their records to date. The recording is fine, particularly effective in its reproduction of the massed strings. The piece is refreshingly unfamiliar; a typical czardas, it is competently orchestrated and vigorously performed. An interesting little record both in itself and as a promise of the works we may expect from Verbrugghen in the future. Victor (International list) 9306 (D12, $1.50) Ravel: Pavanne pour une Infante defunte, and 1’Enfant et le* Sortileges—“Five O'clock” (arr. Roger Branga), played by Piero Coppola and the Continental Symphony Orchestra. The French H. M. V. pressing of this disk has had a considerable sale through Jthe American importers. It was added to the Studio library last summer, but I cannot recall its ever having been reviewed. There is not a great deal to be said about it. The “Five O’Clock” is Ravel’s experi- ment with ragtime; not a very convincing one, but still amusing. The Pavanne is best known as a piano piece (in which form it has been recorded very satisfactorily by Myra Hess for Columbia). Coppola gives it a good performance, but there is a far superior one on records—Albert Wolff’s Polydor version. Victor (International list) V-50006 (D12, $1.25) Herold: Zampa—Overture (arr. A. Winter), played by M. Diot and the Continental Symphony Orchestra. A good version of Zampa is needed, but M. Diot comes a long way from satisfying the need. His performance is fairly spirited, but coarse, lacking point to both rhythm and conception. How dull it sounds in comparison with the acoustical version by Papi on the old Vocalion red record. There was a performance! Is there not still a chance of Bourdon’s doing it for Victor? Until he does we are not likely to have a first-rate recording of this old favorite. Imported ORCHESTRAL Polydor 66787-8 (2 D12s) Liszt: Symphonic Poem— Mazeppa, played by Oskar Fried and the Berlin Philhar- monic. (Imported through the H. Royer Smith Company Philadelphia.) Time was when “Polydor electrical recording” was a cause for mournful head-shaking among gramophiles. At the end of the acoustical regime—when the Polydor recording was surpassed by pone other—there must have been a tremen- dous debacle in the Polydor laboratories, for their experi- ments with the new process were unsatisfactory for a long time. More recently they have been turning out such splendid works as the Beethoven Missa Solemnis, the re- markable series conducted by Albert Wolff, etc., but now they seemed to have struck a new point with this blustering tone-poem Mazeppa. Here is orchestral reproduction that will cause even connoisseurs to marvel over its astonishing richness and sonority. Oskar Fried has all the old fashioned bombast for a work like this. His performance is in the old grand manner, a rare thing in these days, and extremely interesting to study. The music itself is thin stuff indeed to modern ears, al- though there was a day when it (and the others in the series) cast bombshells into the musical world of their time. It was sketched around 1847 and appeared originally as one of the Etudes d’execution transcendante. It was enlarged and orchestrated, appearing in published form in 1858. For all the essential cheapness of the actual content of the work, it is not hard to discover from the ways in which the material and the orchestra are handled the reason for Liszt’s true significance in musical history. Not only Wagner learned from him. This prodigal, careless genius tossed away a wealth of ideas, a few of which would—and did—make the fame of lesser men. Mazeppa is heard sel- dom in the concert hall today, so a recording! would be welcomed for its historical interest alone. This recording, however, wins instant acceptance by virtue of its magni- ficent mechanical merits. French Columbia D-15078-9 (2 D12s) Rabaud: La Pro- cession Nocturne, Op. 6, played by Henri Rabaud and a Symphony Orchestra. (Imported through the H. Royer Smith Company, Philadelphia.) La Procession Nocturne was first performed in 1899 at a Colonne concert in Paris. It is based on Nicolaus Lenau’s “Faust“From a lowering sky the heavy and sombre clouds seem to hang so close to the tops of the forest that they seem to be looking into its very depths. The night is murky, but the restless breath of spring whispers through the wood, a warm and living murmur. Faust is doomed to travel through its obscurity. His gloomy despair renders him insensible to the marvelous emotions that are called forth by the voices of spring. . . . A solemn procession is passing near, and a multitude of children, carrying torches, advance two by two. It is the night of St. John’s Eve. . . . From his leafy retreat whence he sees the passing of the faithful, Faust bitterly envies them their happiness. As the last echo of the song dies away in the distance and the last glimmer of the torches disappears, the forest again becomes alight with the magic glow which kisses and trembles upon the leaves. Faust, left alone among the shadows, seizes his faithful horse, and, hiding his face in its soft mane, sheds the most bitter and burning tears of his life.” (Abridged from a translation in a program book of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.) Rabaud’s symphonic poem is singularly naive. The or- chestration is warm and smooth, but the content is of the simplest musical matter. And yet it is a touching simplicity: