Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 11 (1930-08)

An independent American journal devoted to recorded music and phonography Founded 1926 by Axel B. Johnson The Phonograph Monthly Review AXEL B. JOHNSON ROBERT DONALDSON DARRELL Associate Editor Managing Editor Published by THE PHONOGRAPH PUBLISHING CO., Inc. 5 Boylston Street , Cambridge , Massachusetts Telephone UNIversity 1618 THE PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY REVIEW appears on the twenty-eighth of each month. All material is fully protected by copyright 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, 5 Boylston Street, Cambridge, Massa- chusetts. All unsolicited contributions must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. All checks and money orders should be made out to THE PHONOGRAPH PUBLISHING CO., Inc. Editorial The month's “naps" the phonophile's bookshelf v new instruments T HE phonographic repertory is notably strengthened by the four new album sets for August release, yet for all the worthy qualities of these works I found more lively pleas- ure in the more novel and stimulating attractions of several smaller releases. Each of the three companies has what our British friends call a “nap” to its credit. Brunswick’s is the Wolff disc of two blazing pieces of Chabrier—the Marche joyeuse and Bourree fantasque —each fairly ting- ling with electrical intensity. Wolff is one of the few conductors who can tap the springs of de- monaical energy without running over the narrow brim that separates it from hysteria. And truly exciting music is rare on discs. Columbia experi- ments a bit with demonology of a quite different order. The music is Moussorgsky’s (out of Rim- sky) Night on Bald Mountain. Gaubert, the gen- tlemanly, modest, polished conductor of the Paris Conservatory orchestra, whose every performance bears the unmistakable stamp of sincerity, wisely makes no attempt to frighten his listeners with the black mass and witchly sabbatical revels of the god Tchernobog and his hosts. He plays the fan- tasy as an orchestral scherzo and it proves to be one of the few really thoroughly first rate ones. And if the Moussorgsky-Gaubert combination were not enough, there is a musical bonus in the form of Mengelberg’s reading of L’Arlesienne Adagietto, a miracle of recorded orchestral tone. Victor’s contribution, shrewdly designated its “record of the month,” is a Rimsky disc—the In- troduction and Bridal Cortege from Le Coq d’Or, played as only Coates can play such vivacious, fes- tal music, and no less than the two works above it is invigorating musical tonic to set even August blood leaping. The album sets provide meatier fare. The “Er- oica” again, this time from Brunswick, and in Pfitzner’s version, first issued by Polydor, in which pressings it has already found high favor among the importers’ customers. Columbia issues another pillar of the concert repertory, the first Tchaikowsky piano concerto, played by Cutner Solomon, a young pianist of greater note abroad than in this country, whose coherent, intelligent reading and skillfully employed pianism are a far cry from the bombast and self-intoxicated virtuo- sity of a great many more renowned giants of the keyboard. Tchaikowsky is at or near his very best in moments of this concerto and this version does him full justice. From Victor there is the anticipated re-recording of the Franck sonata by the dapper French pair, Thibaud and Cortot, and for surprise, the Tannhauser overture for the ’steenth time—but this time in the Paris version with the Bacchanale. My admiration of Dr. Muck’s recording of the overture alone, and Al- bert Coates’ performance of the Bacchanale does not falter, but Stokowski speaks with a voice of his own, (or not infrequently the tongue of an angel). “Truly magnificent” the reviewer called See last page for Table of Contents Copyright, 1930, by the Phonograph Publishing Company, Inc.