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

364 The Phonograph Monthly Review August, 1930 Strawinski uses more than one tempo simultan- eously (7/8 against 3/4, 5/8 against 2/4, etc.). A group of Russian dancers execute a short dance of the familiar “hock” steps (2/4 tempo); then an organ grinder enters the scene. The crowd gathers about him and the tune is muffled, but soon it comes louder and clearer and we dis- cover a dancer pirouetting to its strains. An- other organ grinder appears with his accomp- anying dancer on the opposite side of the stage and the crowd leaves the first. Then we have the delightful competition of the two organs, one in 2/4 tempo and the other in 3/4, each playing a different melody. The second side begins with the “confusion theme” again and gradually mounts to a climax which is followed by the beating of a drum. The old Magician ( focusnik ) is calling the crowds to his booth of life-sized puppets. He draws the cur- tain aside and plays a rather florid tune on a flute. He animates the three puppets, two of which (Petrouchka and the Moor) are in love with the Ballerina. Suddenly, as if springs were re- leased, the puppets start a lively dance which consists of a mere jigging of their feet while still attached to their supports. As suddenly as they started, they leave their supports and dance down into the crowd, the ensuing pantomime resulting in a skirmish between the two male puppets: Petrouchka chases the Moor from the scene with a club. In the stage presentation, Strawinski keeps the attention of the audience focused upon the stage by the use of the continuous roll of a side- drum between the scenes. The second scene is Petrouchka’s little room and we leave the crowd for a moment to view the tragic little story of the puppets. (Part 3, Coates’ set). At the rise of the curtain we see Petrouch- ka savagely kicked into his little room by the Magician in punishment for his violence. The entire scene is a depiction of the futility and despair of Petrouchka. While being endowed with human emotions he cannot seem to bring them to full flower. The Ballerina enters to visit him but his love making is so crude that he frightens her away. At the finish he gets caught in a swinging door and as the curtain descends he hangs there awkward and helpless. (Both the composer’s and Koussevitsky’s versions are ex- tremely brilliant in this section, which utilizes the piano to some extent.) The third scene is the Moor’s room (Part 4). The Moor is discovered on his back foolishly jug- gling a cocoanut. It falls to the floor and in anger he slashes it with his sword. He then indulges in a droll yet monotonous dance. Suddenly we hear a tin trumpet (Part 5) and the Ballerina dashes on the scene playing the trumpet while she dances. The love making of the Moor is con- siderably more polished than that of Petrouchka; he becomes sentimental and succeeds in getting her to sit on his knee. (Coates’ rendering of these sentimental Vaises is superb). At that very moment Petrouchka enters. His jealousy is aroused and he attacks the Moor who in turn chases him from the scene with a sword. The Ballerina sinks into a gentle swoon. Again we are brought back to the carnival (Parts 6, 7, 8). Nursemaids dance (the melody is the old folk song “Down St. Peter’s Road”) ; a man brings a pet bear who walks on his hind legs, much to the delight of the youngsters; a drunken Cossack scatters money in the crowd; gypsies dance to the accompaniment of an accord- ion; a dance of coachmen and grooms. A group of fun-makers enter wearing hideous masks; the children are frightened and run screaming in all directions. Suddenly everyone is petrified. The curtain of the pupet booth quakes and out dashes Petrouchka, the Moor pursuing him with his sword. He slays Petrouchka, who dies with a few pitiful squeaks. The Magician is called but he assures the crowd that Petrouchka is only a soul- less puppet and proves it by holding up the limp form a stream of sawdust runs from the wound. The scene is deserted; snow starts to fall. The Magician picks up the corpse and is about to leave when Petrouchka’s ghost appears from the top of the booth. Petrouchka screams his wrath and revenge and the old Magician flees from the scene. With four biting pizzicati notes the marvelous ballet ends. All sets of Petrouchka are remarkably well recorded. One would have difficulty in choosing a set from so many good ones, more so, indeed, than in the case of Sacre. Coates’ version will probably prove the more popular because of its completeness. Of the cut versions Strawinski’s, of course, is extremely valuable from the histori- cal standpoint although, to repeat, he shows the early uncertainties of a recording conductor. The virtuosity of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Koussevitsky set) is too apparent to require comment. It is indeed fortunate to have so many excellent sets from which to choose. (Mr. Seltsam’s review of Le Sacre appeared in the June issue. His articles on the stories and\ records of The Fire Bird, Pulcinella and Apollo will be published shortly.) S Some Modern Ballet Recordings As a footnote to Mr. Seltsam’s article on the ballet music of Strawinski, it may be of interest to publish a brief list of some of the more important recordings of modern ballets. Ravel: Bolero (Brunswick and Victor); Daphnis et Chloe (Victor). Casella: La Giara (Columbia). De Falla: Three Cornered Hat (Columbia and Victor); El amor brujo (Brunswick and Columbia). Borodin: Prince Igor ballet music (Brunswick, Columbia, and Victor). Glazounow: The Seasons (English Columbia). Walton: Facade (Decca—England) . Dukas: La Peri (Columbia and French H.M.V.). Goossens: ballet from Judith (HiM.V.). Scarlatti-Thomassini: The Good-Humored Ladies (Decca). Strauss: Dance of the Seven Veils from SalomS (H.M.V.).