Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 1 (1929-10)

The Phonograph Monthly Review October, 1929 va n — 1 "■ appearing this month in England under the H. M. V. label. The symphony occupies seven sides, and on the eighth Toscanini gives his well-known version of the Midsummer Night’s Dream Scher- zo. The other album set from H. M. V. is a com- plete performance of The Pirates of Penzance by the Rupert D’Oyly Carte Company with the or- chestra conducted by Dr. Malcolm Sargent. Ex- cluding re-pressings (among which is Gershwin’s American in Paris) there are also Bach’s Toc- cata and Fugue in D minor, this time recorded as a piano solo by Mark Hambourg; Johann Strauss’ DorfschWalben Waltz by the Vienna Philhar- monic under Kleiber; arias from Hamlet sung by John Brownlee; lighter songs by Peter Dawson and Essie Ackland; Cyril Scott’s Blackbird’s Song and Carey’s Spring Morning sung by Elsie Suddaby; a Beethoven Ecossaise and Scarlatti’s Sonata in A played by Mischa Levitzki. The English Columbia Company issues a new version of the Nut-Cracker Suite by the Royal Philharmonic under Dr. Fried, Brahms’ Fifth and Sixth Hungarian Dances by Harty and the Halle Orchestra, Respighi’s Fountains of Rome by Molajoli and the Milan Symphony, and a sec- ond record by the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra un- der Andreae—a Mozart Andante for flute and or- chestra and the Gavotte from Idomeneo. For un- usual novelty are John Ireland’s ’Cello Sonata played by Antoni Sala and the composer (with the composer playing his own April on the eighth record side), and a disk of fantasies for two and six viols by Morley and Dering, played by mem- bers of the Dolmetsch family. Isobel Baillie, Nel- lie Walker, and Francis Russell sing popular arias from Tales of Hoffman and Madame Butter- fly in English, the Squire Chamber Orchestra plays the Intermezzo and Minuet from L’Arles- ienne Suite; Isobel Baillie sings a two-part Hear Ye Israel from Mendelssohn’s Elijah; Patuffa Kennedy-Fraser accompanies herself at the harp in four songs of the Hebrides; Mariano Stabile sings 0 Sole Mio and Siciliana de Pergolesi; Stignani and Pasero sing a duet from Act III of La Gioconda; the Choir of St. George’s Church sings Merbecke’s Missa Cantata and the marriage service music; and H. M. Grenadier Guards Band issue four disks of popular marches in correct tempo specially intended for educational use. The fourteenth series of International Educational Society lecture records includes talks on How to Listen to Music—Section Three—by Dr. Percy Buck, The Romans in Britain—Section Three— by Sir George Macdonald, The Return to Pros- perity and How the League of Nations Is Helping by Sir Arthur Salter, and Talks on the British Empire—Section Three, Newfoundland—by Ern- est Young. Parlophone’s feature release is the Tannhauser Bacchanale and Prelude to Act III played by the Berlin State Opera Orchestra under Max von Schillings, followed by Morning Noon and Night in Vienna conducted by Bodanzky, Italiana in Al- geria Overture conducted by Dr. Weissmann, Brahms’ Fifth and Sixth Hungarian Dances play- ed by Szreter (pianist) with the Berlin State 3 3<SV Opera Orchestra, Liszt's Liebestraum and Sauer's Spieluhr played by Szreter solo, the Flower Duet from Madame Butterfly sung by Seinemeyer and Jung, the Tannhauser Herd Boy's Song and Pil- grims’ Chorus by Knepel, Clemens, and the Ber- lin State Opera Orchestra and Chorus, arias from Don Pasquale and Stadella by Fritzi Jokl, Agathe's aria from Der Freischutz sung by Lotte Lehmann, Braga's Serenade and Martini's Plaisir d'Aipour sung by Ninon Vallin, and lesser works by Costa Milona, Kate Winter, Dajos Bela's Or- chestra, and Edith Lorand's Orchestra. Miscellaneous British releases include: Brahms Piano Trio in B, Op. 8, by the Budapest Trio (Brunswick, five records), Liszt's Hungarian Fantasia played by Maurice Cole and the Metro- politan Symphony under Chappie (Broadcast Twelve), Coleridge-Taylor’s Three Dream Dances and Finck's Pirouette played by the Hasting Municipal Orchestra (Decca), the Stradella Overture by the National Symphony Orchestra (Zonophone), arias from Turandot and Girl of the Golden West sung in English by Frank Tit- terton (Decca), Dukas L'Apprenti sorcier and Lord Berners' Fugue—1924 (Decca). Announce- ment is made that Bernard and the London Chamber Orchestra have recorded an Air and Dance for string orchestra by Delius, a work which is to be given its first concert performance during the Delius Festival in October. In France the Columbia Company issues Mas- senet's Manon in complete form under the direc- tion of M. Elie Cohen. The soloists include Fer- aldy, Vavon, Rambert, Rogatchewsky, Viller, Guenot, etc. Besides the re-pressings there are also Darcy's Poupee d'Arlequin Pantomime— Ballet conducted by Cohen, Bach's Fugue in G minor played by Commette on the Lyons Cathe- dral Organ, songs of Roussel and de Breville sung by Mme. Croiza and accompanied By the respective composers, Debussy's La Flute de Pan and La Chevelure and Milhaud's Soirees de Petro- grad sung by Mme. J. Bathori. The Pathe Com- pany issues an album of twelve disks devoted to contemporary French poets reading their own works, the first of a proposed series of albums of recordings by poets, political leaders, etc. Mr. Compton Mackenzie, Editor of “The Gramo- phone" announces a similar album which is short- ly to appear from the Dominion Company in England. He is one of twelve authors who will record readings from their own works; the others are Ian Hay, W. W. Jacobs, Sheila Kay e-Smith, Rose Macaulay, A. E. W. Mason, A. A. Milne, Alfred Noyes, D. De Vere Stacpole, E. Temple Thurston, Hugh Walpole, and Rebecca West. Another complete opera is added to the rapid- ly growing lists: the Italian Columbia Company's release of Madame Butterfly by artists of La Scala under the direction of Molajoli. With the completion of the Index to the third volume of the magazine, Rev. Herbert B. Satcher has finished his veritably monumental work. As advertised elsewhere, the indices to the three vol- umes will be available not later than November