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

26 The Phonograph Monthly Review after playing* such a rare and other-worldly work why does Paderewski feel it necessary to honor a pupil. by playing Stojowski’s prosaically bubbling brook? It is a typical salon piece and in Paderewski’s hands crystaline rather than liquiscent. The other side alone is distinctive. ORGAN Victor 35972 (D12, $1.25) Handel: Largo, and Chopin: Prelude in C minor (arr. Gibson), played by Archer Gibson on the organ in Charles M. Schwab’s' residence, New York City. Gibson is a leading New York organist and this is his first recording of which I know. The recording is power- ful, but not very clear. The more sonorous effects come out quite well, but details are frequently submerged. How- ever, no pretension is made that these are other than com- petent, “standard” performances of familiar pieces. The Largo’is played in its familiar form, but the prelude serves ‘as the basis of some elaboration, described with gusto by the annotator of the advance list. “Gibson. . . is not de- pendent upon any set rules. For example, he is not fond of the ‘theme and variations’ method of embellishing a melody, but prefers the use of arpeggios as a tonal back- ground. You will hear this effect in the Chopin prelude after the original melody is announced. ...” I was pre- pared for almost anything (for has not the same prelude served as a waltz—and a good one!), but Gibson s use of arpeggios as a tonal background” was discreetly handled and the effect not unpleasing nor over-done, although per- haps hardly in accordance with the composer’s ideas. Gibson’s playing is firm and even, but rather over-empha- tic on the side of volume. VIOLIN Brunswick 4461 (DIO, 75c) The Wedding of the Painted Doll, and Honey, played by Frederic Fradkin with piano accompaniments by Dan Lieberfeld. Popular violin transcriptions of two recent popular hits. The Painted Doll is performed with some spirit, but the other piece is honeyed indeed in Fradkin’s highly senti- mentalized playing. Victor 7103 (D12, $2.00) Schubert-Wilhelmj: Ave Maria, and Bach-Wilhelmj: Air for G String, played by Mischa Elman, with piano accompaniments by Josef Bonime and Raymond Bauman respectively. This is a re-recording of Victor 6101, a popular disk in Elman’s acoustical releases. The new performances are if anything even richer and more luscious than the old, and of course excellently recorded. The tempos are de- cidedly on the slow side and the violin tone dangerously near over-ripeness, but both features are likely to the taste of those for whom the record is expressly designed. Addenda: Notes of correction are due on some of my comments on recent violin records by Bratza, Birkenholz, and Enesco. For information regarding the first two ar- tists reference should be made to the letters under the headings “What’s In a Name?” and “Cherchez la Femme! in the correspondence columns of this issue. In my re- view of Enesco’s Columbia disk of Corelli s Folies d’Espagne the composer’s name appeared in print with two Vs” instead of one, and my > surmise that the disk was Enesco’s first was decidedly incorrect. As an alert reader in Nicholas, Iowa, kindly calls to my attention, two Enesco acoustical records have been available in the Columbia catalogue for several years; Wagner s Album- blatt and the Chorus of Dervishes from the Ruins ot Athens (2026-M), the Couperin-Kreisler Aubade Proven- cale and Ambrosio’s Serenade (2008-M). R. O. B. Choral Brunswick 337 (DIO, 75c) Foster: De Camptown Races, and Hays: Keep in de Middle of de Road, sung by th© Kanawha Singers with instrumental accompaniments. A worthy “find” in the Brunswick Southern Series. The October, 1929 — ■■ ssja ev Kanawha male chorus sings with great gusto and the fiddle-guitar-banjo accompaniments are ingeniously ar- ranged and briskly played. The Foster song is well known and the other is an appropriate companion piece. A spirited bit of performance and recording. Victor 4152 (DIO, $1.00) Samson et Dalila—L’aube qui blanchit, and Romeo et Juliette—Prologue, sung by the Metropolitan Opera Chorus accompanied by the Metro- politan Opera Orchestra under the direction of Giulio Setti. Setti has three disks to his credit this month. This one is far less impressive than the Martinelli and Pinza works, but it contains typical performances by the Metropolitan Chorus. The Gounod Prologue is good, but hardly ex- traordinary, and the dawn scene from Samson is very smoothly and sweetly done. Orchestra and recording are good; the prominent harp part comes through well and with pleasing tone quality. Victor (International list) 9399 and 9400 (2 D12s, $1.50 each) Boris Godounow—Opening Chorus, Pilgrims’ Chorus, Coronation Scene, and Polonaise, by the Royal Opera Chorus and the Covent Garden Orchestra under the direction of Vincenzo Belleza. These disks were included in A. A. B.’s review of the H. M. V. Boris records by Chaliapin and Covent Garden artists, reviewed from the British pressings in the Febru- ary 1929 issue It is a splendid coup of the Victor foreign department to give American release to these two choral disks, but are the Chaliapin records to be passed over entirely? Belleza conducts the three best known choruses of the work and the famous polonaise with energy and gusto. His readings are forceful and to the point. Chorus and orchestra are competent and the recording is effective. In particularly I like the performance of the Polonaise, and this record (9400) is to be especially recommended. The choruses are sung in Italian. A goodly number of Boris excerpts are now available for the phonograph although as yet few are released in this country. All of course are in the Rimsky-Korsakow ver- sion that is used in the opera house. The. much discussed but unpublished and unheard original version is to receive its first performance anywhere in concert form under Stokowski’s baton next winter in Philadelphia. An un- rivalled opportunity for some records of Moussorgsky’s great work as he conceived it! Vocal Brunswick 15147 (D10, 75c) Lassen: It Was a Dream, and Cadman: A Moonlight Song, sung by Elisabeth Reth- berg with orchestral accompaniments. Even Miss Rethberg does not sing Lassen’s song with great conviction or give it distinctive force, but Cadman’s pretty little lyric—one of his most neatly turned pieces— gives apt exploitation of what is one of the supremely beautiful recording voices. Not only the tone quality captivates one here; listen to the sure, delicate firmness with which her voice is controlled! I have yet to hear a Rethberg record that did not contain something to delight both ear and mind, and this disk is very far from being an exception. The recording provides a clear refraction of both voice and the competent accompanying orchestra. Brunswick 15162 (D10, 75c) Jacobs-Bond: A Perfect Day, and Metcalf: Absent, sung by Mario Chamlee with orchestral and male trio accompaniments. This is a re-recording of Brunswick 10104. The record- ing is very clear, as is the singing of Absent until that deplorable anachronism, the “accompanying male trio.,” enters. Of A Perfect Day there can be nothing! said except that the sentiment is spread thickly enough to satisfy even the most fervent admirers of Carrie Jacobs- Bond. Chamlee’s pronunciation of “perfect” is something rather off the beaten track; is it by any chance a recom-