Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 2 (1929-11)

The Phonograph Monthly Review November, 1929 38 'er- there are light orchestral disks by the Plaza Theatre Orchestra and Lensen’s Orchestra. In addition to the regular masterworks and stan- dard releases is a special issue of thirty ten-inch operatic records sung by leading artists of the Italian Columbia Company: Anna Maria Gugliel- metti, Lina Scavizzi, Maria Capuana, Enrico Mol- inari, Alessandro Granda, Roberto D’Alessio, etc., etc. These arias, many of them from the less familiar Italian operas, will be of particular in- terest to operatic collectors. First on the very extensive Victor list is the complete Carmen album, re-pressed from the French H. M. V. catalogue, and conducted by Piero Coppola. For comment I refer to A. A. B.’s review elsewhere in this issue. The two other album sets of the month, Haydn’s Clock Symphony and Shilkret’s Ethelbert Nevin album, have not yet reached the Studio as this is written, so to our regret the reviews will have to be de- ferred until next month. The regular November list includes a new disk from the Chicago Sym- phony Orchestra, Wagner’s Traurrte and Glinka’s Russian and Ludmilla Overture; also Dohnanyi’s Ruralia Hungarica suite played by Fritz Kreisler (two ten-inch disks), two magnificent arias from Wagner’s Ring sung by Schumann-Heink, a very brilliant record of familiar arias from Africana and Martha by Gigli, a re-recording of two of Galli-Curci’s best-liked performances (Una voce poco fa and the Mignon Polonaise), arias from Gioconda and Tales of Hoffman by Lauri-Volpi with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Or- chestra under Setti, Schumann’s Novelette in D and Debussy’s Clair de Lune played by Harold Bauer, and light songs by Reinald Werrenrath. In addition to the regular releases the Victor Company also issues its annual November special list of “recordings from abroad for American music lovers”, all of which are to be added to next year’s general catalogue. This remarkable list includes Haydn’s London Symphony admir- ably conducted by John Barbirolli, a highly energetic performance of the Prince Igor ballet music by a chorus and symphony orchestra under Coates, "Mozart’s E flat Symphony conducted by Kleiber, a brilliant recording of Bizet’s Patrie Overture conducted by Sargent, Elgar’s Wand of Youth Suite No. 1 conducted by the composer, Rimsky’s Czar Saltan Suite—No. 3 conducted by Coates, Quilter’s Children’s Overture and Schu- bert’s Rosamunde Overture conducted by Sar- gent, three Granados Spanish Dances and the Al- beniz-Arbos Triana conducted by Goossens, and the Coates version of Tod und Verklarung—late- ly issued in the Educational List No. 6. There are two records each by Marcel Dupre, organist. Bachaus and Harold Samuel, pianists. The vocal disks include Schubert songs by Chaliapin, Leonora’s aria from Fidelio by Frida Leider, Handel’s Largo and Gluck’s Che faro senza Euri- dice sung by Maria Olczewska, Senta’s Ballad bv Florence Austral and the Spinning Chorus (both from the Flying Dutchman) by the Royal Opera Chorus, Figaro arias by Elisabeth Schumann, Tosca and Manon aries by Zentatello, all with orchestral accompaniments. From the Brunswick Company we have a very fine performance of Leoncavallo’s Mattinata and Buzzi-Peccia’s Lolilta sung by Mario Chamlee, the Tales of Hoffman Barcarolle and Hawthorne’s Whispering Hope sung by Kathryn Meisle and Marie Tiffany, and in the salon orchestra class, an effective disk by Katzman and the Anglo- Persians of Ragamuffin and the conductor’s own Cossack Love Song. Katzman is also heard with the Brunswick Concert Orchestra in a little re- cord of the Dance of the Hours from Gioconda and Keler-Bela’s Lustspiel Overture, a vivid ex- ample of what may be done by a clever conductor within the limits of single sides of a ten-inch disk. The Edison Company is the first American company to release a Moriz Rosenthal record. TL~ great! Chopin master is well recorded in four short Chopin preludes and two of the etudes. The other celebrity release is by Albert Spalding, l do not care greatly for his interpretation ot Dvorak’s Humoresque, but the transcription of Hark, Hark, the Lark on the other side is more effective. Best of the salon releases is Kellner’s Dinner Ensemble in lively semi-jazz pieces. There are also the usual lengthy popular re- leases by all five companies, comment on which is made in the popular vocal and dance reviews else- where in this issue. In the “foreign” supplements of the American companies the most interesting release is perhaps that of the complete Traviata set in the Columbia Italian list. We are also promised that hereafter the foreign list will contain some specially inter- esting “find” each month. Mention also also goes* to In a Clock Shop and Music Box in the interna- tional group, a spirited performance of Brahms’ Fifth Hungarian Dance by Ronke’s Finnish Or- chestra, and a special series of Japanese records. Outstanding in the Victor lists are the Boris God- ounoff Revolutionary Scene conducted bv Coates, a lively performance of the Czar and Carpenter Overture conducted by Blech, a second record con- ducted by Federico Del Cupolo—Verdi’s Si- cilian Vespers Overture, a Traviata Potpourri by Marek Weber’s Orchestra, three Gretchaninoff songs sung by Nina Koshetz to piano accompani- ments by the composer, two notable Mozart arias sung by Lotte Schone with the Berlin State Opera Orchestra under Zweig, Chocolate Soldier and Unrequited Love Waltzes played by Shilkret’s In- ternational Orchestra, a new Philippine series bv a noted soprano of Manilla—Nati de Arellano, Swedish songs by Carl Martin Oehman, and a brilliant light orchestral record by the Orquesta International de Concierto. From Odeon there are three special Christmas releases coupling Silent Night, Holy Night and 0 Sanctissima, played by Dajos Bela’s Orchestra, by Spolliansky on the celesta, and by an unspecified organist. Also two bell solos with orchestra, a potpourri from Leo Fall’s Der liebe Augustin by the Odeon Orchestra, and a new Danish series by Hallander- Hellermann and Vigo Larsen. Brunswick issues