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

The Phonograph Monthly Review 41 November, 1929 There are two Debussy Suites, the Children’s Corner, played by Coppola and the Continental Symphony (French H. M. V. P-707-9), and in a piano version by Cortot, and the Petite Suite, played by Coppola for French H. M. V., Sir Dan Godfrey for Columbia (67406-7-D), etc. The only one issued in this country is that by Godfrey. Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 is played by the Columbia Concert Orchestra on Columbia 50025- 6-D, Bourdon and the Victor Symphony on Vic- tor 35793 and 20245, Schneevoight and the Lon- don Symphony on English Columbia 9309-10, etc. The second suite is played' by Goossens on Victor 9327-8, and by Schneevoight on English Colum- bia 9311-2. The Lyric Suite is played by Sir Landon Ronald on Victor 9073-4, and the Sigurd Jorsalfar by Schneevoight on English Columbia L-1748-9. Miscellaneous suites: Victor Herbert’s Seren- ades, played by Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra on Victor 35926; Luigini’s Egyptian Ballet, played by the Victor Concert Orchestra on Victor 35794- 5, and in foreign versions by Chagnon (English Columbia) and Cloez (Parlophone) ; Saint- Saens’ Carnival of the Animals played by Georges True (Columbia Masterworks Set 81) ; Saint-Saens’ Suite Algerienne recorded in part by Coppola on Victor 9296 (International list) and in entirety by Cloez on French Odeon 165228- 30; Charpentier’s Impressions of Italy are best in the composer’s excellent version for French Columbia (D-15071-3) ; Rabaud’s Marouf ballet is also best in the composer’s French Columbia recording (D-15080-1) ; Dr. Blech plays the Gluck-Mottl ballet suite on Victor 9278. Dohnanyi’s Suite for Orchestra (Victor album M-47), Albeniz’ Iberia Suite (English Columbia 9603-5), De Falla’s Three-Cornered Hat and other ballets, Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, and Strawinski’s ballets lead us several rungs higher on the musical ladder, and they should properly be treated separately and in more detail. Rhapsodies and Tone Poems The next rung of the ladder is represented by the orchestral rhapsody and tone poem. A dis- tinction is made between this type of piece, exemplified by Chabrier’s Espana and Sibelius’ Finlandia, and the larger symphonic poem, exemplified by Richard Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel and Delius’ Brigg Fair,—works that are more complex in both structure and texture. A num- ber of pieces in the former class have already been mentioned among the march and waltz apotheoses. Others that might be singled out are led by Espana, a concert piece that is consider- ably more than an indefatigable war-horse. In it the art of modern orchestration first found definite and convincing expression. Well played, the piece—familiar as it is—still strikes electri- fying fire. But it must be well played; the spicy rhythms must snap and sparkle. If the pace is allowed to slacken, the whole work sags and col- lapses limply. Of all the Espana recordings I have heard only one is a genuinely adequate representation, and that is the vivid performance by Piero Coppola and the Continental Symphony Orchestra on French H. M. V. L-678 The only other electrical recording I know is that by Ossip Gabrilowitsch and the Detroit Symphony on Victor 1337, tonally pleasing, but lacking the true vibrant life. The acoustical versions by Stokowski, Prince, Rhene-Baton, Sir Henry Wood and others are now all withdrawn and few will care to exhume them. L’Apprenti sorcier gave fame of Paul Dukas and a taste for orchestral subtleties to many a concert-goer. It is another war-horse that can still gallop a course with the best of the younger racers. Toscanini spurs it on unmercifully in his recording with the New! York Philharmonic- Symphony (Victor 7021) ; the furious tempo he sets gives the apprentice extraordinary jerkin ess and for all the excitement a good part of the work’s humor seems to have evaporated in this glittering performance. I prefer the more genial version by Gaubert and the Paris Conservatory Orchestra (Columbia 67335-6-D). Unfortunately there is still no first-rate record- ing of Finlandia. Abbreviated versions there are in plenty, and one on two record sides (Victor 9015, by Sir Landon Ronald and the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra), but none that is both complete and effectively played. The spirit of the work was best caught in the old, badly cut version by the Columbia Symphony on Columbia 53008-D, conducted, rumor has it, by the composer himself. At any rate the performance is not unworthy of him and the disk is deservedly saved from the oblivion rapidly engulfing the masterpieces of the acoustical era. Now for the battle-scarred, time-worn veterans of the concert hall: Les Preludes, Mazeppa, and the first and second Hungarian Rhapsodies. Un- til Mengelberg re-records his performance of Les Preludes we shall probably lack an ideal phono- graphic version. (His acoustical recording is on Victor 6225 and 6373.) The electrical versions are those by Dr. Hertz and the San Francisco Symphony (Victor 6863-4), Dr. Fried and the Berlin Philharmonic (Polydor 66812-3), Coates and the London Symphony (H. M. V. D-1616-7). The first two are fair every-day performances; that by Coates is unquestionably much more scintillating. Dr. Fried, however, does a dazzling performance of Mazeppa (Polydor 66787-8) that could hardly be bettered. For the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 one has a choice among Stokow- ski’s superlatively brilliant version (Victor 66- 52), the longer four-part recording by Sir Henry Wood (Columbia 7120-1-M), and the more con- servative reading by Dr. Weissmann (Odeon 5146). The first Hungarian Rhapsody is still to be electrically recorded in as effective a perfor- mance as that by Nikisch on the old Vocalion and H. M. V. disks. His reading—of no small historical importance—is still preserved by H. M. V. in its historical list (D-815-6). Columbia lists two electrical disks, one by Dohnanyi and the