Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 3 (1929-12)

104 The Phonograph Monthly Review December, 1929 Victor (German list) V-6037 (DIO, 75c) Dvorak: Als die alte Mutter, and Varlamoff: Die rote Sarafan, sung by Ursula van Diemen, with orchestral accompaniments. Miss van Diemien’s records are always worth searching the German supplements for, and these smooth, restrained performances of two familiar songs put many a more elaborate and pretentious version to shame. A very pleasing disk. A NEVIN ALBUM Victor Concert Series C-5 (5 D12s, Alb., $7.50) The Music of Ethelbert Nevin, by the Victor Salon Orchestra anj Salon Group under the direction of Nathaniel Shilkret. As in the previous sets of this series Shilkret has made the arrangements as well as conducted the performances. The records are as follows: No. 9478, A Day in Venice— Dawn, Gondoliers, Venetian Love Song, Good Night, in orchestral versions (voices are added in the last piece. No. 9479 Narcissus. Country Dance. A Shepherd’s Tale and Lullaby from “In Arcady”,—orchestra. No. 9480, My De- sire, Mighty Lak’ a Rose, At Twilight, Oh That We Two Were Maying,—vocal. No. 9481, Little Boy Blue, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes, The Woodpecker, In Winter I Get Up at Night, Every Night, Beat Upon Mine Little Heart A Life Lesson,—vocal. No. 9482 Barchetta (from “May in Tuscany”)—orchestra, Serenade, ’Twas a Lover and His Lass, The Rosary,—vocal. Evidently a large and appreciative audience exists for the type of salon arrangements made familiar by the or- chestras of the large movie palaces, and of which Mr. Shilkret is a past master. The pieces here are handled in typical fashion, with free use of “effects”, both instru- mental and vocal. The exceedingly liberal use of bells is a marked characteristic. Most of the vocal works and the slower orchestral pieces are thoroughly sentimentalized, and except among this type of music’s special audience the pieces most likely to be admired are those in brisker tempo and mood. Gondoliers, Shepherd’s Tale. Barchetta, The Woodpecker, and particularly the Country Dance, with its delightfully deft piano part are the best of these. The singers are well-known recording artists: Lewis James, Olive Kline, Wilfred Glenn, Edna Kellogg, Elliott Shaw, and Robert Simmons. An entire record side is given up to the famous Rosary, given here first as a song with or- chestra, and then repeated by the orchestra (plus organ and bells) alone. The recording is very clear throughout. o. c. o. Light Orchestral Brunswick 57013 (DIO, 75c) La Marseillaise and The In- ternationale, played by the Brunswick Concert Orchestra. Conventional performances of the two great revolutionary marches. The playing is energetic, but not so inflammatory that it is likely to considered a menace to established government. Columbia 2009-D (DIO, 75c) Beastall: Evensong at Twi- light, and Gerrard: Land of Dreams, played by the J. H. Squire Celeste Octet. Two innocuous quiet salon pieces played suavely, but without an excess of sentiment. Odeon 3273 (D12, $1.25) Carl Robrecht: Medley of Fam- ous Waltzes, played by Dajos Bela’s Orchestra. A first-rate medley of light music played in Dajos Bela’s best style. The waltzes are mostly energetic rather than languorous and the performance has real dash and snap to it. Odeon 3272 (D12, $1.25) Transcription of the Folk-Song “ S kommt ein Vogel geflogen” (arr. Siegfried Ochs), played by the Grand Odeon Orchestra. This is a curious and rather amusing pastiche. Imagine an arranger of the old school writing variations on a hymn- like folk tune and embodying stylistic snatches from numer- ous war-horses in the light concert repertory. In the more inflated moments there is distinct evidence of the influence of American movie-palace delusions of grandeur. The play- ing and recording are quite adequate for the demands made upon them, and probably there is still a good-sized public- even in this country—that will take the work quite seri- ously. Odeon 3549 (DIO, 75c) Strauss: Kaiser Waltz, and Fetras: Moonlight on the Alster, played by Dajos Bela’s Orchestra. Characteristic Dajos Bela performances, appropriately smooth or spirited, but not as striking as some of his best work. Odeon (German list) 85217 (D12, $1.25) Grosses Schweitzer Tanz-Potpourri, played by the Odeon Streichorchester. The gay liveliness of the music and the vigor of the play- ing entitle this medley to be singled out among the many disks of its kind in the foreign supplements. Victor 35992 (D12, $1.25) Brennan-McCurdy: High Water, and Malneck-Signorelli: Midnight Reflections, played by Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra. This must be nearly the last of the records Whiteman made before he left Victor. It is not among his best. High Water relies strongly on Deep River of course; it is quite effective up to the point when the vocal chorister goes suddenly melodramatic in the Jolsonish tradition. The Mid- night Reflections are pleasantly innocuous. Victor (International list) V-25 (DIO, 75c) Jessel: Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, and Werner-Kersten: Bummel Petrus—Intermezzo, played by Nathaniel Shilkret and the International Concert Orchestra. A welcome re-listing of one of Shilkret’s finest records in the light concert class. The wooden soldiers were never brighter or marched more dapperly than here. A most vivid performance on every count. Victor (International list) V-50016 (D12, $1.25) Nico Dostal: Bouquet of the Season’s Popular Hits, pllayed by Marek Weber’s Orchestra. Marek Weber is in his most brisk and sparkling mood here and the performance of the American pieces compares favorably with that of our own best concert-jazz orchestras. The melody is well-turned and includes a goodly number of tunes familiar in this country within the last few seasons: Rain, The Song Is Ended, I Kiss Your Hand Madame, etc. The playing is highly animated and the recording is brilliant. Victor (German list) V-6038 (DIO, 75c) Simon: Die Domgtocken in der Christnacht, and Ellenberg: Peters- burger Schlittenfahrt, played by Marek Weber’s Orchestra. The Christmas piece is rich in Teutonic sentiment; the string choir of Weber’s orchestra are displayed to ad- vantage. Ellenberg’s Petersburg Sleigh Ride is one of the best of the old-country pieces of its kind, occasionally heard here at circuses. It is a bravura piece and Weber plays it with splendid vervq. Odeon 3550 (D10, 754) Morena: Medley of Viennese Tunes, played by Dajos Bela’s Orchestra. Dajos Bela displays a curious and violent contrast in moods here, vibrant almost fierce playing for full or- chestra alternating with suave measures featuring his own violin solos or the clever transition passages for piano. Odeon 3552 (D10, 75c) Rampoldi: Doris Waltz, and Bayadere—Oriental Dance, played by the Ferruzzi Or- chestra. The waltz is very soulful and the dance conventionally pseudo-oriental. Brunswick 20091 (D12, $1.00) Kahn-Jones: I’ll See You in My Dreams, and Brooks: Some of These Days, played by Red Nichols’ Orchestra. There are occasional passages of striking interest, but for the. most part there are few of the distinctive Nichols touches, and the playing is of the accepted concert-jazz order, not entirely free from pretentiousness. Brunswick 20094 (D12, $1.00) McCarthy-Tierney: Rio Rita Medley, played by the Colonial Club Orchestra, with vocal chorus. A worthy continuation of the Brunswick musical comedy medley series. The Colonial Club orchestra plays briskly and suavely as the music demands, and wisely makes no attempt at ostentatious “concert” effects.