Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 7 (1930-04)

220 The Phonograph Monthly Review April, 1930. Entre le Boeuf et l’Ane gris) and sung by Les Choeurs Religieux on Victor 81603. Patriotic songs, popular airs, and music hall ditties are of course available in profusion from the French companies; a few are re-pressed by their Ameri- can affiliations. The disks by Yvonne Guilbert, who has recently begun to record again, should be mentioned, also those by Chevalier, Yvonne George, and Mistinguett, many of which are grouped in special albums by The Gramophone Shop in New York City. A number of the best folk songs are included in the special series of children’s records issued by both the French H. M. V. and Columbia companies, and some half dozen or so eighteenth century songs with harp- sichord accompaniments are listed by the Pathe- Art company in France. The Netherland and Italian schools of poly- phonic writers (sixteenth century) included sev- eral composers of French or Flemish birth, not- ably Orlando de Lassus and Jannequin. The two are aptly represented by a Matona mia cara and 0 joli jeu respectively, delightfully sung by the Motet and Madrigal Group on Victor 22075 (7th Educational list). Lully (1633-1687) was of Italian birth, yet he virtually established the French ballet that is so intimately bound up with the history of French music, indeed with the very temperament of French composers. There are very few record- ings. The final Caruso records, released by Vic- tor in February, include an air from Amadis: Eric Morina (violinist) plays a gavotte for Poly- dor; the Madami Quartet (mandolines and gui- tars) plays a menuetto for English Columbia, and Lully’s music is used in a French H. M. V. disk devoted to examples of the dances from Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. Couperin (1668-1733) was the first to under- stand and to explore the peculiar demands of key- board technique. Even Domenico Scarlatti found much to learn from him, and his music is as vivid and fresh today—even when played on the piano instead of the harsichord—as two centuries ago. Here is a grateful field for culti- vation by some alert recording pianist. Kathleen Long (N. G. S.) and Lucile Caffaret (Polvdor) play the exuberant Tic-Toc-Choc ou les Mailli- tons; Erica Morini (Polydor) plays Kreisler’s transcription of La Precieuse; there are acous- tical violin versions of Kreisler’s transcription of the Aubade Provencale; the brothers Tzipine play a violin-’cello version of La Volupteuse, and Cassado a ’cello Pastorale, for Polydor. Rameau (1683-1764), too, has been done scant phonographic justice. There is an orchestral disk of the Airs de Ballet de Platee conducted by Witkowski for French Columbia, and the Ameri- can Columbia catalogue still retains an invigorat- ing performance (acoustically recorded) of the Tambourin conducted by Sir Henry Wood. There are divers solo versions .of the Tambourin, of which the best is probably that for harpsichord by Anna Linde (Parlophone) as Landowska’s harpsichord version is disfigured by a few ex- traneous notes from an assisting ensemble. Some of the other recordings are: Rappel des Oiseux for harpsichord by Mme. de Lestang (French H. M. V.), a gavotte varie for piano by Leon Kartun (French Odeon), a gavotte for piano by Marie Novello (H. M. V.), Le Timide by the Trio Trillat (French Columbia), a menuet for violin and ’cel- lo by the brothers Tzipine (Pathe-Art), and the Rigaudon de Dardanus for an ensemble of no less than forty mandolines (Pathe-Art). As I write I have just heard the fine theme and varia- tions in A minor that Kathleen Long has record- ed for the National Gramophonic Society. Daquin (1694-1772) is best known by his Cou- cou, available in harpsichord versions by Mme. de Lestang (with the Rameau Rappel des Ois- eaux mentioned above, and Pasquini’s Coucou for good measure), Anna Linde (Parlophone), and Landowska (“assisted” as in the Tambourin). There are piano versions by Hans Barth (Vic- tor) and Victor Staub (French Odeon), etc. R. Gerlin plays L’Hirondelle on the harpsichord for Pathe-Art, Marcel Dupre plays an organ Noel “with variations” for H. M. V., and one Lan- quetuit an organ Noel in G for Pathe-Art. Rousseau (1712-1778) is associated in most person’s minds with literature and the simple life rather than music, but he composed a great deal (and very unevenly) as well as writing on various controversal musical subjects. The only recorded example I have at hand at the moment is an Air du Devin de Village, sung by Reynaldo Hahn for French Columbia. Undoubtedly there are others. Gossec (1734-1829), of Belgian birth, is known almost entirely by the familiar gavotte, of which there are several recordings by string quartets, and a tambourin, played by Cantrelle (violinist) for Pathe- Art. Gretry (1741-1813 is represented by an aria— La Fauvette— from the opera Zemire et Azor, sunng by Galli-Curci (Victor). The ballet suites arranged for orchestra by Mottl and not infre- quently played in concert would be well suited to recording. Cherubini (1760-1842) was of Italian birth, but so closely bound up with the history of French music that he could not be overlooked here. It is unfortunate that he is often remem- bered today only as the Ogre of Orthodoxy that he is painted in Berlioz’ autobiography. The few available examples of his music show him in different colors. Best is the Anacreon overture conducted by Mendelberg for Columbia. There is a Marcia vocale by the Florentine Choir in the Victor Italian catalogue, and a song, Miniera, in the Columbia foreign catalogue. Good acous- tical recordings were available at one time of Der Wassertrager overture (Polydor), and ex- cerpts from the Requiem (Victor). Mehul (1763-1817) is well represented by the sturdy gavotte for ’cello that W. H. Squire plays for Columbia. I have a strong impression of see- ing a release of La Chasse du Jeune Henri over- ture announced by some foreign company—pos- sibly Parlophone or French Odeon—but I have been unable to trace it definitely. The overture