Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 9 (1930-06)

294 The Phonograph Monthly Review June, 1930 catalogue provides a fine series of less well-known Strauss waltzes conducted by Hans Knapperts- busch: Accelerations, Enjoy Your Life, and Dan- ube Maiden (all 12s). Brunswick has an inter- esting coupling of the Wine Women and Song and Thousand and One Nights Waltzes played by the Brunswick Concert Orchestra (12), and Columbia has some pretty good works by Johann Strauss’ son and his orchestra. I might add here three very fine piano waltz disks played by one of the few pianists who real- ly understand the Viennese tempos—Karol Szre- ter He plays two-part versions of Voices of Spring and the Strauss-Grunfeldt Soiree de Vien- ne for Odeon, and a coupling of Artist’s Life and the Fledermaus Waltzes for Columbia (all 12sL Some of the more novel orchestral listings in the popular price class: Pierre Chagnon’s viva- cious reading of L’Arlesienne Suite on two Col- umbia tens, a deservedly popular concert work usually available only in celebrity lists. The series of original works for orchestra and various ensembles conducted by Percy Grainger for Col- umbia includes an uncommonly interesting ten inch double—Lord Peter’s Stable Boy (a Danish folk song set in characteristic Graingeresque style) and the familiar Shepherd’s Hey. The latter is doubled with Country Gardens in a Vic- tor disk by the Victor Cbncert Orchestra (10), and the same organization does stimulating con- cert paraphrases of Turkey in the Straw and The Irish Washerwoman (arranged by Guion and Sowerby respectively), and three tens de- voted to Skilton’s Indian Dances (Victor Educa- tional Catalogue). Special praise goes to Quilter’s Children’s Ov- erture, a clever concert work based on nursery and folk tunes, conducted by Dr. Malcolm Sar- gent (2 Victor 10s), and two records by the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the Hungarian composer-conductor, Dohnanyi. On the ten inch disk he conducts the last move- ment of his Ruralia Hungarica Suite and a na- tional anthem, and on the twelve he conducts Ber- lioz’s Rakoczy March and two more national an- thems. (These are issued in the Victor Hungar- ian Catalogue.) The Rakoczy March—together with the Dance of the Sylphs—is also out on a black label twelve from Columbia, conducted by Sir Hamilton Harty, and I prefer this as the more brilliant reading of the march. Columbia also offers the only non-celebrity-priced record- ing conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham—whose American appearances are remembered with such keen pleasure by the fortunate concert-goers who were able to hear his programs. This is a coupling of the Overture and Pastoral Symphony from the Messiah (12). The rest of my orchestral list consist of fa- miliar classical and lighter overtures and concert pieces. It could be greatly augmented, but the following strike me as perhaps most noteworthy. First, Mozart’s Don Juan Overture is a high- spirited and really superlatively fine performance conducted by Clemens Smalstich (Victor 10—Ger- man list) ; Berlioz’ Roman Carnival Overture done in competent fashion by Joseph Rosenstock and the Grand Symphony of Berlin (Odeon 12— the only popular priced version) ; Weber’s Jubi- lee and Preciosa Overtures conducted in D'r. Weissmann’s invariably skilled manner (Colum- bia 12s) ; Smetana’s Bartered Bride Overture played with great gusto by the Germania Orches- tra (Victor 10—German list) ; Sibelius’ Finlan- dia in an appropriately somber version conducted by Sir Henry Wood (Columbia 12) ; Bizet’s Pa- trie Overture conducted by Dr. Malcolm Sargent (2 Victor 12s) ; and of course the notable Victor series of overtures conducted by Rosario Bour- don: Semiramide, Fra Diavolo, Martha, Norma, Stradella, etc., and by Nathaniel Shilkret: Fled- ermaus, Zampa, Raymond, etc. All of these works are excellent investments and the ten inch disks are particularly attractive to modest purs- es. Think of getting fully competent versions of Don Juan and the Bartered Bride Overtures for the price of two dance records! Some of the other noteworthy works are: For- za del Destino and Matrimonio Segreto Overtures conducted by Molajoli (Columbia 12s) ; Herbert’s Irish Rhapsody conducted by Shilkret (Victor 12) ; Semiramide Overture conducted by Dr. Weissmann (Odeon 12); Rubinstein’s Kamenoi- Ostrow—or Reve Angelique—by the Brunswick Concert Orchestra (Brunswick 12) ; Gazza Lad- ra Overture conducted by Manfred Gurlitt (Col- umbia 12) ; William Tell Overture conducted by Sir Henry Wood (2 Columbia 10s) ; Von Suppe’s Light Cavalry Overture played by the Grand Odeon Orchestra (Odeon 12) ; two movements from Goldmark’s Rustic Wedding Symphony conducted by Bourdon (Victor 12) ; and a clever little ten inch coupling of Hungarian Lustspiel Overture and Dance of the Hours played by the Brunswick Concert Orchestra. Personally I am not very keen on military or concert bands, but a friend of mine has quite a collection of band records and among them are several that I cannot resist and that I think would have a strong general appeal. They are all transcriptions, and all very clever ones: Gol- iwogg’s Cake Walk and the Dance of the Tumb- lers from Rimsky-Korsakow’s opera, Snow Maid- en, played by the B. B. C. Band (Columbia 12) ; Moussorgsky’s Persian Dances played by the Royal Belgian Guards Band (Victor 12) ; a re- markable four-part fantasy on themes from Wag- ner’s Siegfried played by the Republican Guard Band of Paris (2 Columbia 12s), and the same organization—assisted by a virtuoso clarinetist —heard in Weber’s Clarinet Concertino (Victor 12). All of these superb examples of playing and recording. My friend tells me that my list should go on to include some of the remarkable Creatore and Royal Italian Marine Band series from Vic- tor, and the records of the Grosses Odeon Strei- chorchester from Odeon, but I am afraid that I am unequipped to write about these works. They are widely admired by band record connoisseurs. Chamber Music is the most difficult field in which to unearth good records issued at popular prices. This has the serious disadvantage of en- couraging the belief among many people that