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

296 The Phonograph Monthly Review June, 1930 Paris by the Victor Symphony (2 Victor 12s), and the Concerto in F by Whiteman’s Orchestra (3 Columbia 12s). There are a few European piano disks of un- common interest that can be imported at ordin- ary prices or very little more. The Edison Bell series by Louis Kentner is one of the best in my library, and the “Broadcast Twelve” series by Cole—including the Grieg and Tchaikowsky con- certos—is also worth looking into. Violin recordings include Tartini’s Devil’s Trill Sonata played by Alexander Sebald on two Brunswick tens, and extensive series from Col- umbia. Most important are the Handel Sonata (2 12s) and Corelli Folies D’Espagne (12) played by George Enesco. Others of special in- terest are Szigeti’s performance of a Bach Bour- ree and Beethoven’s Minuet in G (10) ; Yelly D’- Aranyi’s records of the Dittersdorf-Kreisler Scherzo and Desplanes-Nachez Intrada, the De Falla-Kochanski Jota and Brahms-Joachim Hun- garian Dance, and Kreisler’s arrangements of a Gluck Melodie and Beethoven’s Rondino (all 10s) ; Efrem Zimbalist’s Sarasate Zapateado and Drigo-Auer Serenade (12), and Hubay’s Zephyr and Scott’s Tallahassee (10); Naoum Blinder’s record of the Tartini-Kreisler Variations on a Theme of Corelli and Kreisler’s Caprice Vien- nois (12). The only viola records of note are those by Lionel Tertis for Columbia. I like best the Mo- zart Sonata (12), and the highly incongruous combination of a Bach Adagio and Rubinstein’s Melody in F. (10). Columbia also provides some black label ’cello records of distinction, led by the Beethoven Variations on a Theme of Mozart played by Felix Salmond (2 10s). Salmond has several other good disks, as has Squire, and there is a recent novelty coupling by Horace Britt of Ravel’s Habanera Piece and an odd Granadina by Nin (10). There are some excellent choral recordings in the low price class if one goes a little out of the way to search for them. Among the twelve inch disks I should pick out the choruses from Mous- sorgsky’s Boris Godounow issued by Odeon (2 12s)—the only ones sung in Russian. Also the Polonaise and Coronation Scene by the Chorus and Orchestra of the Paris Opera (Columbia), the only other popular priced version of the Boris choruses, and incidentally, marvellously realistic recording. The registration of the gong is by far the best I have ever heard. The Irmler Madrigal Choir does a good version of the Fly- ing Dutchman Spinning Chorus for Odeon, but the Lohengrin Bridal Chorus on the other side is less effective. A work well off the beaten track is Grieg’s Land Sighting, which I culled from the Victor Swedish lists a few months back. On the smaller disks there are Russian folk- songs and the Introduction to Glinka’s Life for the Czar (Columbia 10s), and folksongs by the Russian Art Choir (Columbia 10s). Victor is- sues a remarkable and surprisingly little known series by the Russian Symphonic Choir, of which the astoundingly virtuoso Hospodee Pomeelooy is perhaps the most outstanding (10). The Song of the Cherubim (10) and Gretchaninow’s Credo (12) are also to be warmly recommended. (The latter is coupled with a vocalization of Rachmani- noff’s notorious Prelude, and like most of the Russian Symphonic Choir’s releases is issued in the Victor Russian Catalogue only.) Other treasures in the Victor foreign lists are the an- cient French nowels mentioned in Mr. Darrell’s article on recorded French music, the Hungarian national hymns sung by a Male Chorus of 100 voices, and choruses from Bach’s Christmas Ora- torio sung by the Philharmonic Choir of Berlin (all 10s) The Victor Educational Catalogue is perhaps the best source of choral discoveries, however, led by Palestrina’s great Mass of Pope Marcelli (4 12s) sung by the Westminster Choir, and several ten inch disks of Ancient Greek, Gre- gorian, and Palestrina works sung by the Pales- trina Choir. (See the Victor special Educational Catalogue.) When one ventures into the realm of operatic music it nearly always involves entering the ce- lebrity price field, but fortunately there are a few glorious exceptions. One of the best was the Vic- tor black label disk of Wotan’s Farewell sung by Alexander Kipnis, but I fear that this has been withdrawn from the current catalogue. Emmy Bettendorf’s magnificent recording of Senta’s Ballade from the Flying Dutchman is one of the prizes (Columbia 12). Also Lotte Lehmann’s per- formance of Agatha’s Aria from Der Freischiitz (Odeon 12). Next come several Columbia twelves, each one to be ranked among the finest operatic recordings available: the Church Scene from Faust by Beajon and Bourdon with the Paris Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Isolde’s Love Death by Elsa Alsen, arias from Faust and Tos- ca sung by Yvonne Gall, and arias from Aida, Tosca, Gioconda, etc., by Eva Turner—some with the orchestral accompaniments conducted by Beecham. Three Columbia ten inch disks should be added: excerpts from Boito’s Mefistofele sung by Tancredi Pasero, the Variations on a Theme of Mozart sung by Mme. Guglielmetti, and ex- cerpts from Andriana Lecouvreur sung by Mme. Scavizzi. The last two works were taken from the special Columbia operatic release (all black label tens) that were reviewed on page 67 of the November, 1929, issue of The Phonograph Monthly Review:. Many of the others in the list are of unusual interest to operatic collectors. Among the song disks I found some of my choicest treasures among the Brunswick gold label lists before they were raised back to celeb- rity prices. The Columbia black label series of lieder by Robert Schumann, Brahms, and Rich- ard Strauss as sung by Elsa Alsen, Alexander Kipnis, and Fraser Gange is a gold mine. I wish to particularly recommend the Kisselburg rec- ords, English folk songs, Griffes’ By a Lonely Forest Pathway, etc. (all 10s) to every discrim- inating lover of fine singing and fine songs. I also like the Negro Spiritual series by Paul Robe-