Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 5, No. 6 (1931-03)

i82 The Phonograph Monthly Review NEW 1931 EDITION Encyclopedia Of THE WORLD'S BEST RECORDED MUSIC Have You Your Copy ? 372 Pages of solid information about all im- portant records issued by every record manu- facturer in the world. THOUSANDS ARE BEING MAILED! Not only every state in America, but England, France, China and Japan are receiving them in hundreds. PRICE 25c POSTPAID from your dealer or Gkamophmu' INCORPORATED 18 East 48th Street New York City ly Rehberg, was also an eminent pianist, is responsible for the only recordings so far of the Schumann Fantasia, Schu- bert’s “Wanderer” Fantasie, and Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody, His style is perhaps more brilliant than Kempff’s, particularly in the Liszt. Eduard Erdmann, mentioned in connection with Gieseking, and Claudio Arrau, one of the most bril- liant of the younger European pianists, have also recorded for Polydor. Modern works by Krenek, T'iessen, and himself are the more characteristic part of Erdmann’s recording; and Ar- rau, whose records are issued also in the Spanish Victor list, has chosen some unusual pieces of Paganini-Liszt, Busoni, be- sides Balakireffs Islamey. Even more brilliant and powerful than Arrau is Busoni’s famous pupil, Egon Petri, renowned as a Liszt player, who will visit America soon. Rather im- portant results may be expected from his recent debut for H. M. V., who have a habit of issuing more piano records than any other company. A number of recorded pianists remain if one wishes to add them to the list—Casadesus, Szreter, Singer, etc., A still great- er number of undoubted importance remain unrecorded—ap- proximately a third of the ninety-odd eminent pianists who can be, or could have been, recorded by the new process. For this the nature of the instrument is largely responsible. Al- though accessible to the amateur, it demands for full ap- preciation of its music a somewhat better rounded equip- ment than is required for the monophonic character of most violin and vocal music, without supplying the aid of such rich coloring as is supplied by the orchestra. That the margin of unelectrically recorded pianists exists is, therefore, less surprising than that it should still include such significant names as Hoffmann, Ney Siloti, Friedheirn, Goodson, or Iturbi (who will record shortly, however), and many of the eminent composer-pianists. The End PARIS LETTER By Rene Levy ( Translated ) F ORGIVENESS will be granted to the Columbia Com- pany for a multitude of sins (pardon!): accordeon rec- ords “comic’’ skits, and so-called popular songs by vir- tue of the recording of the Concerto of Manuel de Falla, to which Columbia’s disc transcription has just assured the finest, the most certain popularity. Much has been said in the last few years about music written directly for the phono- graph, without such prattle having brought into being the hoped for realization. But this Concerto, unless I am greatly mistaken, constitutes the very prototype of modem music for the phonograph, without having been, I believe, conceived directly for recording. I see an almost indisputable proof of that: it sounds even better on the discs than in a direct hearing! This is due, I think to the fact that the leading in- strument is the harpsichord, whose thin silvery sonorities, a little shrill in the midst of the plumper tessituras of the wood wind (flute, oboe and clarinet) and the strings (violin and violoncello) are avidly caught by the microphone, which has peculiar sympathies for the instrument dear to Wanda Lan- dowsKa and wmch gives it richer, more prolonged tone qualities, surrounded by a sonorous halo that again puts this delicate ancestor of the pianoforte in the place of honor. On the other hand, the writing of this concerto miraculously concil- iates density—each measure of it is charged like a beautiful fruit full of flesh and juice, with all the melodic and rhythmic savor peculiar to the author of Retabte (Master Pedro's Pup- pet-Show), with the lucid and airy clarity no less character- istic of the genius of the Tricorne (the Three-Cornered Hat). One should not be at all surprised that the resulting two discs flatter the ear while satisfying the spirit. And 1 shall add this: in this concerto Manuel de Falla has taken the time and trouble to make himself brief; but this happy brevity, which has constrained him to reduce his development to the exact extent his themes require, assures this little work of solidity, —witness the architectural grandeur which makes the Par- thenon more imposing than some gigantic skyscraper. As in his best works, he is inspired by the rich Iberian folklore, on whose themes he weaves a polyphony of such happy propor- tions that the ensemble is neither too light nor to heavy, while the lines harmonize to give it at the same time the im- pression of elegance and force. To characterize the execu- tion it is surely enough to say that the composer himself plays the Pieyel harpsichord; that Marcel Moyse plays his enchanted flute, M. Bonneau the oboe, M. Godeau the clar- inet, M. Darrieux the violin, and M. Cruque the violoncello; and’ that the recording re-creates the playing of these vir- tuosos in all its splendor. And since we are speaking of “enchanted flute,” that of Mo- zart is likewise represented in the bouquet which Columbia presents us this month in the form of Pamina’s air, “C’en est fait, le reve cesse,’’ sung by Mme. Germaine Feraldy. Al- though it is very satisfying in itself, I must say that this disc has not given me pleasure equivalent to a direct hear- ing of the beautiful voice of the singer; one must believe that this time that the microphone treated her badly in trans- posing to a higher register the airs which she renders in con- cert with a sentiment so true to the Mozartian art. It is kinder to her, however, in the air of the Countess from Les Noces de Figaro. I shall not seek any transition to speak of the savory waltz selection drawn from Richard Strauss’ Rosenkavalier, mar- vellously played by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra un- der the direction of Bruno Walter. I have heard the latter conduct unforgettable executions of Tristan, of Brahms and Beethoven, but I do not believe that I am doing him an in- justice in presuming that he proves himself nowhere capable of more sprightly inward joy or that he is more perfectly at his ease than when he interprets—with what elan and youth! Viennese music in triple time. Those who question the melo- dic genius of the last of the Strausses will surely be converted by this disc-evocation of a joie de vivre forever lost.