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Compton Mackenzie oh.Christopher Stone

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AUG1932

1,

COVER II THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932

Records for the Lover of Chamber MusicLATEST ISSUE

OTHER RECORDINGSBACHSonata No. 1 in G major, for 'Cello andPiano. Played by John Barbirolliand Ethel Bartlett. 2 records, 133-4Sonata in 115 major for Piano andFlute. Played by Kathleen Longand Ren6 le Roy, three sides, andHONEGGER. " Danse de la Chivre,"Flute solo. 2 records, 135-6Concerto "in F minor for piano andstrings, and " Blessed Jesu, here westand." (Chorale, arranged for pianoby Rummel.) Piano, Ethel Bartlett.

2 records, 151-2

ARNOLD BAXOboe Quintet. Played by Leon Goos-sens (Oboe) and the InternationalString Quartet (Andre Mangeot, BorisPecker, Frank Howard and lierbertWithers). 2 records, 76-7String Quartet in G major. Played bythe Marie Wilson String Quartet(Marie Wilson, Gwendolen Iligham,Anne Wolfe and Phyllis Ilasluck).

3 records, 153-5Sonata for Two Pianos, and HARDANGER.Played by Ethel Bartlett and RaeRobertson. 3 records, 156-8

BOCCHERINIString Quartet in E. Played by thePoltronieri String Quartet of Milan.

2 records, 92-3

BRAHMSTrio for Pianoforte, Violin and Horn inE5, Op. 40. Played by York Bowen,Spencer Dyke and Aubrey Brain.

4 records, 65-8

Pianoforte Quartet in C minor, Op. 60.Played by Olive Bloom (piano),Spencer Dyke (violin), Bernard Shore(viola) and B. Patterson Parker ('cello).

4 records, 88-91

THE CURLEW (W. B. Yeats)PETER WARLOCK

John Armstrong, R. N1urchie, T. MacDonagh, andInternational String Quartet. 3 records, 163-5

Conducted by Constant Lambert.

String Sextet in G major, Op. 36,played by the Spencer Dyke Quartetwith James Lockyer and EdwardRobinson. 4 records, 105-8Trio in C minor, Op. 101. Played bythe Pirani Trio (Leila Pirani, violin ;Charles II ambourg, 'cello ; Max Pirani.piano). 3 records, 147-9

HANDELSonata No. 3 in G major for Flute andPiano. Played by Rene le Roy andKathleen Long. I record, 137

HAY DNString Quartet in 135 major (The Sun-rise), Op. 76, No. 4, played by theInternational String Quartet.

3 records, 109-11Pianoforte Sonata in C minor, threesides, and RAMEAU. Variations in Aminor, one side. Played by KathleenLong. 2 records, 138-9String Quartet in E5, Op. 76, No. 6,five sides, and PURCELL. Four-partFantasia No. 4 in C minor, one side.Played by the Internationai StringQuartet (Andr6 Mangeot, Albert Voor-sanger, Eric Bray and Jack Shine -bourne). 3 records, 140-2

PAUL JUONChamber Symphony, Op. 27. Playedby the New Chamber Orchestra, coa-ducted by Charles Kreshover.

3 records, 144-6

MATTHEW LOCKEString Quartet No. 6. Played by theInternational String Quartet.

record, 143

MOZARTQuartet in D major (K285) for Flute,Violin, Viola and 'Cello, played byRene le Roy, Andre Mangeot, FrankIloward and Herbert Withers.

2 records, 112-3

Quintet in E5 major, for Piano, Oboe,Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon. Playedby Kathleen Long, Leon Goossens,Frederick Thurston, Aubrey Brain andJ. Alexandra. 3 records, 121-3Piano Sonata in D major (K576).Three sides ; and GOTTLIEB MUFPAT.(a) Minuet, (h) Air, from Suite in B5 ;and FRANCOIS COUPERIN " Le Tic-Toc-Cloc " ou " Les Maillotins." One side.Played by Kathleen Long.

2 records, 129-130String Trio in G major, No. 5 (K564).Played by the Budapest Trio (NicholasRoth, violin ; Georges Roth, 'cello ;and Lyell Barbour, piano).

2 records, 15)-60Trio in E fiat major, No. 7 (K498).Played by Rebecca Clarke, viola ;Frederick Thurston, clarinet ; Kath-leen Long, piano. 2 records, 161-2

SCHUBERTString Quartet in BI), Op. 168. Playedby the International string Quartet(Boris Pecker, Andre Mangeot, FrankHoward and Herbert Withers).

3 records, 124-6

VIVALDISonate en Concert, No. 5 in E minorfor Violoncello and Strings (arrangedVincent d'Indy). Played by GeorgesPitsch and String Quartet, three sides,and Three Pieces (arranged EthelBartlett) : (a) " Golden Slumbers,"(b) " An Ancient Lullaby," (c) " MyLove's an Arbutus." Played by JohnBarbirolli ('cello) and Ethel Bartlett(piano), one side. 2 records, 131-2

WOLFItalian Serenade. Played by theInternational Quartet (Mangeot, Voor-sanger, Bray and Shinebourne).

1 record, 150

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AFGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE [ADVERTISEMENTS I

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MODEL 602- 32 GNS.A hich'y efficient rachnieramoph Inc e-ros3dlinr he latest 3,a vecinuit with ; screen -g- / valves. 3ancegme tin ng for great s.4-e-tiV Sort- tuning control. ilinninnt-ell arid narked in wavelergahs. Mum. aerial eluipmene. Cal cbci. eJ weaker. Ela,riemotor.

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TABLE OF CONTENTSAUGUST 1932-No. 111

In the case of MSS.or letters requiringan answer, stampedenvelope must be

enclosed.

89 EDITORIAL . Compton Mackenzie92 POTPOURRI . . Richard Holt

93 G.B.S. AND MUSIC IN THE 'NINETIES Herman Klein

95 ADDITIONS TO THE H.M.V. CONNOISSEUR CATALOGUE

98 THE MUNICH FESTIVAL AND THE GRAMOPHONE . . P. B. Medawar

99 CHAMBER MUSIC AND THE GRAMOPHONE (continued) Cyril M. Crabtree

101 THE ORGAN, ITS MUSIC AND THE GRAMOPHONE A. C. D. de Brisay

102 ANALYTICAL NOTES AND FIRST REVIEWS

111 DANCE AND POPULAR RHYTHM . Edgar Jackson

115 TURN TABLE TALK . Christopher Stone

116 AMERICANA . . R. D. Darrell

117 TECHNICAL REPORTS

118 TRADE WINDS AND IDLE ZEPHYRS

120 TECHNICAL TALK . P. Wilson

121 COLLECTORS' CORNER P. G. Hurst123 CORRESPONDENCE

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DVERTISEMENTS IV] THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932

Supplement No. 104

IHUIIHIPA R LO P H

Dr.Wolaamann.

Olgaraley

DaJosShia.

INSTRUMENTALCONCERTGEBOUW TRIO OF AMSTERDAM

Trio in D Minor (Op. 49) (Mendelssohn)Andante and Scherzo E 11206

ORCHESTRAL

GRAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA(Conducted by Dr. Weissmann)

The Poor Jonathan (Potpourri). Two Parts(C. Milliicker-arr. Dr. W. Romer) R 1255

BERLIN STATE OPERA HOUSE ORCHESTRA(Conducted by Dr. Weissmann)

Bluebeard (Offenbach)Selection. Two Parts R 1229Slavonic Dances Nos. 3 and 8 (Dvorak)Op. 46 E 11204

(Conducted by Otto Klemperer)Fra Diavolo (Auber)Overture. Two Parts E 11201

(Conducted by Dr. Weissmann)The Beggar Student (MilNicker)Potpourri. Two Parts R 1187

MILAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA(Conducted by A. Albergoni)

Nabucco (Verdi)Overture. Two Parts E 11205

BERLIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA(Conducted by Dr. Weissmann)

Blossoms from Mozart's Garden. Two PartsR 1163

Series E 12 -inch 4s. Series R 2s. 6d.

NEVOCAL ,

CONCHITA SUPERVIA (Mezzo -Soprano)(With Orchestra. Sung in French)

Mignon-" Connais-tu le pays ? " (Thomas)Samson and Delilah-" Printemps qui commence "

R 20192A Lesson with the Fan (Sung in English)Should he Upbraid RO 20186

HELENE CALS (Soprano)(With Organ. Sung in English)

Only a Rose (" The Vagabond King")The Song of Songs R 1256

RICHARD TAUBER (Tenor)(With Orchestra. Sung in German)

Ich liebe dich (I love thee) (Grieg)Last Spring (Letzter Friihling) (Grieg) RO 20191

Tosca (" E lucevan le stelle ") (Puccini)(" Recondita Armonia ") RO 20189

Tales from the Vienna Woods (" Song of Love ")Castles in the Moon (" Frau Luna ") RO 20190

HERBERT ERNST GROH (Tenor)(With Chorus and Orchestra. Sung in German)

Come in the Gondola (" A Night in Venice ")(Joh. Strauss)

The Gyspy Baron (" Wer uns getraut ? ") (Whotied the knot ?) (Joh. Strauss) R 1257

(With Emmy Bettendorf, Soprano)

Series RO 10 -inch 4s. Ceries R Odeon As.

SPECIAL 10 -inch DARK BLUE LABEL RECORDS, 2/6 each

S. TRANSLATEUR(Conducting his Viennese Orchestra)

Viennese Birds of Passage (Waltz)A Dream after the Ball (Waltz) R 1254

(Both Composed by S. Translateur)

THE HAVANA MARIMBA BANDSomebody Loves You (Tobias -de Rose)Five Minutes to Twelve R 1238

JACK BUND'S BRAVOUR BANDMy Baby (Fox -Trot) (McGilbert)Eccentric (Fox-trot) (Caphat) R 1246

WELTE ORGAN SOLOS(Gerrard Gregor)

Lohengrin (Wagner)-Prelude-WeddingMarch R 1248

GINO BORDIN AND HIS HAWAIIANSCiribiribin (Pestalozzi) (With Vocal Refrain)Valse Bleue (Alfred Margis) R 1247

ORQUESTA FRANCISCO CANARO(Specially Recorded in Buenos Aires)

Rancho Embrujao (Tango)Pensalo Bien (Tango)

(R. Courau)R 1253

AUGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE [ADVERTISEMENTS" V

RECORDS.10 -inch DARK BLUE LABEL, 2/6ELSIE and DORIS WATERS

(With Orchestra)The Cuckoo in the NestThe Seaside Band

THE CARSON SISTERS(With Instrumental Accompaniment)

Lullaby of the LeavesMean MusicPut that Sun back in the SkyIf it ain't Love

LESLIE HUTCHINSON(At the Piano)

When Work is ThroughDisappointed in LoveAfter All is Said and DoneWhat makes You so Adorable ?Falling in Love again (" The Blue Angel")Without a Song

It 120

Supplement No. 104

New Records by the" Trumpet K

LOUIS ARMSTRONG(Issued in connection with his Personal Appearance

at the London Palladium)Second New " Rhythm -Style" Series

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS ORCHESTRA(With Vocal Refrain)

No. 15 Keeping out of Mischief (Fox -Trot)No. 16 Love, You Funny Thing (Fox -Trot) R 1260

R 1251 No. 17 I can't Believe that You're in Love withMe (Fox -Trot )

R 1242 No. 18 I ain't got Nobody (Fox -Trot) R 1261

R 1250

R 1228

R 760

NORTH AND COMPANY(In a Masterpiece of British Humour)

North Sees the Family off (Descriptive Sketch)Two Parts R 1249

EDDIE CLIFTON (Comedian)(With Chorus and Orchestra)

Sing, Brothers ! (" Tell Her the Truth ")Hoch, Caroline ! (" Tell Her the Truth ") R

TOMMY MORGAN (Comedian)(With Piano Accompaniment)

The Four Masted CruiserOh ! Clarity, Clarity

TOMMY MORGAN and TOMMY YORKESir Walter Raleigh (Dialogue). Two Parts

E 3964

THE SCOTT -WOOD ACCORDEON QUARTET(With Vocal Refrain)

Tell Her the Truth (Selection)Out of the Bottle (Selection)Paradise (N. H. Brown-Gordon Clifford)Lovable (Gus Kahn-Harry Woods)

R 1259

R 1258

ANNY AHLERS in " The Dubarry "(With Chorus and Orchestra conducted by

Ernest Irving)I Give My HeartThe DubarryHappy little Jeanne and To -dayWaltz Song " Beauty "

All 10 -inch Double -sided Records, 2/6 each

R 1205

JOE VENUTI'S BLUE FOURNo. 13 Little Buttercup (Fox -Trot)

JACK PURVIS AND HIS ORCHESTRANo. 14 Be Bo Bo (Fox -Trot) R 1252

THE STOKERS OF HADESNo. 11 My Pretty Girl (Fox -Trot)

DORSEY BROTHERS AND THEIR ORCHESTRANo. 12 Why did it have to be Me ? (F. -T.) R 1239

DAJOS DANCE ORCHESTRAWhat could be sweeter than your Love ? (Waltz)Give Me a Tune (J'ai deux amours, F. -T.) R 1262I could be Happy with You (Tango)Nothing but a Lie Russian Tango) R 1245

OTTO FRITZ AND HIS SYNCOPATORS1244 Falling in Love again ("The Blue Angel") (Waltz)Blonde Women (Fox -Trot) R 723

THE MELODY GENTS (Novelty Quartet)(With Orchestra. Sung in German)

When Yuba plays the Rumba on the TubaE 3963 Rosa (My Bella Rosa) (" Gloria ")

THE HAVANA MARIMBA BANDSomebody Loves YouFive Minutes to Twelve

123:3

R 1238

DAJOS BELA DANCE ORCHESTRAI Lost My Heart in Heidelberg (March)Lieutenant, Are You of the Hussars ? R 1231In Spring I want a little Girl Friend (Fox -Trot)Erica (" I am so keen on Erica ") (Fox -Trot) R 1171

BARNABAS VON GECZY'S ORCHESTRAA Tender Glance, a Whispered Word (Tango)

(" Casanova ")Fair Lady, Can You be True ? (Tango, R 350

PAVILION LESCAUT ORCHESTRAJealousy (Tango Blues)Enchantment (Tango Blues) R 3529

R 1206 ORQUESTA TIPICA FRANCISCO CANAROLa Cumparsita (Tango)Esta Noche Me Emborracho (Tango) R 1221

Richardauber

Errl,rlfBettendor:

PatriciaRossborough

ASK YOUR DEALER FOR CATALOGUE C SUPPLEMENTS*CIS.

ADVERTISEMENTS VI] THE GRAM() l' 11 0 E AUGUST 1932

Use Caviare of Recorded MusicSonata in A Major for Violin and Piano,Op. 13 (FaurE). Jacques Thibaud andAlfred Cortot DB1080-2 6/- each" If I were to be offered the choice of any one violinand piano piece on this year's Connoisseur's Catalogue,this is the one I should choose The principalcharacteristics of the work are transparency andfreshness, and it is brimful of melody. If you are inany doubt get the DBio82 first. This contains theScherzo (Allegro Vivo) and the Finale. If, afterhearing it, you don't immediately order the rest of theSonata, I shall be greatly surprised . . . . The Sonatamight have been written for the gramophone andrecords superbly."

P.L. "The Gramophone," July, 1932

Sierra Morena La Romanesca. YehudiMenuhin DB12b7 6/-" La Romanesca has a lovely breadth and characterabout it-though I am at a loss to know what tne un-accompanied prelude and the epilogue have in commonwith it. As an excellent contrast to it comes SierraMorena, a gay, even, at times, giddy affair of littlesignificance but a great deal of charm and servingadmirably to show up the violinist's art. (As far asplaying goes, in fact, there is a double -stoppingpassage in the interlude which could alone justify theinclusion of the record in your library). These twopieces would seem to prove that Menuhin is not onlyat home among his Hebrew melodies."

"The Gramophone," July, top.

Sonata in B flat minor Op. 35 (Chopin).Sergei Rachmaninoff DA1186-9 4/- each" The -laying itself is in Rachmaninoff's most masterlymanner ; the Sonata is evidently a romantic excursionexactly after his own heart. The Finale-that cascadeof apparently unintelligible notes which only the finalchord at last resolves into intelligibility-is played witha whirlwind keenness All in all, this is an idealrecording of the Sonata."

"The Gramophone," June. rola

Concerto Grosso in G Minor (Vivaldi).Mischa Elman, with London SymphonyOrchestra, conducted by Lawrance Coiling -wood DB1595-6 6/- eachAn exquisite performance by Mischa Elman of theConcerto Grosso in G Minor by one of the old Italianmasters-Vivaldi. Not a long work, it occupies onlyfour twelve -inch sides, but its musical content is ofthe loftiest beauty. Elman's playing of this music isa revelation of style, perfection of technique, andbeauty of tone.

Quartet in E Minor (Smetana). FlonzaleyS ,ng Quartet DB1359- 1 6/- eachThere are still many people who mistrust chambermusic and think that string q iartets are beyond them.There could be no better " first steps " in chambermusic than Smetana's Quartet in E Minor, of whichthe Flor.z'ley String Q.tartet, now unfortunatelydisbanded, have made ,nree lovely records. Thesecond and last movements are absolutely instan-taneous and irresistible in their appeal.

" Don Giovanni " Catalogue Song Alex-ander Kipnis E599 4/-Kipnis's is undoubtedly the best performance of thisfavourite aria on record, and he makes more enter-taining than ever Leporello's account of the adven-tures of his master, the bold, bad Don. Kipnis hasthe sense of comedy that is so necessary to sing thismusic convincingly, and, incredulous as we may be,we cannot but laugh when he to Is us that his masterhas had six hun.lred and fo ty affairs in Italy, onehundred and twenty one in Germany, a mere fifty inFrance, ninety one in Turkey, but in Spain-onethousand and nine.

Further Selections from

THE NEWCONNOISSEUR'S

CATALOGUE

Thibaud

I

Menuhin

Rachmaninoff

Kipnii

111111111110

Stock

Cortot

Rethberg

Symphony No. 40 in G Minor (Mozart).Chicago Symphony Orchestra, condo -ted byFrederick Stock DB1573 6/- eachFor years musicians have been waiting for a recordingof Mozart's great G Minor Symphony. At last it hascome from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, con-ducted by Frederick Stock. The orchestral detail isadmirably clear throughout and the interpretationis right.

Sonatine for Piano (Ravel) - Jeux d'Eau(Ravel). Alfred Cortot DB1533-4 6/ -each"A brilliant performance. On the fourth side of thishappy work comes the familiar Jeux d'Eau, the spray-ing, springing figures of which are marvellously playedclear and bright and ecstatic. Indeed, I put thisparticular piece at the top of Cortot's list of recordings;it is a triumphant forecast of the possibilities of pianodiscs." "The Gramophone," June, 1932

Waltz from " Intermezzo" (Strauss). ViennaPhilharmonic Orchestra, conducted byRobert Heger C2343 4/ -Of the later Strauss - the Strauss since " DerRosenkavalier "-we in England hear all too little.In fact there is practically nothing that he has writtenduring the past sixteen years that has been played overhere. His Opera " Intermezzo " is like "DerRosenkavalier," generously served in those lusciouswaltz tunes that Strauss writes so well, and the charmof these melodies is intensified by his gorgeous orch-estration. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra hasmade a splendid record of this attractive but un-familiar music.Benvenuto Cellini, Overture-Les TroyensCarthage, Overture. Symphony Orchestra,conducted by M. Pierre Monteaux

D2060-1 6/- eachFor over a hundred years the world of music haswarred over the merits and demerits of Berlioz as acomposer. Now, at last, it seems that he is cominginto his own and that his genius is being universallyrecognised. No man who listens to these records ofthe Overture to Benvenuto Cellini and Les Troyens aCarthage can deny the greatness of their creator.

Canzone del salce (Willow Song)" Otello "-Ave Maria, piena di grazia (Hail, Mary, fullof grace)" Otello." Elisabeth RethF erg

DB1517 6/ -Elisabeth Rethberg is probably the best Desdemonain the world to -day, and this record is certainly one ofthe most perfect pieces of singing and interpretationof Italian opera that has ever been recorded. Theperfectly controlled pianissimo with which she singsthe Ave Maria serves but to intensify the dramaticsignificance of the passionate outburst, " Ah ! Emiliaaidio," which is the most electrifying thing in thewhole of Verdi's wonderful score.

" Siegfried " (Wagner). Selected passagesfrom Acts I and II.

Siegfried Lau rit z MelchiorMime Heint ich TessmerAlberich Eduard HabichWanderer Friedrich Schorr

and London Symphony OrchestraDB1578-83 6/- each

Scho,r This magnificent set of records of selected passagesfront" Siegfried " will rank as one of the gramophones

voice and orchestra been achieved on records. Here

greatest achievements. The cast is that which isacknowledged through the world as the finest possible-the truly heroic Siegfried of Melchior, the diabolicaland crafty Mime of Tessmer, the venomous Alberichof Eduard Habich and the noble and godly Wandererof Schorr. Never before has such balance between

for the first time we have the orchestral part repro-duced with the clarity with which it is heard in theopera house.

The Gramophone Co. Ltd., London,

"HIS MIA1111111/11 VOICE"

London Office

10A Soho Square

London W.1

THE GRA OPHO EIncorporating VOX, THE RADIO CRITIC and BROADCAST REVIEW

Edited by

COMPTON MACKENZIE and CHRISTOPHER STONETelephone

Gerrard 6098, 6099Telegrams

Parmaxto, Rath, London

Vol. X. AUGUST 1932 No. 11.1

EDITORIAL91 HE competition for casting The Ring was a greatI success, but the task of finding out the winner in-_

volved some tough counting. My co-editor announcedlast month that I would deal with the ideal cast in thiseditorial. Unfortunately, the ideal cast as finallyreached by the votes of competitors has not been sentme, and I am in the Outer Hebrides far from com-munication ; so I shall print instead the cast chosen bythe winner, Mr. Needham, of Hull, who achieved 22 outof a possible 27. Mr. G. H. Deeming, 1, Hill Crest,Potters Bar, Middlesex, was second with 21 right, andMr. Alan V. Wilks, 36, Monkmoor Road, Shrewsbury,was third with 20.

DAS RHEINGOLDFriedrich SchorrVictor MadinAlbert ReissFritz WolffOtto HelgersIvar AndresenEduard HabichHeinrich TessmerMaria OlszewskaGota LjungbergSigrid OneginTilly de GarmoAnny HelmElfriede Marherr

DIE WALKURERudolf Laubenthal

. Otto HelgersFriedrich SchorrLotte Lehmann

.. Frieda LeiderMaria Olszewska

WOTANDONNERFROHLOGEFASOLTFAFNERALBERICHMIMEFRICKAFREIAERDAWOGLINDEWELLGUNDEFLOSSHILDE

SIEGMUNDHUNDINGWOTAN ..SIEGLINDEBRUNNHILDEFRICKA

SIEGFRIEDMIMEWOTAN ..ALBERICH ..FAFNERERDAFOREST BIRDBRUNNHILDE

SIEGFRIEDGUNTHER ..ALBERICH ..HAGEN ..BRUNNHILDEGUTRUNE

SIEGFRIED. Lauritz Melchior

Heinrich Tessmer.. Friedrich Schorr

Eduard Habich. Ivar Andresen

. Sigrid OneginNora Gruhn

.. Frieda LeiderGOTTERDAMMEREJNG

Lauritz MelchiorHerbert Janssen

. Eduard HabichIvar AndresenFrieda LeiderGota Ljungberg

WALTRAUTEFIRST NORMSECOND NORMTHIRD NORMWOGLINDEWELLGUNDEFLOSSHILDE

.. Maria Olszewska

.. Noel Eadie

.. Evelyn Arden

.. Gladys Palmer

.. Tilly de GarmoAnny HelmElfriede Marherr

Competitors from Hong -Kong in the East to Californiain the West, from Sweden in the North to New Zealandin the South, entered for this competition, and it isremarkable that this time the first three places shouldbe gained by England. Perhaps this notable triumphwill be some consolation for not doing quite so well atlawn tennis. The voting was, of course, very close, andthe casting more judicious than in the previouscompetiticitis of this kind. The explanation, presumably,is that the Wagner enthusiasts took the trouble tomaster their subject more thoroughly. Perhaps indoing so they feel that their subject is better worthmastering. What is the fascination of Wagner's music ?There is no sign that I can see of any falling off ingeneral appreciation. He has long outlived a fashion-able admiration, and his devotees need never besuspected of being devoted because they think it isthe right thing to be devoted to his music. Yet, thetaste in literature and painting which used to go withthe taste for Wagner's music is at the moment almostextinct. Romanticism has not been at such a low ebbduring the last 200 years. What, then, in contemporaryhuman nature responds to the fairy tale of The Ring ?Neither the story itself nor the literary treatment of itdisplays the eternal verities. The psychology is asclumsy as the dragon, and creaks like the machinery.Who would read a page of such stuff if there were nomusic to illustrate and express it ? Wagner himselfcould not have believed that the events of The Ringever really happened. Yet the music to which he setthem is never insincere. To me the music of Parsifalsounds completely insincere, but it must be admittedthat many thousands have found in that music aprofound expression of religious aspiration, and hewould be a presumptuous critic who would assertpositively and confidently that it is insincere. Someof the younger generation and many of the oldergeneration are revolted by what they feel is Wagner'stheatricality. His music will always have that effecton a minority, but there is no apparent increase of

90 THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932

such hostility. Indeed, there has never been anystrong reaction against Wagner's music. It might beargued that it is the beauty and passion and splendourof the music itself irrespective of any story which stillexert the seemingly invincible influence over the humanmind ; but the more fervid devotees of The Ring arenot in the least prepared to throw the story over andstand by the music alone. They even discuss the storyseriously, as once upon a time people discussed a storyby Victor Hugo.

I remember once reading a remark by ErnestNewman about the elemental quality in Siegfried'sFuneral March. Yet on the one occasion in my lifetimethat demanded a funeral march of such elementalquality it was not used. There are four funeralmarches familiar to most people : Siegfried's FuneralMarch, the Funeral March in Beethoven's EroicaSymphony, Chopin's Funeral March, and the DeadMarch in Handel's Saul. I suppose that to -day thebest known of these, and the one for the majoritymost poignantly evocative of regret for death, isChopin's Funeral March. Now this was written, asreaders will remember, as a movement of a piano sonata,and played as such does not seem to rise much above thelevel of pretty sentimentality. The fashion now amongpianists is to play it as severely as possible, but theonly effect of such an unemotional performance is tomake it sound a little dull, and it sounds a little dull onevery one of the recordings we have of it. It mightsound thin if scored for an orchestra, but it stands upto brass. What I remember most vividly of that stillgrey February morning thirty-two years ago whenQueen Victoria's funeral procession passed through theLondon streets is the sound of the bands playingChopin's Funeral March down Park Lane. I wasstanding in Hyde Park, where the trees themselvesseemed frozen in an immobility of grief. Close to whereI stood in the sombre crowd, a man climbed up one ofthe great plane trees to obtain a full view of the solemnpomp. On arriving at the top of the tree he foundhimself astride a branch with his back to the procession,and so much awed was he by the music and the majestybelow, that he did not dare even to turn his headwhile the procession passed, but sat there hugging thetrunk lest one irreverent twig should crack, and gazedrigidly in the direction of the Albert Memorial.Chopin's Funeral March was succeeded by the DeadMarch in Saul, and though that was a more appropriatemarch for the tremendous obsequies of an epoch, it didnot, at any rate for myself, then aged just seventeen,express anything like the universal grief Chopin'sFuneral March seemed to express. The Dead March inSaul was such a familiar accompaniment to death, thatit seemed to reduce that great funeral to the level ofan ordinary funeral. I cannot recall the playing ofBeethoven's Funeral March on this occasion, butI believe it was played from time to time. Siegfried'sFuneral March was not played, and inappropriate,almost ludicrously inappropriate, as the contrast

between Queen Victoria and that mythical Teutonichero appears, surely Siegfried's Funeral March was theonly music which would have worthily expressed theemotion of that awed multitude of mourners.

I wish one of the recording companies would giveus a record of these four funeral marches played by amilitary band, so that we could compare them directlyone with another. There is no record at all, as far asI know, of the Dead March in Saul. There used to beone played by the Band of the Coldstream Guards, anda very good record it was some twenty years ago.

Lalo's Symphonie EspagnoleSince I mentioned the desirability of a complete

recording of Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole, I havebeen kindly sent from the headquarters of His Master'sVoice in Paris their recently issued version of it played bythe Paris Conservatoire Orchestre under Piero Coppolawith M. Merckel as the soloist on four twelve -inch discs.We had in pre -electric days two of the movements playedby Madame Chemet with a piano accompaniment, andone played by Heifetz with an inadequate orchestra,but both were excerpts only. The whole work is a mostmelodious affair, a set of Spanish dances really, playedby violin and orchestra. Although the charm of them isimmediately apparent at a first hearing, I have neverfound that one wearies of the melodies after repetition.The latest version is' an admirable piece of recording,and the performance of M. Merckel is most exhilarating.I do not know whether this version will ultimately bepublished in this country, but meanwhile the recordsare obtainable from Rimington, Van Wyck at 6s. 3d.each, and most delightful they are. I notice in theRimington, Van Wyck list that a complete performanceof Verdi's Othello by the Artists, Chorus and Orchestraof La Scala Theatre, Milan, under Sabajno is now avail-able on sixteen discs. I suppose it is too much to hopethat these will soon be published in this country, butperhaps it will figure in another Connoisseur's Catalogue.

Beethoven's Choral SymphonyThe Decca-Polydor version of Beethoven's Ninth

Symphony is played by the Berlin State Opera Orchestraand conducted by Oscar Fried on seven twelve -inchdiscs at 5s. apiece, which makes it the cheapest versionof this mighty work we possess for the gramophone.The debateable point of the Ninth Symphony iswhether Beethoven spoilt it with the Choral finale ornot. My own feeling is that he did, and that in doing sohe was the victim of the democratic enthusiasm firstroused by the French Revolution. I said last monththat the Agnus Dei of the Mass in D should be playedbefore any meeting of the League of Nations, but insaying so I was under no delusion that the delegates ofthe League of Nations would respond with suitablehumility. The delegates of the League of Nationswould respond emotionally with a much more alertreadiness to the finale of the Ninth Symphony, whichdisplays a confidence in the natural brotherhood of man

AUGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE 91

entirely unjustified by the facts. The Agnus Dei is aprayer. The finale of the Ninth Symphony is like achorus of triumphant Ramsay Macdonalds, W. W.Wilsons, David Lloyd Georges, President Hoovers(et hoc genus omne) all indulging in musical congratula-tions on the success of the latest Conference.

The Ninth Symphony opens in a mood of mysticperception. In passing I might say that the onlyconductor I have heard who seemed to grasp the fullsignificance of this mood was Koussevitsky. Some ofthe humility of the Mass in D persists in this firstmovement. Man is in the presence of God, and hedoes not feel perfectly sure of himself. Throughoutthat first movement Beethoven seems to be preparingus for some tremendous revelation, and to my mindthere is nothing more tragic in art than the failure ofthe Ninth Symphony after the triumph of the Mass in D.I have for some years realized that it was a failure,but it was not until I had the opportunity of becomingreally familiar with the Mass in D that I began toapprehend how complete the failure was. By makingthe second movement a scherzo Beethoven seems to cuthimself free abruptly from any will to surrender furtherto the mood of humility. It is as if he had lost faithin a Divine revelation, and had set out to arrange hisown revelation. Hence the jangle and discordantclamour which he, Beethoven, not God, is going to lull.Beethoven appears throughout the Ninth Symphonyas a kind of Prospero, and indeed it would not bedifficult to find a parallel between Shakespeare's lastplay, The Tempest, and Beethoven's last symphony.After the scherzo comes the adagio, as lovely as any ofBeethoven's lovely adagios, and yet somehow unsatisfy-ing. The usual criticism of Beethoven's slow movementsis that he overdoes them. The linked sweetness is toolong drawn out. My own feeling is that this adagioat any rate should be impugned less for its length ordirect appeal to emotion that for its insincerity. Itwas really too easy for Beethoven to write these lovelyadagios, and the sound of them at last in our ears failsto move. I was particularly struck by that whenlistening to the new records of the Emperor Concerto,which were published last month by H.M.V. Thegenius of Schnabel puts the three movements intorelation with one another marvellously, and as inter-preted by him the rondo actually becomes a profounderpiece of music than the second movement. Theperformance of the first movement is surely one of thefinest things that we ever had for the gramophone.I look forward with great eagerness to the FourthConcerto, of which we do not possess a satisfactoryversion.

To return to the Choral Symphony. Beethoven wasevidently much puzzled to know how to lead up to hisinnovation of a choral finale, for it must be rememberedthat his original scheme for the Ninth Symphony hadnot included such an ending. So he conceived the ideaof a kind of competition for the- right tune, and in turnthe three preceding movements present themselves as

candidates. He dismisses the first abruptly, almostcasually, and yet ironically enough he was never sonear to the threshold of transporting his hearers intoeternity as in that first movement of the NinthSymphony. After rejecting the melody of the firstmovement, he rejects the scherzo, but in rejecting thescherzo he goes further and reproves it. We detectmegalomania here, that curse of genius. " Stop thiswrangling and jangling," say the strings. " I,Beethoven, have a panacea for all the ills of humanity."He rejects the third movement tenderly and almostreverently, as if awed by the beauty of his own creation." Beautiful though you are," he seems to say, " I mustreject you, because I possess something even morebeautiful, and not only more beautiful, but morecapable of being appreciated by everybody, high andlow."

With this begins the march leading up to the singingof Schiller's Ode to Joy. Musicians usually haveexecrable taste in literature, and the banality ofSchiller's words inevitably suggests that the musicBeethoven gave to them is equally banal. The fatalfacility of humanitarian ejaculation reflects itself inthis music. " All men are brothers ! " " Liberte,ggalite, Fraternite ! " " A land fit for heroes to live in ! "" Make the world safe for democracy ! " Slogans likethese require a good easy tune to march to. IfBeethoven had lived to see some of the results of thatfacile humanitarianism he might have cancelled theend of the Choral Symphony as he cancelled thr,,dedication of the Third Symphony to Napoleon. Yet,this anticlimax is paradoxically the peak of Beethoven'ssupreme genius. The finale of the Ninth Symphonymay offer too facile a solution of life's problems, butthe simplicity of the man himself in accepting such asolution destroys the memory of the egoism and thefits of megalomania to which he was subject. Theinspiration of it seems almost as naïve as the inspirationof some of those rondos in his earliest work. But thegreatest tribute to the grandeur of the Ninth Symphonyis the comparative unimportance of Brahms's FirstSymphony, which infatuated admirers actually daredto salute as the Tenth Symphony. The above remarksare to be read as an expression of my first reactions tothe opportunity provided by these Decca-Polydorrecords of studying the Mass in D and the NinthSymphony together, and I only set them down in printas a tentative and probably a temporary opinion. Therealization of what a supreme work of art the MissaSolemnis is has shaken my previous beliefs about theNinth Symphony, and it is in the hope of persuadingother readers of THE GRAMOPHONE to study that greatwork themselves that I have committed myself to somuch tentative criticism.

The Society MovementMr. Norman Cameron in his letter last month

undoubtedly expressed the feelings of many gramo-phone enthusiasts when he pointed out that the spread

92 THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932

of the society movement might seriously affect thosewho are not able for financial reasons to buy allBeethoven's sonatas or all Haydn's quartets or allSibelius's symphonies, and his suggestion that membersof the general public should be allowed to purchasesingle records or sets of discs issued by the societies ata slightly higher price than that charged to membersdeserves the attention of those in charge of launchingthese societies. Nevertheless, Mr. Cameron and hisfriends must remember that the great obstacle to thepublication of a representative collection of a composer'swork has always been the susceptibility of the generalpublic to favourites. It has been idle to remonstratewith the recording companies for issuing version afterversion of the Moonlight Sonata while the later andgreater sonatas of Beethoven remained unrecordedwhen a reference to the sales books always showed apublic response to the nth version of the MoonlightSonata and an indifference to the first rendering ofsome sonata less.well known. The trouble always withthe public is that some work of art asserts itself aboveothers, not necessarily by its merits or even by itsgeneral appeal, but by some mysterious quality whichwe can only call publicity. When Mr. NormanCameron asks to pick and choose we can sympathizewith him, but he and his friends will agree that anextension of that principle has been the cause ofkeeping hundreds of musical works that deserved to berecorded from ever being recorded. The success ofthe two Sibelius Symphonies published by Columbiawith the help of the Finnish Government has created ademand for a Sibelius Society. But a sufficientpopularity for the work of Sibelius is by no meansguaranteed. It may be that one of his other symphonieswill equal the popularity of the First and Second.Should that be the case the recording company respon-sible for the first issue of that symphony to the membersof a society will no doubt consider the advisability ofmaking such a symphony more generally available. Atpresent, however, the only chance to continue the workof publishing good music is to give the public anopportunity of guaranteeing a minimum sale for suchmusic. THE GRAMOPHONE is perfectly willing to keepa register of particular requests for recordings, andI have no doubt that if any particular work obtained500 votes we could persuade a recording company topublish such a work to members of what might becalled the Special Request Society. It might be possibleeven to make such a Special Request Society dependenton these other societies which are coming into existence,so that special terms could be accorded to them forselected works published by particular societies.

Frankly, I am a little sceptical about the support sucha society would receive. The brutal fact remains,whatever way we look at it, that the real enemy of thepublication of good music is not lack of taste to appre-ciate it, but lack of means to acquire it.

COMPTON MACKENZIE.

POT-POURRI

Sinfonia domesticsMention has been made of his remarkable restaurant habits :

at his own dining -table they were no better. He used to tryevery egg even before it was cooked, and if one smelt bad, theback of the offending housekeeper would be made a target forit or it would be heaved through the open window into thestreet to the peril of the passer-by . . . a disturbance in thestreet was often the result. (Trans. from Bildnis Beethoven'sby Richard Specht.)

Two Views of JazzJazz may therefore be defined as the distortion of the normal

or conventional in music. . . . Liszt was a jazz composer parexcellence, and a good showman to boot. Along conventionallines he would hardly have been noticed. Monteverde,putting a deliberate dissonance into Ariadne's lament toexpress its tragedy, becomes perhaps the first of all jazzcomposers. Beethoven definitely jazzes the choral melody inthe Finale of the IXth Symphony, when he orchestrates it fora combination of brass, bassoons, cymbals and triangle, andat the same time breaks up the tune into a sprightly skippingrhythm. (Sigmund Spaeth in the North American Review.)

Beneath its superficial irregularity, snap and go, the best ofjazz stands inert. Rhythm is precluded, not permitted todevelop itself in its hard-boiled sphere. In place of trulyrhythmic, periodical, unpredictable displacement of volumesand accents, intrinsic phrases and freely flowing periodscapable of organic extension and development, the typicaljazz composition offers mere beat, mechanic iteration, duplica-tion, conformation to pre -established pattern. (An Hour withAmerican Music by Paul Rosenfeld.)

All the World's a Stage (for Opera Singers)" I recall another bit of Niemann's characteristic criticism :

Adolf Robinson was an excellent singer and actor, but hebelonged to the old operatic school and was prone to extrava-gant action and exaggerated pathos. He was moreover fondof the footlights. At one of the last rehearsals for Tristan,Robinson, the Kurvenal of the occasion, was perpetuallyrunning from the dying hero's couch to the front of the stageto sing his pathetic phrases with tremendous feeling into thefaces of the audience. Niemann, reclining on the couch,immovable as a recumbent statue, as was his wont, giving notrace of the seething impatience consuming him and mirroredin the expression of his face, and particularly his eyes, watchedthe conventional stage antics of his colleague till he could endurethem no longer. He gave a sign to Seidl, who stopped theorchestra to hear the dying knight addressing his squire inwing6d but un-Wagnerian words to this effect : ' My dearRobinson, this scene is not all yours, Tristan also has somethingto say here : but how am I going to make my share of thedramatic effect if you are always going to run down to theaudience and sing at it ? After a while there will be nothingleft to do but hurl my boots into the auditorium. And I'm avery sick man. Now there's a good fellow, come over here tothe couch, stay by me and nurse me, and you'll see there'ssomething in my part too.' " (Chapters of Opera in New York-H. E. Krehbiel.)

The Depth of MozartAnd not without reason has one of the earliest and finest

connoisseurs and lovers of Mozart, the great Stendhal,characterised melancholy as the keynote of his music. In thisrespect Mozart's work, as so much of great art, seems to be theecho of a tragic life. What do we really know of this? Inmany respects the man Mozart is still a mystery to us to -day.(Trans. from Klassische Musikstatten by Carl Kobald.)

RICHARD HOLT.

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ZE6I Isnonv HNOHdOWV-HO HILL

AUGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE 9If

a reliable guide to the dramatic action, while the datesof production are quite correct, though I would remind" H.W.L." that at the time when Siegfried was firstgiven in London (1882) we spoke of the old opera housein the Haymarket as " Her " and not " His " Majesty'sTheatre. Apart from the Album, Melchior has donewith the same orchestra (DA1227, 12in.) Am stillen Herd,one of the Probelieder from Die Meistersinger, and theLenzlied from Die Walkiire. Both are good, but thelatter is the finer of the two.

The large proportion of foreign vocal recordingsincluded in the new Catalogue will not have escapednotice, nor am I going to find fault with that whichundeniably adds alike to its interest and variety. Take,for instance, the specimens provided by the Metropoli-tan Russian Church Choir in Paris and the Orfeo Catalade Barcelona. It is not so much on account of theirmusical beauty (though that is by no means to bedespised) as of their characteristic national qualities that

they are welcome, since they enable you to study atyour ease the curious features of Russian Church music(B4131, 10in., and C2395, 12in.) ; or, again, a typicallySpanish choir of boys and men in two cantatas by Bach(D2066-8 and D2075-6, 12in.), of which No. 4 iscomplete and No. 140 excerpts only. Some of the effectsin the former are quite beautiful, and in the latter thefamous Sleepers, wake is particularly well sung. A Frenchbasso cantante, M. Louis Morturier, displays a fine voicewith admirable results in airs from Haydn's Seasons andBerlioz's Enfance du Christ (D2058, 12in.) ; while aRussian tenor, N. I. Nagachevsky, shines less brightlyin a couple of songs (B4120, 10in.) that could easilyhave been spared from a connoisseur's collection.En revanche, the luscious tones of Sigrid Onegin areworthily employed in Du bist die Ruh' and Liszt'sDie Lorelei (DB1291, 12in.), the pure, unaffected phras-ing of Schubert's gracious melody calling for especialpraise. HERMAN KLEIN.

ADDITIONS TO THE H.M.V. CONNOISSEURCATALOGUE

(continued)

D2065. BERLIN STATE OPERA ORCHESTRA, conductedby Dr. Leo Blech : Ballet Music from the opera Idomeneo---Chaconne and Gavotte (Mozart) and Andante for Flute(Mozart).Idomeneo, written when Mozart was twenty-four, was not

a success, publicly, though its influence is to be traced in laterworks by the composer, which owed at least a little of theirquality to some of its ideas. Various people revised the opera,and recently Strauss's version was staged at Vienna. Theplot is intractable, and no touched -up libretto can save it.The ballet music stands, perhaps best of all, on its own feet,and even that reminds us that Mozart studied good models.It is not clear whether the Andante for flute is K.315 (1778).I presume so. The number should have been given on thelabel. It is a lovely thing, gracious, pure, almost other-worldly. The style of the soloist (not named on the label, thisside of which, by the way, is titled in German, while the otheris in English) beautifully befits the music's gentle discourse.May we ask our friends to give us consistently full informationabout the sources of the works, and to decide upon onelanguage or the other for their titles? Labelling unaccountablyremains one of the weaker elements in record -production.

D2069. BERLIN STATE OPERA ORCHESTRA. conductedby Dr. Leo Blech : Divertimento No. 9 for Wind Instruments,H.V.PAO (Mozart).This, one of the ten Divertimenti for wind instruments,

written between 1772 and 1777, belongs to 1776. It is possibleto find in the style here some subtle reaction to Mozart's contactwith society. There is in part of this record (the second move-ment on the first side, for instance, and the first on side 2) asuggestion of the refined meditative or slightly melancholymanner which later we find reinforced and deepened into richerfeeling. All the movements are meaty-the concentratedexposition of well-turned ideas, more satisfying, because a

little more finely polished, one may feel, than those in someof the other Serenades. Divertimenti and Cessations. Nothingis too weighty, of course : the title marks an easy, naturallimit to complexity and profundity ; but within that limita-tion, here is a high degree of satisfaction for the spirit, andnot less, in the dexterous writing, for the ear.

D2070-2. BERLIN STATE OPERA ORCHESTRA, conductedby Dr. Leo Blech : Symphony No. 5 in B flat (Schubert),five parts, and Slavische Tanz, Op. 46, No. 4 (Dvorak),sixth side. Min. scores of Schubert, Philharmonia andEulenburg.Polydor was the only firm to do Schubert's Fifth (May

1930, page 565). The work was finished October 3rd, 1816,and first played by an orchestra of friends. Note the scoring-with only one flute, and no clarinets, trumpets or trombones.You could do it with little more than a score of players. Quitolikely, Schubert had in mind the restricted number of friendsable to make up a band. My labels have gone wrong : theygive, for the first three sides, the titles of both first and secondmovements. Actually, the first movement takes one side andabout an inch of the second. and the slow movement ends onside 3. Then the minuet is called 2nd Movement " and thefinale " 3rd." The catalogue is wrong, too. There are somecuts in the slow movement, and one in the finale. Some nicetouches of phrasing appear in the minuet, but above mf thetone is drawn out of its quality, and is too big to be true.The finale loses less, and it may be felt that the little Dvorakpiece (one of those less commonly heard, it is pleasant to note)loses least of all. The scrap of 'cello cadenza is not quitehappy. On -the whole, I prefer works only just as large aslife. If that is looked to, the naturalness will look after itself,on records. But this happy little symphony is worth having.Try it for yourself first, and decide whether the tone offendsyou or not.

96 THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932

B3942. LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, conducted byEugene Goossens : Le Roi l'a dit (Delibes).Delibes lived two lives-that of a ballet composer for the

Grand Opera, and an operatic writer for the other Opera,where lighter works were in demand. His weightier worksmissed success in the larger world, but the lighter weightsproved his power and place, and one cannot imagine themlosing their attraction. Le roi l'a dit came out in 1873,and this funny story of the complications arising out ofLouis XIV's royal assumptions, and a subject's trying toplay up to them, made a good partner for a serious musician'slively thoughts, always refined and h propos. The tune thatends side 1 is a good sample of purely French musical expression,and of Delibes' particularly engaging vein of delicacy. No onecould handle these with a better balanced hand than Mr.Goossens, of whom we hear too little. The B.B.C. performedthis opera in the middle of 1929, I remember, and though studiooperas in the old shape are apparently not to be pursued, weMight have some attempt at reviving the best of those wethen enjoyed. If 'only there were any scope for the purveyorsof opera, or sufficient experience in the potential public for it,what fares to Paris we might save !

C2348-9. NEW SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, conducted byDr. Malcolm Sargent : Patrie (Bizet), Herodiade, BalletNo. 4 from Les Pheniciennes (Massenet).Patrie, inspired by the events of 1870, may well be heard

always with respect, as the work of one above all fervent,impassioned, enthusiastic. Bizet is always welcome : we givethanks for his warmth, and wish he had lived longer. Theoverture was produced the year before he died. Grade, I see,gives the usual explanation of it as planned for Sardou's dramaPatrie, but I have seen another account, on good authority,which says that Bizet simply called it a " dramatic overture,"frankly based on French feelings after the war, and thatPasdeloup, who first performed it, suggested the title. Thefirst group of thematic matter occupies most of side 1 ; justunder 2 in. in comes the second chief tune, in rather morelively time. This is worked up to a ff presentation on side 2,and in slower time comes a third chief theme, in the lowerstrings (which are strongly used elsewhere in thematic signi-ficance). This section might be thought of as a lament or elegy.An inch from the end of side 2 comes a smooth fresh theme,comforted (cor anglais, clarinet and violas). Side 3 develops alittle, concludes the section, and brings back, first in pp excite.ment, the opening theme, and then (with some small inter-polations of theme 2, and the brass fanfare heard near thestart) goes to the coda, which emphasises theme 2 in aspiringconfidence. Probably we should only appreciate the workquite fully if we could enter into the mind and heart of Franceafter 1870 ; but in spite of its slight constructive value, itgoes straight to the mark. The Massenet fill -up is poorlychosen. One would think that recorders had a job lot ofMassenet to get rid of. Why not seek out music withmeaning? The recording makes the Patrie basses slightlymuzzy. I like it because the volume is not excessive.D1495. ORCHESTRE ROYAL DES GUIDES BELGES

(BELGIAN ROYAL GUARDS BAND), conducted by A.Prevost : Offertoire pour la Messe de Minuit (Franck) andKhovantchina, Danse des Persanes (Moussorgsky, trans.Godfrey).The title is misleading. This is unavoidable as far as the

band's name goes. The word " Orchestra " on the label(left-hand, bottom) ought, however, to be " Military Band."These transcriptions demonstrate respectively the rich,smooth depths of the band's tone, in the " offertory " on afamiliar French sacred theme, often used in organ music, whichcomes off excellently in this medium, and its lighter resources,in the dance. The band leaves an excellent impression. Itmay be noted that there are several other, lighter, pieces by itin this list ; they were reviewed Iv W.A.C. in June (p. 22).

W. R. A.

DA1069-72 (in album). FLONZALEY STRING QUARTET:Quartet in A minor, Op. 41, No. 1 (Schumann).

DB1359-61. FLONZALEY STRING QUARTET. Quartet inE minor, " Aus meinem Leben " (Smetana).The Schumann is recorded complete. The repeats in the

first and last movement are given and also the two repeatsin the Intermezzo of the Scherzo. But the two repeats in theScherzo itself are omitted. Breaks (references to Eulenburgmin. score) : first movement, page 6, end of line 3 andpage 10, line 1, bar 2 ; third movement, page 29, line 2, bar 2 ;fourth movement, last bar but one of page 40.

In the Smetana no repeats are indicated. There are twocuts (p. 25, end of line 2 to p. 27, beginning of line 2, and p. 43,letter " T," to p. 45, letter " W "). Breaks : first movement,p. 7, line 4, bar 1 ; third movement, p. 31, line 3, bar 1.

These are vintage Flonzaley laid down before the break-upof that excellent organisation, and left to mature till now inthe cellars at Hayes. Like all dated " vintages " they havethe virtue of preserving something that would otherwisehave been lost irretrievably-and a performance by theFlonzaley was well worth preserving. On the other hand,an old wine is often inclined to lack " body," and these twoFlonzaley samples sound strangely light and ethereal besidethe full-blooded modern recordings of the Budapest. TheSchumann, indeed, cannot be regarded as entirely satisfactory ;the extreme notes at both ends of the gamut do not actuallydisappear, but there are times when they do undoubtedly" fade." And there is a curious haze over a good deal of thepart-writing that occasionally makes it impossible to distinguishall the detail. The Smetana is distinctly better, and thesensationally high E, long held by the first violin towards theend of the Finale, is quite able to make its presence felt. On thewhole, this is the quartet I prefer ; the " cuts " are regrettable,but not of paramount importance.

A brief but adequate analysis of the Schumann by H.W.L.is pasted in the album. The gentle music and refined playingmake a striking contrast with the heroic rendering of theGram Fuge by the Budapest, to which, as it happens, I hadjust been listening. The Flonzaley could be splendidly virilewhen they chose (we have Beethoven records of theirs to proveit), but it is the dreamy, romantic element, the naive grace thatthey (like most modern artists) tend to accentuate in Schumann.Probably they are right, though we should not forget thatour fathers regarded him as the most masculine of his contem-poraries. I liked the Scherzo best-a good example of theFlonzaley's brilliant ensemble. They probably play theFinale just as well, but the music here is not quite so interesting.The opening movement has a quiet charm that is attractive ;the slow movement I found dull-and if you think I haven'tgot a soul, I can't help it.

Smetana's quartet is analysed in Cobbett's CyclopedicSurvey (heading " Smetana "). The first movement (Allegrovivo appassionato) " depicts," so the writer tells us, " his earlylove of art, his romantic tendency," while in " the restlessquaver figure " on the violins " Smetana has caught theagitated atmosphere of the revolutionary year, 1848." Of thesecond movement, Allegro moderato a la Polka, Smetana himselfsays that it " recalls memories of my gay life in youth when Iused to write dance music and give it away right and left toother young folk " ; and of the Largo aostenuto, " The thirdmovement recalls the bliss of my first love." There is aheavenly melody here, worthy of Schubert at his best. Nowonder Dvorak admired Smetana ! The two great Bohemiancomposers draw very close together here. On the Finale,Smetana comments " The discovery how to treat the nationalmaterial in music ; joy at the results of following this path !"The sudden catastrophe near the end stands for the tragedy ofthe composer's life, deafness ; and the long, high E representsthe singing in his ears. " I allowed myself this little joke,such as it is, which has proved so fatal to me."

If you are in doubt, try DB1360 as a sample. It contains thePolka and the first half of the slow movement. P. L.

AUGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE 97

DA1026. FRITZ EREISLER : En Bateau; La Fine auxCheveux de Lin (Debussy).Once grant that Debussy, being richer in harmonic than in

melodic interest, is hardly a good subject for violin transcrip-tions, and you have in this Kreisler record at once a favourite-Kreisler is, perhaps, the subtlest and most sensitive violinistwe have and therefore able to do full justice to these exquisitelittle tone -pictures. (It might have been an even happierrecord if more prominence had been given to the piano accom-paniment-played perfectly by Carl Lamson.) I give mypreference to the " Girl with the Flaxen Locks," which isplayed with a wayward elasticity and is only not perfect (to mythinking) in the strangely withheld climax. Even Kreisler hasexcelled himself in the fading close of this delicious fragment.Here is certainly one of Kreisler's most poetic short records.

DB1338. JACQUES THIBAUD: La Vida Breve (De Falla)and Le Deluge (Saint -Satins).Perhaps the most attractive quality in Thibaud's playing

is its restraint-its ability to maintain an interest in an almostcontinuously level tone. Such playing is hardly to be heard atits best in such exotic fragments as the Danza Espanola No. 1,from La Vida Breve. There is a fine sense of rhythm shownhere but that hardly atones for the absence of fire and turbulencewhich are the essential ingredients of such music. TheSaint -Satins, being far less flamboyant and more a matter ofsheer melodic line, is better : as Thibaud plays it, one becomesabsorbed in the lovely thin thread of sound which the composerhas spun and is content to leave it at that. The recording israther subdued and, for the same reasons, obviously moreeffective in the Prelude to Le Deluge. A musicianly record-and yet strangely unsatisfying.

DB1470. MISCHA ELMAN : Serenade Melancholique (Tchai-kovsky, Op. 26).This is Tchaikovsky in a most attractive mood-his Slav

melancholy has dictated a brief and typical tune round whichhe has built, with all the cunning of which he was master, someappealing part-writing for orchestra. (The orchestra, admirablyrestrained, is under the direction of Nat Shilkret. Tchaikovskyknew well how to use the horn and the wood -wind, and thereare some beautiful examples here of their exploitation to fineeffect.) Against this delicate orchestration, Mischa Elman'sviolin -playing stands out full-blooded and dark, as suits thenature of the music. There is some fine emotional playing,particularly in the agonised recitatives. How much Elmancan put into a simple phrase is revealed when, upon repetition,the wood -wind takes up the melody whilst Elman plays anelusive figure above it : by comparison the tune then becomesalmost abrupt. This is a beautiful record and I stronglyrecommend it, unless, of course, Tchaikovsky is anathema toyou : rarely have I heard Elman playing better and therecording does him ample justice.

DB1536. MISCHA ELMAN : Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20(Sarasate).When Sarasate essays the Romany mood you know what to

expect : some feverish moments of arpeggio work on the violin,with reiterating accompaniment on the piano, and altogethera great to-do about nothing in particular. Of course, therewill be splendid opportunities for the soloist to show how cleverhe is-whilst the poor accompanist gets along as best he canwith his dum-diddle-dum. For all the show of passion in theseso-called Gypsy Airs there is never any depth of feeling-thewhole thing is much more Apache of the Latin Quarter thandownright Romany. Nevertheless, as I say, Elman has somerare chances to show his astonishing ability as a mere technician,and there is always a kind of satisfaction in that-though not avery lasting one. These disjointed fragments of recitative anddance must be great fun (as they say) to play, so far as theviolinist is concerned ; but oh, the boredom for Carroll Hollister,the accompanist !

B

DB1594. MISCHA ELMAN : Airs Tziganes (Cesar Espejo) ;Weve d'Enfant (Ysaye).As far as pure music goes there is little to choose between

Sarasate and Espejo ; but the former, needless to say, has atleast the advantage of being more interesting in the sheeragility of his violin -writing. Gypsies, as composers for theviolin see them, are evidently a frantic, nerve-racking lot.Ysaye's Reve d'Enfant may be poor music, but I very muchprefer it to all this pseudo -gypsy nonsense. There is in it aquality of genuine innocence-like some well -painted Victorian" picture with a meaning." The simple melody rides andswings over a grateful accompaniment (played by Marcel vanGool with considerable delicacy and exquisitely clear in therecording) in a most pleasing fashion : it is a charming essayin restraint. This and Elman's Tchaikovsky should both bepopular records.

DA1073. GIIILHERMINA SUGGIA : Rondo (Boccherini) andPolichinelle-Serenade (Kreisler).The Boccherini Rondo, cleverly transcribed by Bazelaire,

was hardly worth the trouble : it is straightforward and ratherdull. Nevertheless, it gets an almost loving attention from itsexponent-another example, perhaps, of how grateful 'cellistsare even for the least interesting additions to their so limitedrepertoire' The Serenade is typical and effective music,without any pretensions, but appealing and fairly musicianly.

DA1065. Melodie, from Orfeo (Gluck) and Piece en formede Habanera (Ravel).The Melody is, needless to say, an arrangement of the Dance

of the Blessed Spirits. I cannot say I think it is improved inits translation from orchestra to 'cello solo : it becomes far toobold a thing, not half ethereal enough. The accompaniment,too, suffers to the extent of becoming excessively monotonous.The Ravel is so completely right-saying its little say with ex-quisite distinction-that I cannot understand why it is not moreoften heard. Here is something that, although it may havelittle to do with Spain, is altogether lovely in a light-hearted way.I would like to draw attention to the perfect accompanistSuggia has found, both here and in DA1073, in George Reeves.The recording is impeccable.

DA1130. WANDA LANDOWSHA : Sonata No. 9, Pastorale(Scarlatti) ; Le Rossignol en Amour ((', ,,wrin ).The Scarlatti is a remarkable performance : Landon ,ka's

playing demands just that mixture of strictness. ofoutline and dramatic content that Scarlatti supplies. Ifthere is a fault it is in the tendency to " tightness " in the toneand the slightly steely quality that consequently emerges.These defects completely disappear, however, in the Couperin,whose tenderness is brought out with a greater resilience inthe tone of the playing and a consequent heightening ofresonance. There is, moreover, some beautiful sustaining inthe bass and some really understanding phrasing. This shouldeasily be one of Landowska-'s most favoured records. (Oneis so used to the continuous excellence of harpsichord recordingthat I almost omitted to give it high praise once more.)

DA 1 129. WANDA LANDOWSHA : English Suite in E minor,Passepied (Bach) ; Fantasia in C minor (Bach).There is a welcome intelligence behind the playing of both

these pieces : every line of Bach's writing stands out brave andclear. Purists might accuse Landowska of putting too muchmood into the Passepied ; but the offence, if any, is a slightone. Her tone is always crisp, though capable (as the quietending serves to prove) of the subtlest gradations. TheFantasia on the other side suffers, to my thinking, by thenecessary omission of the Adagio and Fugue that are so muchpart and parcel of it ; and I do not care much for the excessiveregularity with which it is here played. But Landowska isa welcome antidote to the purist (I would rather call it thepuritanical) school of harpsichord performers, and this particu-lar example of her work is brilliantly recorded.

C. H. W.

98 THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932

THE MUNICH FESTIVAL AND THE GRAMOPHONETN recent years Munich has provided the finest operatic"entertainment to be heard in Europe. The repertoire ismore extensive than that of Covent Garden, and the artists-if not as well known-are of an equal standard. Three theatresare used : the National, which is in use all the year round ; thePrinzregent, perhaps the finest Wagnerian theatre in theworld ; and the Residenz, which, though often staging smallerand unpretentious operas, was this year devoted largely to theperformance of festival plays. The principal artist was WilhelmRode, the magnificent Viennese baritone who appeared atCovent Garden in 1928. On that occasion he was hailed as theforemost interpreter of Sachs and Wotan before the public,and at the present time he is perhaps to be considered the finestinterpretative artist of the century. His Polydor records-the best of which will no doubt be available on Decca shortly-are rather poorly recorded, but the quality of the interpretationmakes them in all cases well worth buying. I can especiallyrecommend Wahn, Wahn, uberall Wahn and Wotans Abschied.Of far superior quality are his recent Ultraphon records, therecording of which has not yet been surpassed. The Credofrom Othello is a masterpiece of characterization, paired withsome vocal fireworks, in Ich der geist der stets verneinet fromBoito's Mefistofele (F525). The remaining solos are all indi-vidually interpreted, the Torerolied being especially fine(together with Hei Adatnastor from Africana, F534). It is apity that he takes liberties with the vocal line for the sake ofeffect-but the effect is undeniable. Die Frist ist um fromThe Flying Dutchman is a slightly disproportionate recording,but worth having for the artistry of performance. The duetswith Eva Hadrabova are not so satisfactory-the Te Deumfrom Team is too loud to be pleasant, and the performance ofthe duet in Aida, except for some thrilling moments (in everycase not written by the composer), is strangely pedestrian. Ifone hears the record this will become quite clear. There arealso some old Odeon records of Wagnerian excerpts and songsof some interest ; the company will only re -press them, however,if the demand is sufficient, so if anybody wishes to have theparticulars I can send them a list.

The author saw Rode in the Mastersingers, Valkyrie, FlyingDutchman, Lohengrin, and the Tales of Hoffmann. In theMastersingers the cast was :

HANS SACHS RodeBECKMESSER RiesPOONER SterneckKOTHNER HannWALTHER FischerDAVID ... CarnuthEVA FeugeMAGDALENA Fichtmuller

The performance was perhaps the best of the festival, underKnappertsbusch's baton ; the scenar:o in general, andparticularly the lighting in Act 2, were very fine. Only Rodeto my knowledge has recorded. Knappertsbusch is representedon the Decca-Polydor list by a rather lukewarm performanceof this Opera's Overture, on Parlophone by Beethoven'sseventh, and on H.M.V. by some Strauss Waltzes. Fischerhas a fine voice, but being built on Melchioresque lines withoutthe latter's height, he scarcely looks the part. Rode himselfwas perfect, a far finer Sachs than Schorr or Nissen. InLohengrin, his Telramund rather outweighed the remainder ofthe cast, both vocally and in the vehemence of his acting. Hewas ably supported by Gertrud Kappel's Ortrud. Theemainder of the cast was :

LOHENGREN FischerELSA Hiini-MihacsecKING HENRY HarmHERALD ... Hager

Fischer was less incongruous as Lohengrin than as Walther, buthis acting-especially the habit of remaining fixed in a dramaticpose-was uninspiring. Hiini-Mihacsec made an attractiveElsa. Of the other Wagner Operas, Tannhduser, the FlyingDutchman and the Ring were given, the latter two with Rodeas Vanderdecken and Wotan respectively. Siegfried had a newsetting which I am told was very effective. Knappertsbusch,easily recognizable again by his blonde hair, conducted Tristan,in which the cast was :

TRISTAN ... Fritz WolffISOLDE KappelKING MARK Paul BenderSAILOR ... Patzak.

Fritz Wolff seems scarcely to have lived up to his formerpromise as the future heldentenor par Excellence, but he looksthe part. Patzak has a pleasant light tenor voice, and is apermanent member of the Opera ; he has made numerousPolydor records, of which one 10in. has so far been issued inEngland-Lebewohl mein Blutenreich from Butterfly. PaulBender is represented on Ultraphon by a magnificent Loeweballad record Odin's Meeresritt and Kleiner haushalt (E415),obtainable either from stock or by order from the GramophoneExchange, with any other Ultraphon record.

Rehkemper, whose magnificent performance of Mahler'sKindertoten limier has just appeared on Decca-Polydor, sangthe name part in Rossini's William Tell, supported by Feuge,Helsing, Grifft, Gerlach, and Fichtmilller. Elmendorff, theBayreuth conductor of Columbia's Tristan, was in command.Patzak, mentioned just above, appeared as Hoffman in theOffenbach opera, supported rather overwhelmingly by Rodeas Coppelius. Fritzi Jokl, a Polydor artist whose Deccareleases we are still awaiting*, appeared to great effect as thedoll Olympia. Other National theatre productions includedRosenkavalier, Zouberflote, Aida, Othello, Zigeunerbaron, andFidelio. The cast of the first -mentioned opera included Kappel,Sterneck, Hann, Helsing, Sendai, Fichtmiiller, Kries, Grifft,Graf and Carnuth, amongst which profusion of stars Kappelwas outstanding, though on one occasion she sounded verytired. Fichter was a far greater success as Othello than in theprevious operas, and the death scene was especially effective.Hiini-Mihacsec took Elisabeth Schumann's famous part ofPamina in Zauberfiote and brought it off very well.

The plays performed during the festival included PrinzessinTurandot, Friedrich Friesen, Freie Bahn dem Tuchtigen,Jewelrand in der Karritnerstrasse, Shakespeare's Wie each esgefdllt, and others. Adolph Busch and Rudolf Serkin gave aseries of concerts of Beethoven's Violin and Piano Sonatas.The quantity and the excellence of the entertainment at Munichamazed a Londoner such as myself, in whose town twosimultaneous major operatic performances would be impossible.But what a pity so many of the excellent Munich artists areunrecorded ! P. B. MEDAWAR.

*[But she is already in the Parlophone Catalogue.- LONDONED.]

The Forty -Eight SocietyMr. Gerald H. Hayes, the Hon. Secretary of The Dolmetsch

Foundation, invites any of our readers who would be likelyto subscribe to a Society formed under Columbia auspices forthe recording of Bach's " 48 " and Chromatic Fantasia byArnold Dolmetsch on the clavichord to communicate withhim at 37, Clanricarde Gardens, London, W.2.

It is hoped to start the recording as soon as the HaslemereFestival is over, and to issue four or five records at a time in aportfolio at about two guineas. But the details are still vague,and at this juncture it is only advisable to get the names andaddresses of everyone who would be interested.

AUGUST 1932 THE GRAMOPHONE [ADVERTISEMENTS IX

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CHAUSSONConcerto in D major, Op. 21,

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ADVERTISEMENTS X] THE GRAMOPHONE AUGUST 1932

That Divine Spark ofJohn McCormack

The amazing popu-larity of John McCormack is as welldeserved as it can beeasily understood.London, New York,Paris-all are unani-mous about hisamazing mastery inevery field of vocalmusic. These twosongs-ordinarysentimental songs, ifsung by any other- reveal the supreme artist, an artist pos-sessing that divine spark which gives to thesimplest song a new beauty of his owncreation.THE IRISH EMIGRANT-BY THESHORT CUT TO THE BOSSES. JohnMcCormack DA1234 4 /-Melville GideonMelville Gideon Medley 02441 4 /-Roses at Dawning-When a pal bids a palgoodbye B4221 2/6Peter DawsonHills of Devon-Devil-may-care

B4219 2 /6New Symphony Orchestra(conducted by Dr. Malcolm Sargent)" Tom Jones " Selection 02442Salon OrchestraBy the blue Hawaiian Waters B4078 2 /6Walter GlynneSweet Genevieve-Won't you buy mypretty flowers ? B4217 2 /6

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FROM "HIS MASTER'SAsk Gracie about this . . .

The puzzle of " Where do flies go in thewinter time ? " has never been solvedsatisfactorily. And although Gracie Fieldscannot throw any light on the problem,she does tell us what a fly does on its dayout. Apparently a fly likes to celebrateright royally on its birthday. So listen, andchuckle, at this, the latest release of Grade's,in which she tells in her own inimitableway, of a s3mewhat amorous fly when" on the sple:."A FLY'S DAY OUT-WALTZINGTIME IN OLD VIENNA. Gracie Fields

B4214 2 /6Cortot and ChopinOf all composerswho wrote for thepianoforte none hasattained to suchheights of romanticbeauty as Chopin.Here is a concep-tion of the greatest-conception thatneeds interpretationof the highest order.The two works re-corded are amongthe lesser known,but Cortot, with his sure understanding anddelicate touch brings out Chopin's wealthof imagery and fine phrasing in a brilliantand masterly manner.VALSE IN A FLAT, OP. 69, NO. 1.(Chopin) - TARANTELLE, OP. 43Alfred Cortot DAI2I3 4 /-Marek Weber and His OrchestraPotpourri of Waltzes, No. 2 (Robrecht)

B4216 2 /6De Groot (Violin) and Herbert Dawson(Organ)Love's old sweet song-Love's garden ofRoses B4185 2,6The Pickens SistersLawd, you made the night too long-Dream Sweetheart B4212 2 /6Ernst RuckstuhlSwiss Yodelling Song-The Herdsman'sDelight B4047 2 /6Anni Frind with Orchestra and Chorusof the Grossen Schauspielhaus, BerlinNuns' Chorus (" Casanova ") (In German)Orchestra of the Grossen Schauspiel-haus, Berlin Spanish Romance (" Casa-nova ") C2435 4 /-

Aldershot Tattoo, 1932, RecordsArrival of H.M. The Queen-Bugles sound"Retreat"-Massed Physical Training Dis-play-" Jolly Good Company "-MassedMounted Bands " Salute " and March-Massed Bands " Aldershot "-MassedPipe Bands " Scotland the Brave "-Battle of Inkerman : The Roll Call-" Andante Cantabile " (from 5th Sym-phony) (Tchaikovsky) C2437 4 /-Grand Finale-Massed Bands " NationalEmblem "-" Recessional " (Kipling)-Reveille-Cheers for H.M. The Queen-Air from " Berenice " (Handel) c2438 4 /-Massed Bands of Aldershot CommandBlaze away March-Marching throughGeorgia B4218 2 /6" Monsieur Beaucaire "Vocal Gems by Light Opera Company

C2443 4 /-Keith FalknerCome, landlord, fill the flowing bowl-False Phyllis B3991 2 /6Patrick WaddingtonWhat makes you so adorable ?-The Echoof a Song B4213 2 5Derickson and BrownLullaby of the leaves-Shadows on thewindow B42I I 2 /6Sydney GustardHits of the Moment (Summer 1932)

B4207 2;6Irish Medley

Tito Schipa-masterTo hear Italiansongs sung in alltheir emotionalbeauty and purity,you must hear anItalian sing them.Tito Schipa, one ofthe greatest livingmasters of bel canto,puts into these twogay Neapolitan airshere recorded, thatincomparable artist-ry which has long given him rightful claimto be considered one of the foremost lyricaltenors of our time.NAPULITANATA (Fair Maid of Naples)-CHI SE NNE SCORDA OCCHIU(Oh, how can I forget). Tito Schipa

DAI054 4/-

C2444 4

of bel canto

AUGUST 193'2 THE GRAMOPHONE [ADVERTISEMENTS Itr

TR.FASURE OFMuSie ENTERTAINMENT

VOICE" MID-JULY AND 1st AUGUST LISTSMischa Elmatt woos you softlyWhat more gracefuland soothing tothe eye than a swangliding across theunruffled bosom ofa lake ? And whatmore soothing andgrateful to the earthan the mellowlimpid tones of aviolin under thecommand of a mas-ter ? Mischa Elmancombines these foryou, as only he could, in his playing ofSaint-Saens' beautiful study " Le Cygne "from " Le Carnival des Animaux." Onthe other side he plays one of Tchaikovsky'sloveliest melodies.

LE CYGNE (The Swan) (Saint-Saens)-MELODIE, OP. 42, No. 3 (Tchaikovsky)Mischa Elman DA 1143 4 /-

"Out of the Bottle""The Brass Bottle,"that twenty year oldplay now emerges,reburnished and re-furnished, into onecf the most divert-ing and entertainingmusical plays on theLondon stage to-day. And from itare recorded thesetwo delightful duetssung by FrancesDay and Max

Kirby. You will find this record com-pletely captivating in its gaiety and tune-fulness.EVERYTHING BUT YOU-I DON'TWANT YOU TO. Frances Day and MaxKirby B4223 2 6Polly Walker and Clifford MollisonPut that down in writing-We've got themoon and sixpence (both from " Outof the Bottle ") 84224 2 /6

A clever Viennese SopranoGretl Vernon, oneof the most recentnewcomers to Bri-tish Vaudeville,has recorded twomore German hits,and her attractivepersonality which isindividual and en-tirely different fromthat of English ar-tistes of her kind," comes over " inan entrancing man- Photo by Manuel Freres, ,rumitner in these numbers.HEUT N