His Master's Voice Double-Sided Records
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PRICES OF " His Master's Voice Double-Sided Records THE ROYAL RECORD (R.E. 284) THEIR MAJESTIES THE KING & QUEEN. 10 in. Double-sided, 5/6. THE ROYAL RECORD (R.D. 837) H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES. 12 in. Double-sided 5/6. NURSERY Records-ORANGE Label (Serial Letters AS, 7-inch 1/6. (Each series of 6 records in album, 12/6. Decorated Album-with linen pockets -separate. 3/6.) PHYSICAL CULTURE Records.-Set complete in album, 12/-. Album and chart separate, 3/-. Se6al Colour of Label. 10-inch 112-inch e tter PLUM... 4/6 C ... BLACK 6/6 D ... RED 8/6 DB ... BUFFPALE 10/- DK GREEN 11/6 DM PALE BLUE... 13/6 DO WHITE 16/- DQ ... Unless otherwise stated "His .fasters Voice" Records should be played at a steed of 78. His .taster's Voice" hn.strz uta,,eons Speed Tester, shows instantly whether yo,rr motor is rnuznine correctly. "His Master's Voice" Records EVA PLASCHKE VON DER OSTEN & MINNIE NAST (with orchestral accompaniment) 12-inch double-sided Black Label. Ist ein Traum, kann nicht wirklich sein (Is it a dream ? truly I know not !)-Act 3 (" Der Rosenkavalier ") (In German) Richard Strauss D.1002 ... Mit ihren Augen voll Tränen (Those eyes filled with tears)-Act 2 ('" Der Rosenkavalier ") (In German)... Richard Strauss ... ... ... NEUES TONKÜNSTLER ORCHESTER 12-inch double-sided Plum I,abel C.1202 " Der Rosenkavalier "-Waltz, Parts 1 and 2 Richard Strauss DJ FR ROSENKA VALIER had such a sensational success in England last year that it was selected as the most suitable piece with which to open this year's season of Royal Opera at Covent Garden on May 18th. The result was a triumph for all concerned, but especially for the work itself. Every seat in the theatre was booked weeks in advance and thousands of applica- tions had to be refused for lack of accommodation. On the morning after the production came the press reports, and for once the critics seemed to be unanimous The Times referred to an old joke at the expense of the composer, " If Richard, let it be Wagner, if Strauss, let it be Johann," and went on to say, " The Waltzes of Der Rosenkavalier have outpaced those of the famous Johann." The justice of this remark will become evident to any one who hears the present record in which the waltz numbers from the opera have been gathered together. Richard has indeed beaten Johann (composer of the famous Blue Danube and other waltzes) on his own ground. Whether Strauss can challenge Wagner is another matter.It is, however, of Mozart rather than Wagner that we are re- minded in the two exquisite duets sung by Eva von der Osten and Minnie Nast. Who else but Mozart ever wrote melodies of the tender purity that we find here? It should be remembered by the way, that the lower voice is that of Octavian, a male character whose part Strauss has allotted to a female (mezzo-soprano) singer. These are, we believe, the first records of this delightful work to appear in England, with the single exception of the Marschallin's monologue in Act One, which is sung by Frieda Hempel, who created that particular r6le, in a record (DB 373) that is to be found on our historical catalogue. For prices, see page 3 of cover. "His Master's Voice" Records TOTI DAL MONTE (Soprano) (with orchestral accompaniment) 12-inch double-sided Red Label. fa-Act 1 Rossire JUna voce poco ... ... (" 11 Barbiere di Siviglia ") (Sung in Italian) D.B. 830 Caro nome-Act 1 (" Rigoletto ") Verdi I (Sung in Italian) EVER since the original production of The Barber of Seville, a hundred years and more ago, Una voce has been one of the songs that every great coloratura soprano has aspired to sing. The charming air, so well suited to the youthful vivacity of Rosina (the character who sings it in the opera), is embroidered with ornaments that tax the dexterity of even the finest artists to the uttermost. Caro Nome is equally notable. It bears the stamp of a different composer and a rather later date, and the emotion expressed is the dawning of love in the heart of an innocent girl " but as a piece of vocal writing it takes a place in Verdi's work analogous to that of Una voce in Rossini's. We, who have heard in her previous records what Dal Monte can do, know that such opportunities are just what she wants for the display of her miraculous powers. All who can possibly do so, should hear this great singer at Covent Garden this month, where she is making her English debut. DINH LILLY (Baritone) (with orchestral accompaniment) 12-inch double-sided Red Label JA word allow me-Prologue, Part 1 Leoncavallo (" Pagliacci ") D.B. 849 A song of tender memories-Prologue, Leoncavallo Part 2 (" Pagliacci ") ALTHOUGH performances of the Prologue to Pagliacci are common enough it is seldom that one hears a rendering that leaves one completely satisfied. This is not sur- prising : the ideal version requires a combination of qualities that are rarely found together. The first essential is a really good orchestra, skilfully conducted. Next we must have a voice of great power, well-trained, and controlled by a mind that is alive to the dramatic element in the music. The words must be audible and intelligible and, above all, the whole must be animated by the force of a great personality. When these conditions are fulfilled, as they are in Dinh Gilly's record (sung in English), we recognize that we have got what we were waiting for, a worthy performance of one of the most exacting monologues ever written. For prices, see page 2 of cover. MARIA JERITZA (Soprano) (wit:h orchestral accompaniment) t0-inch double-sided Red T,abel Son gente (11 Fedora ") Giordano risoluta ... D.A. 579 (Sung in Italian) Dio di giustizia (11 Fedora ") Giordano (Sung in Italian) ... ... W E may justifiably hope that the public is by now sufficiently familiar with Jeritza's splendid singing for it to be un- necessary for us to make further remarks on the subject. Not only has her fame been spread over the world by the series of striking records that she has made for " His Master's Voice," but by the time these words appear many of us will have actually seen her in the flesh playing her part in the Royal Opera season at Covent Garden. The success of that season seems assured, and indeed how could it be otherwise when among the artists we find such first magnitude stars as Jeritza and Dal Monte besides a host of other luminaries ? These extracts from Fedora with their dramatic qualities and strong dramatic appeal are as finely rendered as anything Jeritza has given us. FRIEDA HEMPEL (Soprano) (with orchestral accompaniment) Flute obbligato playsd by JOHN AMADIO 12-inch double-sided Red Label ýBirdling,Should he Bishop upbraid ... ... ... D.B. 814 why sing in the forest wild ? Taubert (Bird Song) W is it that one enjoys in the singing of a bird ? The ý/ý/ fresh purity of the sound and the spontaneous ease with which it is produced go for much, no doubt. But does not the principal attraction lie in the fact that the little fellow is singing to please himself and not us ? He doesn't know the meaning of applause and if we could convey to him our gratitude it would only fill hint with a puzzled surprise. " Why ! " he would say, " surely I've done nothing out of the way." This is what we feel about Frieda Hempel's record. The singing is superb throughout, but it is all so charmingly un-self-conscious that she seems only to be expressing her naive joy in life and beauty in the manner natural to her. Can art go further ? For prices, see page 2 of cover. "His Master's Voice" Records ERIKA MORINI (Violin) (with pianoforte accompaniment) 12-inch double-sided Red Label Capriccio Valse, Op. 7 ... ... ...Wieniavski Second Concerto in D Minor, Op. 22 Wieniavski -Romance is something exquisitely coquettish about Erika biorini's playing of the Wieniavski Capriccio Valse. This T HEREnew and valuable recruit to our band of artists is a woman every inch of her, and she brings to her music those gifts which things in the nature of only a woman can bring. One notices the same thing even more in the Concerto movement. The word Romance attached to a composition of R'ieniavski is obviously no mere empty title to Morini, but something that stirs her to the depths of her being. Rarely indeed do we find such interpretive power and such wonderful technique in one and the same person ; when we do, the result is overwhelming. JASCHA HEIFETZ (Violin) (with pianoforte accompaniment) 12-inch double-sided Red babel. Hebrew Dance Joseph Achron D.B. 838 ... ... Habanera (Spanish Dance) Op. 21, No. 2 Sarasate electrifying virtuosity has never been shewn to better advantage than in these two pieces. Double stop- H EIFETZ'ping, harmonics, little pizzicato explosions, alltheweaponsin the Violinist's armoury are used one after the other with a tireless agility that would be bewildering were not everything made to sound so simple, so inevitable. And those incredibly clear rapid passages-have they ever, one wonders, been executed quite so fast and so clearly as this ? But Heifetz is more than a mere virtuoso and in the more reflective passages of the noble Hebrew Dance (to mention one instance only) one becomes aware of the eager spirit behind all this wonderful efficiency, directing everything to the achievement of a single end-the capture of Beauty ! For prices, see page 2 of cover.