As the festive season passes, it’s time for some of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, in early acoustical recordings by Adrian Boult. To follow this, in the spirit of the New Year Concert, if not the letter, some very light fare indeed: two entertaining bassoon solos from E W Hincliff and two numbers performed by the Serge Krish septet.

Humperdinck – Hansel and Gretel:
Overture
Hexenritt
Traum Pantomime

British Symphony Orchestra, Adrian Boult

Humperdinck – Hansel and Gretel – Overture – Boult

Humperdinck – Hansel and Gretel – Hexenritt – Boult

Humperdinck – Hansel and Gretel – Traum Pantomime – Boult

(mp3 files – click to play, or right click the link, then select “Save as”)

His Master’s Voice D 591, D 617
Matrices Cc 624-II, 625-II, 1069-III, Cc 1070-II (3-0690, 3-0691, 3-0718, 3-0719)
Recorded 3rd November 1921 (Overture) and 6th March 1922, Hayes, Room 1

Trad arr. Fred Godfrey – Lucy Long
Hinchcliff – Ri-Too-Ral-I-Tay
E.W. Hinchcliff, bassoon
Mme Adami, piano

Trad – Lucy Long – Hinchcliff

Hinchcliff – Ri-Too-Ral-I-Tay – Hinchcliff

(mp3 files – click to play, or right click the link, then select “Save as”)

His Master’s Voice B 1756
Matrices Bb 3977-II, 3978-I (7551, 7552)
Recorded 17th December 1923, Hayes

Ernest William Hinchcliff was born in London in 1878, and married a Jean Arklay, producing a son and two daughters by 1935. He was a professor of bassoon at the Royal College of Music, the Royal Military School of Music (Kneller Hall) and the Guildhall. He was bassoonist for the London Symphony Orchestra from 1904, Beecham Symphony Orchestra from 1910, New Symphony Orchestra from 1913, BBC Orchestra from 1923.

F Poliakin – The Canary (Le Canari)
F Arndt – Nola – A Silhouette
Serge Krish Septet

Poliakin – The Canary – Serge Krish Septet

Arndt – Nola – Serge Krish Septet

(mp3 file – click to play, or right click the link, then select “Save as”)

Regal Zonohpone MR 1753
Matrices CAR 3379-1, 3384-1
Recorded late 1930s