Golden Age of Light Music: More Gems from the 1930s

This is Guild’s fourth CD devoted exclusively to light music recordings from the 1930s (previous collections are on GLCD 5106, 5116 & 5163) and focuses on some of the numerous European orchestras popular at that time. Many of them were eponymous, with those of Marek Weber, Dajos Bela, Ferdy Kauffman, Barnabas Von Géczy and Edith Lorand achieving worldwide fame. Other orchestras were equally famous but anonymous, with their recordings sometimes appearing under different names in different countries.

Today we have no idea who was responsible for The Elite Novelty Orchestra or The Viennese Café Orchestra, to say nothing of the prolific 'International Novelty Quartet' which was often, as on the recording in this collection, not a quartet as the label claimed, but an orchestra.

One thing is certain, the playing of all the orchestras featured here is of a very high standard and the considerable technical improvements since the introduction of electrical recording in the mid 1920s, combined with modern restoration techniques, mean that we can enjoy them to the full.

One of the highlights is Bertini and The Tower Ballroom Blackpool Dance Band in what is believed to be the only recording of the complete version of Carl Robrecht’s musical tour de force 'Samum'.

Track Listing:
1. Wedding of Mr Mickey Mouse - Franz Vienna, real name Franz Steininger: Dajos Bela and his Orchestra
2. Buddha’s Festival of Love - Heini Kronberger, Mary Marriott, arr. Ralph: Ferdy Kauffman and his Orchestra
3. A Frangesa (The French Girl) - Mario Pasquale Costa: George Grohrock-Ferrari and his Orchestra
4. Temptation Waltz - Charles Ancliffe: The Mayfair Orchestra
5. Red Devil (Roter Teufel) - Erich Plessow: Barnabas Von Géczy and his Orchestra
6. A Visit To The Woodpecker - Percy, arr. Zimmer: Ferdy Kauffman and his Orchestra
7. Samum - A Classical Fox-Trot - Carl Robrecht: Bertini and the Tower Ballroom Blackpool Dance Band
8. Golden Kisses - Waltz - Sando Dicker: Edith Lorand And Her Viennese Orchestra
9. Viennese Puppets (Wiener Puppen) - Rheinlander: Carl Woitschach and his Salon Orchestra
10. Dancing Butterfly - Joseph Young, Bernice Petkere: Gershom Parkington Quintet
11. Intermezzo (from “Dance Suite”) - Eduard Künneke: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Eduard Künneke
12. The Dwarfs’ Patrol - Erich Plessow: Adalbert Lutter and his Orchestra
13. Sefira - Intemezzo - Ludwig Siede: Elite Novelty Orchestra
14. Japanese Lantern Dance - Kitano Yoshitomo: Marek Weber and his Orchestra
15. Parade of The City Guards - Leon Jessel: Orchestre Raymonde
16. Julika - E Lanyi: Georges Boulanger, his Violin and Orchestra
17. In Pierrette’s Garden - Intermezzo - Clifton Brookes: The Viennese Café Orchestra
18. The Doll And The Showman - Ludwig Siede: Ferdy Kauffman and his Orchestra
19. The Merry Mill - Peros: International Novelty Quartet
20. Roses of The Orient - Waltz - Iosif Ivanovici: Eugene’s Viennese Orchestra
21. The Merry Teddy - Pata: Ferdy Kauffman and his Orchestra
22. Finckiana - A Fantasia on the Works of Herman Finck - Herman Finck: Herman Finck and his Orchestra