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Danish Popular Songs 1929-1932
Helge Rosvaenge (tenor)
Paul Goodwin’s Dance Orchestra
Ilja Livshakoff’s Dance Orchestra
rec. Berlin, 1929-32
DANACORD DACOCD855 [71:12]

Three prominent Danish tenors gained international recognition between the two great wars – and to some degree even after. The great – in every respect – Lauritz Melchior (1890 – 1973) was no doubt the Wagner tenor of the period, not least at the Metropolitan, and he is still regarded as a model Tristan, Siegfried and Tannhäuser. Aksel Schiøtz (1906 – 1975) didn’t have much of an international career, but he was a great idol in his country and through his recordings of Die schöne Müllerin and Dichterliebe with Gerald Moore after the war he was hailed as a leading song interpreter – these recordings still rank among the best.

Helge Rosvaenge (1897 – 1972) was certainly born in Denmark and brought up there but his entire singing career was spent in Germany and Austria, and though he retained his Danish citizenship he was after the war persona non grata in Denmark due to his fraternization with the Nazis. He had however a remarkable voice and his numerous recordings are well worth a listen – even though almost everything was sung in German irrespective of original language. He was Tamino on Thomas Beecham’s legendary Zauberflöte, recorded in Berlin just before the war, and though he isn’t ideally sweet-toned (compare with Simoneau or Wunderlich) it’s a memorable reading.

What we hear on the present disc is certainly a far cry from the noble prince Tamino. This is dance music circa 1930 and it’s the orchestra that is featured and Rosvaenge pops in and sings the refrain. Readers with an interest in good old times may remember that Jussi Björling at about the same time issued a dozen 78s with the same kind of repertoire under the pseudonym Erik Odde. And according to the liner notes many of his vocals were also anonymous.

The singing style is definitely non-classical, some of the arrangements are horrible, and the playing is strutty. His enunciation is, however, very good and he seems to enjoy the texts. There are also several quite sweet melodies. Try Lille klokke ring (tr. 3) or the charming Københamnervalsen (tr. 8). Here and there in some potpourris there also turn up melodies that have survived to this very day – at least in Scandinavia. But 71+ minutes of this repertoire is a bit too much to stomach in one sitting.

From an historical point of view this is a valuable document and nostalgically-minded readers should grab the opportunity to wallow in memories. Personally I don’t believe I will return to this disc very often but it triggered me to search out my old LPs, now copied to CD, and listen to the unique Helge Rosvaenge in his true element.

Göran Forsling


Contents
Gunnar HALL
1. Hvad kigger du på? (Who’re you staring at?) [2:55]
Pat O’HENRY (Henry Carlsen)
2. Grete hør et eventyr (Grete listen to a story) [2:43]
Edward BROWN
3. Lille klokke ring (Ring little bell) [3:02]
José MAIN
4. En Nat en eneste Nat (A night, only a night) [3:01]
Teddy PETERSEN (Arr.)
5. Pip! Pip! (Tweet! Tweet!) Bird potpourri. [5:45]
Fred TARLAN
6. Vi to skal lege Far og Mor (Let’s play Mum and Dad) [3:15]
Aage JUHL-THOMSEN & Emil REESEN (Arr.)
7. Det var på Fredriksberg (Life in old Fredriksberg) Potpourri [6:29]
(Medley of German and Danish tunes by Walter Kollo and others)
Ella HEIBERG
8. Københavnervalsen (The Copenhagen Waltz) [2:57]
Jens WARNY (Arr.)
9. København – Kalundborg (Copenhagen – Kalundborg) Potpourri [6:01]
(Medley of tunes known from the Danish airwaves in the late 1920s)
Carl RYDAHL
10. Der går dans I lunde (They are dancing in the glen) [2:37]
Victor CORNELIUS
11. Dideli, Didelu, Didelej [2:37]
Hector SANTS
12. Der ern ok af smukke piger (There are plenty of pretty girls) [3:07]
Ejler KRAHN
13. En lille kvinde som kun er skabt til Glaede (A little woman only made for joy) [3:17]
Friedrich EISENSTEIN
14. Spil, Spillemand, spil (Play fiddler, play) [3:13]
Anon. (?)
15. Lyttervalsen 1932 (The Listener’s Waltz 1932) [3:18]
G. SPENSER
16. Godnat og tak for I aften (Thanks for a lovely evening) [3:28]
Robert STOLZ (1880 – 1975)
17. Hvorfor smiler du Mona Lisa? (Why do you smile, Mona Lisa?) [2:53]
Lauritz HOWALT
18. Venedig (Venice) [2:53]
Kai NORMANN ANDERSEN
19. At elske er at leve (To love is to live) [3:23]
20. Titte til hinanden (Peeping at each other) [2:59]