Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 1, No. 12 (1927-09)

496 The Phonograph Monthly Review Mexican, etc., music—they do not issue any specifically labeled “American.” Such a proced- ure might seem rather jingoistic, childishly bom- bastic, yet it might do much in making record buyers aware of the fact that there is American music and that some of it can be secured in re- corded form. V. This little “Glance at Recorded American Music” has made no attempt to defend or explain American music from an artistic standpoint. There has been no attempt made to establish any proportionate evaluation of the works mentioned. It has merely taken American music for granted and sought to discover how well it is represented on records. That it is characteristically repre- sented is evident; that it is adequately represented is very questionable. But until such time as even the very moderate suggestions made have been observed, there is ample material for anyone’s study—and pleasure—right at hand. The active support of such ventures as have been made (and they have been ventures of no inconsiderable courage) and of those that continue to be made is the only thing that will bring about any ade- quate issue of American works. And at the same time, the concert hall and library will give the music lover interested in the progress of his native music ample returns on the investment of his study. If the present article has succeeded in arousing the desire for such study, it will have done a real service to both the reader and American music. For the latter needs only to be given a fair chance. In spite of “glances” at it, surveys, de- nunciations, and panegyrics of it, American music will continue to be written and—somehow or other—performed. The young men who are com- posing today and who will be composing tomor- row can no more help themselves from expressing the native qualities of energy, humor, gusto, and abounding life in their works than Beethoven or Schumann could help expressing their German national qualities or Moussorgsky or Tchaikowsky their Russian ones. And when a native composer is born who has the genius and the spiritual and technical powers of a Bach, a Wagner, or a Brahms to apotheosize the national “personality” in his compositions, then we, too, will have music that is not only native but universal as well. The day of that American genius is yet to come, but may not its dawn already be at hand? vst ~~ ■" nsy BIBLIOGRAPHY First, by all means, the catalogues, current and withdrawn, of all the recording companies. As stated before, the Educational Lists of the Colum- bia and Victor Companies are of special value. Elson, L. C.—History of American Music. Hughes, Rupert—American Composers (revised by Elson). Farwell and Darby—Music in America (in The Art of Music, Vol. IV). Ritter, F. L.—Music in America. Matthews, W. S. B.—A Hundred Years of Music in America. Martens, Frederick H.—Music in America (in Landormy’s History of Music). This is a good brief and concise account and contains some valuable bibliographies of works on early American folk music, etc. Reference should be made to these lists by every interested student. (Also a few recent works of interest—to which might be added many others.) Osgood, Henry O.—So This is Jazz (containing much per- tinent information on the development and standing of Jazz). Whiteman, Paul—Jazz. Handy, W. C.—Blues (containing a valuable introduction by Abbe Niles). Johnson, James Weldon and J. Rosamund—First and Second Books of The American Negro Spiritual. Fisher, William Arms—Negro Spirituals. Colcord—Roll and Go (a book of shanties and whaling songs). Seldes: Seven Lively Arts (chapters on Carpenter’s Krazy Kat and various types of jazz and negro music; most stimulating in both style and content, to be strongly recommended). Spaeth: Read ’Em and Weep (A collections of the songs popular at various times in America. Words and melo- dies are given, together with most entertaining accounts of the songs’ origins and metamorphoses. As invaluable to the student as it is amusing to the chance reader! The same author’s Barber Shop Ballads and other works are also to be mentioned. Barber Shop Ballads is par- ticularly noteworthy in that it contains several tiny phonograph records by way of illustrations. Is this the first case of the example of the “Bubble Books” being followed on a more ambitious scale? The possibilities are obvious; perhaps some reader knows of other cases where tiny records have been used.) Other books of pertinent interest are being issued con- stantly. Those who wish to delve deeper in the various as- pects of American music are advised to search carefully the files of their local library. A SELECTED LIST OF RECORDS OF AMERICAN MUSIC Note: The following list makes no pretension to completeness, but strives to outline the most characteristic recordings. Many withdrawn acoustic works of less importance are omitted. The random notes, augmenting those in the body of the article, may perhaps be of some value to those who desire to choose records to add to their libraries. Starred works are those which the writer feels are particularly significant examples of recorded American music. INDIAN FOLK MUSIC (See special list is Columbia and Victor Educational cata- logues) . COLUMBIA A-3092—Every Day Song and War Song- Mohawk (Os-ke-non-ton). A-3162—Tribal Prayer, Mohawk’s Lullaby, Happy Song (Os-ke-non-ton) and Dance Song, Flute Melody, Shuffling Feet (Columbia Miniature Orch.). A-3057—Children’s Chorus and Funeral Chant—Seneca. *A-3106 and *A-6131—Skilton: Suite Primeval—Sioux Flute Serenade, Kickapoo Social Dance, Deer Dance, and War Dance (Columbia Orch.). (This was the first recording of the Skilton Suite and marked a notable step in the history of the American recording companies. The Suite Primeval— like the other works mentioned above—has not been re- recorded electrically as yet.) A-3083—Hiawatha’s Departure, My Bark Canoe, Tribal Prayer, Love Call (Bently Ball). A-3173—Lieurance: By the Waters of Minnetonka and By the Weeping Waters (Os-Ke-non-ton). 4001-M—Burleigh: Indian Snake Dance (Seidel—violinist). 30486—Cadman: Omaha Indian Tribal Song and From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water (Lillian Nordica) historical list. Other Indian songs by Cadman in the current Columbia catalogue are: I Hear a Thrush at Eve (106-M, Macbeth; 4017-M, Hackett), and Love Like the Dawn Came Stealing (52-M, Barbara Maurel). BRUNSWICK lists the following Indian songs by Cad- man: Moon Drops Low (10228, Branzell) : Call Me No More (10111, Chamlee); My Desire (10228, Chamlee); Far Off I Hear a Lover’s Flute (10215, Edith Mason); and The White