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

The Phonograph Monthly Review the destructive force of too-prevailing tendencies in low-grade popular music, when introduced in- to the life of growing children. In the main, however, her enterprises have taken three general forms. That of music his- tory and appreciation begins with the essentials of music—melody, harmony, rhythm, and so on; and only typical and finished artists are employed in it. Its proceeds cumulatively, employing, by the way, such plans of study as the "Instruments of the Orchestra by Sight, Sound and Story”; and including such things as accompanimental band records for community singing and the like. In pure history, it begins with the known fragments of Greek music. In physical education, play and so on, Mrs. Clark has gathered together music for marching, folk uancing, singing games, mimetic play, pantomime, pageantry, interpretative and aesthetic dancing, for the whole informal life of music in the lives of the young. Such authori- ties as Elizabeth Burchenal and the late Cecil Sharp figure in these. Practically the whole range of music Mrs. Clark has brought together, is covered by printed comment in some form or other, most often in specific books of mpsical information, all of which she has edited or overseen. As announced in last month’s issue, Mrs. Frances E. Clark, Director of the Educational Department of the Victor Com- pany, kindly sent the entire Special List No. 3 of Educational Records to the Studio for review. (Readers will probably re- member our mention of the notable Special List No. 2, in the April issue of this magazine.) As before, the object has been to re-record old and tried favorites in the Educational Lists, adding new works of equally strong appeal. The attempts to obtain variety are remarkably successful, and here, too, the average music lover can find much of interest and value. Of course the records are intended primarily for use in schools, but we should not fail to call attention to the fact again, that educational work belongs as much if not more—in the home as in the school, and that such records can be put to excellent service building up a musical education for children (and adults too!) right in the home. And then besides the purely “educational” rec- ords there are several of interest to every enthusiast, nota- bly the splendid Hansel and Gretel Prelude by Albert Coates and the Symphony Orchestra. Beginning, however, at the beginning, we have first nine records of Songs for Children. (All the records are double- sided ten-inch disks, priced at 75c unless otherwise stated.) Edna Brown and Alice Green have one side each on both 20623 and 20617, and the latter has both sides of 20618. The pieces are from Lilts and Lyrics, and Songs of the Child World (Riley-Gaynor): The Leaves Party, Thanksgiving Song, Land of Nod, Tracks in the Snow, Jack O’Lantern. The Woodpecker, Robin Redbreast, Sweet Pea Ladies, Household Hints, Gingerbread Man, Jap Doll, etc. etc. The tiny song, Tracks in the Snow, makes one think of Debussy’s like-named piano prelude—not that the pieces have even a mood in common! Anna Howard sings songs from the Hollis Dann Music Course (Johnstone) on 20624 (A Wise Bird, Cuckoo Music, Buttercups, etc.); Mother Goose songs on 20621 (Diddle, Diddle Dumpling, Jack and Jill, Sing a Song of Sixpence, etc.); four songs by Brahms, Schumann, and Schubert on 20737 (Lullaby, Little Dustman, Hey Baloo, and The Linden Tree); and two by Grant-Schaefer and three by Gaynor on 20738 (The Sandman, Spinning Song, and Slum- ber Boat, The Top. The Fairies). Edna Brown continues the Riley-Gaynor series on 207343 end sings a miscellany of folk songs on 20744. (The accompaniments. as before, are by Miss Myrtle C. Eaver. and are no less distinguished by their unassuming effectiveness.) The Victor Orchestra has two records of Rhythms for 505 Latest electrical Recording on the new Polydor Noiseless Surface Records “Polyfar” Electrically Recorded Debussy’s Ravel’s Mozart’s Beethoven’s 2 Nocturnes: Clouds, Fetes Very good Alborada del Graciosa Jupiter,—E flat Major,—G Minor, —Second Symphonies Symphonies,—Concertos,—Sonatas, —String Quartets, etc. Rich. Strauss’s Tone Poems,—Operas, conducted by himself. New Recordings of Rich. Wagner Music—Grand Or- gan Concertos,—Magnificent Choruses,—Boy Sop- ranos,—New Piano—Violin,—’Cello,—Wind Instrument recordings. Record Buyers’ Guide, July 1927 latest Supplements of Polydor and others, mailed free Write today B. M. Mai 414 North State St,, Chicago, Ills. Children on 20526 and 20536, three sides of which are devoted to rhythm medleys by Anderson (motives for skipping, run- ning, marching, flying birds, highstepping horses, etc,), and the fourth to Behr’s Camp of the Gypsies. Mark Andrews, or- ganist, provides accompaniments for group singing of America the Beautiful, Battle Hymn of the Republic, and Columbia the Gem of the Ocean (20745). Returning to the Victor Orchestra, we have re-recordings of the two records of in- struments of the Orchestra, 20522 and 20523, on which each instrument plays a short, characteristic solo. Strings: violin, snatches from the Bruch concerto and Delibes, Pizzicato; viola, from Der Freischutz; ’cello, from William Tell Over- ture; double bass, from Aida; and harp, part of the cadenza from Tchaikowsky’s Waltz of the Flowers. Wood Wind: piccolo, Berlioz’ Will o’ the Wisp; flute, Semiramide Over- ture; oboe, Aida; English horn, Largo from the New World Symphony; clarinet, Orpheus Overture; bass clarinet, Tasso; bassoon, scherzo from Schumann’s Third Symphony; double bassoon, Fidelio. Brass: French horn, Martha Overture; trumpet, 3rd Leonora Overture; trombone, Tannhauser; bass trombone, Walkure; and Tuba, the Dragon Motive from Siegfried. Percussion; solos by the snare drum, bass dram, timpani (the label falls into the old error of substituting a “v” for an “i” in the word; although there is no “y” in the Italian language!), cymbals, gong, tom tom, triangle, orches- tral bells, chimes, xylophone, castenets, tambourine, and ce- leste. Each solo is necessarily but a few measures in length, but the distinctive tone quality of the instrument is in most cases satisfactorily captured. One wishes that the idea might be expanded and that records for music students of longer examples (such as those given in the standard orchestration text books) might be issued. Indeed, it seems unfortunate that the Berlioz-Strauss or the Forsyth works on orchestra- t’on could not be supplemented by a set of records embody- ing all the musical examples, actually performed by an adequate orchestra. Or think of what enhanced value Rimskv-Korsakow’s book on Instrumentation might gain from recordings of the many fine examples given from his own works. The work Educational Records are doing in the elementary and high schools is a great one, but the end is