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

The Phonograph Monthly Review 513 Editor, Phonograph Monthly Review: Acting upon your advice I wrote to Alfred Imhof, Ltd., for some records for the Bach Mass in B minor, and a few others for which I had use, and received them in about a month after my first letter left my desk. The B minor Mass recordings are on the whole very fine, and were made at an actual performance of the Royal Choral Society at the Royal Albert Hall under Dr. Bairstow of York Minster. Among the choruses recorded, were the “Sanctus,” “Gloria,” “Crucifixus,” “Qui Tallis,” and “Hosanna.” The Sanctus is a particularly fine recording considering the immense difficulty and overwhelming grandeur of its performance. In the Cruci- fixus and Qui Tallis, the recording is a little bit too much on the pianissimo side, and is consequently hard to grasp, though Dr. Bairstow’s interpretation is very sympathetic indeed. He is a musician of the highest order and choirmaster of York Minster. If I get up to Boston in the near future, I should like very much to bring them into the Studio and have you hear them. I’m sure you will get the same pleasure as I, in feeling that at last, this work, the greatest perhaps in all music, has a last been recorded and by the new process. When the English companies can see the possibilities of recording such works at actual concerts, with such excellent success, what is the matter with our own companies? Think of the records that could be made, at the Bach Festi- val, or the Berkshire Festival or at the Cincinnati Festival of some of the lesser known masterpieces of choral and chamber music. The English have proved it can be done; why are we so far behind? Most of our best sets of records are recorded in Europe, and then sent over here. Why, when our orchestras are probably superior, and our conductors of the best, do we have to have so much time and money given to light orchestra and ballad recordings, and depend upon our neighbors to give us the best music that we need here more and more? My hat is off to Imhof’s. They are courteous and prompt, and exceedingly pleasant people with whom to deal. I for one would like to see them get a good deal of American busi- ness to prove if nothing else that we have as great an enjoy- ment of fine records as our friends across the ocean. Who knows but what the Victor Company may see the error of its ways and bring over some of these master works which are now only available in England? Thank you again for recommending Imhof’s to me. I shall spread the good word to any who are interested. Before I close, I must mention one other beautiful record from England. “Erbarin Dich mein Gott.” (St. Matthew Passion) sung by Maartje Offers and accompanied by an orchestra with violin obbligato by Isolde Menges. The recording is very fine and the voice extremely well fitted for Bach. I recommend it unreservedly to any enthusiast. Middleton, Conn. W. Scott Goldthwaite. Editor, Phonograph Monthly Review: Thanks for your letter of May 16th for which I am afraid I am rather late in answering, please pardon my delay to do so, and also I thank you for your kindly note about the book of Boston Symphony Orchestra. I read the article about Dvorak and Halle Orchestra in May number of your fine magazine with greatest interest, and I get much valuable knowledge from “A Historical Sur- vey,” by Mr. George W. Oman, in June number; it is just my desired one, so you can imagine how delighted I am now. In future I should like to see the article about many with- drawn novelty records of various companies. For example: “Festival Overture on the theme of Danish National Hymn” (Tschaikowsky, Op. 15), played by Pryor’s Band; “Comedian’s March” from “Bartered Bride” (Smetana), played by Pryor’s Band; “Salome”—Jochanaan, Ich bin ver- liebt (R. Strauss), sung by Gadski; “Si tu le veux” (Koech- lin), sung by Emma Eames; “The Danza” (Chadwick), sung by E. Schumann-Heink, etc., etc. I found these records in the Victor Catalogue of 1910. I shall be pleased to write you about recent two foreign phonograph companies’ activities in Japan. German Polydor Company began to make their various representative records in the Japaneses branch under the name of “Nippon Polydor Company,” the factory established in the suburb of Tokyo, ■■ ■nig** the first records issued in the month of May included Strauss’ “Ein Heldenleben,” Beethoven’s 7th Symphony and Mozart’s “Nachtmusik,” as orchestral items, some Prihoda’s violin rec- ords, chamber music and German lieds also released. They will meet success in future for they afford us the records at more cheaper price than imported ones. Secondly, British Columb a Company purchased control! ng interest of Nippon Chikuonki Company, and as this result the new company issued many popular records of “Regal” series as first July number, the “Nicchiku-Columbia” is the name of new products and gradually they will make another kind of best Columbia records in our branch. It will be some interest for you and your readers to know our characteristical gramophone records and I mentioned it briefly as follows: We have many our purely chamber music records of various kinds, such as “Gagaku” (Imperial Court music, the music very old, and traditional one, instruments used for the music are very peculiar, one which entirely different from our popu- lar one; once I have heard that “Gagaku” music record distributing society was organized, but I did not hear any further activity of this society). Trio, duo and solo of our popular instruments, “Koto,” “Shamisen” and “Shakuhachi” (bamboo flute). Except these, there are many other kinds of records, “Biwa” music accompanied Biwa instrument, “Utai” music accompanied hand drawn (Tsuzumi), it served only rhythmic effect. “Nagauta,” “Kiyomoto,” “Tokiwazu,” “Gidayu” and “Joruri” are accompanied with one or more Shamisen. “Naniwabushi” is favorite music of. low class people. All above music are the recitation with instrumental accompani- ment. I think the word “music” not suited for these, and some texts were written especially for the music by old famous authors, so the literature is more important element than music itself. All our movie theatres have the film story speaker (this is important role of movie show) who explain from the begin- ning to the end of all films according to every scene and he speaks imaginary conversation like actors themselves, our phonograph companies recorded many such explanation about famous American and our film dramas with movie theatre orchestra, our phonograph companies unconsciously adver- tised Hollywood products! We have our statesmen’s political speech records, English teaching records like the foreign company did. Folk songs of various districts, theatrical sketch, humorous laughing story, children songs, fairy tales, and foreign popular operatic aria, or songs (familiar one for Japanese) also found in our cata- logues. Naval and Military Bands and Orchestras recorded light music, operatic selections and our native music (ar- ranged band version). Among our novelty one, daily sketch of Naval life, a scene of Naval battle, annual Geisha Girls choreographical dance festival records (the festival held twice in one year at Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, respectively, one hundred or more Geishas with women instrument players in almost same number are participate) the records of the festival, played only ten or twenty festival artists by the old process (by the way, elec- tric process not yet introduce to our recording company) but if they makes the records as like foreign companies did for massed voices by the electric process at present day, it must be very interesting one for you. I think I must close now, after taking up so much of your time for which I trust you will forgive me and also my ter- rible writing, but there is so much I have to say to you, I cannot write sufficiently quick. Kamakura, Kanagawa-Ken, Japan. Hajime Fukaya Editor, Phonograph Monthly Review : An amusing instance of the power of the phonograph in developing music appreciation may perhaps interest you and some of your readers. A young college friend of mine, a senior in engineering, elected a course in appreciation to sat- isfy his final fraction of cultural requirements. As he put it, he had “tried” the drama the year before, and found it so interesting that he had read through Ibsen and Shaw, and had become an habitue of the little theatres. With an equally open mind, he had taken a course in biography, and, again to his surprise, found himself reading with pleasure in a field entirely new. He decided therefore that he might now ex- pose himself to music without undue risk.