Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 1, No. 4 (1927-01)

154 The Phonograph Monthly Review cMy Musical Life By NATHANIEL SHILKRET Mr. Shilkret, while still unable to write the next instalment of his “Musical Life” on account of the tremendous pressure of work he is undergoing, has very thoughtfully arranged that his readers are not disappointed by the omission of the feature in this issue. An abstract from a recent letter of his to the Editor: Enclosed please find an article on the Victor Salon. If I do not send you my own write-up in a few days, kindly use what you can from the enclosed from “The Metronome.” Sincerely, (Signed) N. Shilkret. Both Mr. Shilkret and we had hoped that he would be able to find the time to have the continuation of his personal story in this issue, but it will not be possible for it to appeal until the February issue, for which it is definitely scheduled. This month, the article printed, by courtesy of “The Metronome” will give some interesting sidelights on Mr. Shilkret’s activities and accomplishments with his creation, “The Victor Salon Orchestra.” A NEW idea in orchestras! That is the thought which flashes through one’s head when a record of the Victor Salon Orchestra is heard for the first time. And it is the truth. The Victor Salon Orchestra does represent a new idea in the orchestra and anyone who has tried to get away from the beaten track in any field of endeavor will acknowledge that the mere recording of its success is a record of accomplish- ment in itself. But there is more to the story than that. The story of the Victor Salon Orchestra is inextricably associated with the personality of Nathaniel Shilkret, who conceived the idea of the orchestra and made it what it is today. It was Shilkret who made himself believe that an orchestra could be different from the rest and still be successful. It is Shilkret who welded the organization together, made the arrangements which embodied his idea, who rehearsed and con- ducted the orchestra into the commanding posi- tion it holds today. It is Shilkret who built up the Victor Salon Orchestra into “America’s premier melody orchestra.” Just what this new idea is which Shilkret has exemplified in the Victor Salon Orchestra may be told in a comparatively few words. Briefly, it was an attempt to arrange and play popular music in such a way that its musical value was enhanced, without destroying its simplicity. It would have been a comparatively easy matter to heighten the musical value of a popular number, if the retention of its fundamental simplicity were not a necessity. One could use the melody as a theme and embroider it with variations, or use many other devices known to the musician. But Shilkret does not believe in lily painting or in “gilding refined gold.” What he wanted was a straightforward, honest arrangement of a popu- lar number in which he would take nothing away from the original composition and would add some elements of beauty which might not be in- herently part of it. If you wish to know just how well Shilkret succeeded in his aim, listen to any Victor Salon record. Now, to create records of this nature took time. In the first place, the orchestra had to be brought into being. Here, fortunately, Shilkret was in a position to test his men and get just what he wanted. For he was actively connected with the Victor Talking Machine Company and there was one infallible test he could make. First, though, it should be made plain that Shilkret was looking for fine tone in his orchestra. He realized that beauty of tone was to be sought above all else if he was to create the orchestra he had in mind. Now, it is a fact that any effect in tone is magnified through phonograph recording, so Shilkret had all his men make solo records and until they could stand the test he had no use for them. Today, every man in his orchestra is a player capable of stepping before the horn and making a worthy solo record. Before they came to the phonograph, all of the Victor Salon men had been with big orchestras as soloists, or they had held down chairs in symphony or operatic organizations. This was the type of musician that Shilkret wanted, though there was one other requirement they had to have in order to fill his ideal. They must be players who could feel equally at home with classic and popular music. The reason for this is plain. It was Shilkret’s intention to treat popular music in the classic manner and bring to its rendition all the resources of the classic styles. By ceaseless experimenting, Shilkret finally got together exactly the body of men he sought and in its present form the Victor Salon Orchestra represents just what he had in mind when he con- ceived his idea. The personnel of the orchestra is now as follows: Lou Raderman, violin and viola; B. Posner, violin and viola; Pete Eisenberg, violin and viola; Bernie Altschuler, cello; Jack Shilkret, piano, celesta, organ, clarinet; Roy Shield, piano, celesta, organ; William Schade, flute; Charles Delstaiger, cornet, flugel horn, French horn, trumpet; R. Ross, oboe, English horn, banjo, clarinet, all saxophones, violin; Jack Pierce, tuba, bass; Joe Green, xylophone, marimba, vibra- phone, drums and traps. The next thing which stared Shilkret in the countenance was the music which these men were to play. It was his job to arrange his numbers in such a way that his idea received full express- ion. That meant work, but Shilkret was equip- ped for it. He is undoubtedly one of the finest arrangers in this country and he has made