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

192 The Phonograph Monthly Review van — — ^ook Reviews FRENCH SAVANT ENDORSES PHONOGRAPH We in America where the Phonograph was invented and perfected are generally unfamiliar with its development in foreign countries. Its progress in England has been pheno- menal as may be seen by consulting the catalogues of the different companies. Conditions have been exceptionally favorable for the making of records of the classics. Germany has come up with recent years. Conditions in France have been more difficult to estimate so a recent pronouncement of a leading French savarit will be of special interest to readers of the Phonograph. That the phonograph has definitely arrived may be seen from the recent pronouncement of Henri Prunieres, the dean of French musicologists. Prunieres as editor of La Revue Musicale occupies such a leading position in France that a brief survey of his life will be of interest before quoting his article. A pupil of Roman Rolland, Prunieres took his doctorate in 1913. His researches have had mainly to do with the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1910 he published a critical study on Lully. Later works were L’Opera italien en France avant Lully and Le Ballet de cour en France avant Benserade et Lully. In 1924 he published a popular book on Monteverdi which is the basis for a translation just brought out in this country by Dutton. His reconstruction of musical conditions in Cremono, Mantua and Venice where we catch glimpses of Italy’s Golden Period, have been acclaimed widely. He is as well-informed on modern music as in the ancient and h's articles on Malipiero, Bartok and Szymanowski have contributed largely to their fame. The article printed on page 167 is a translation of an ar- ticle which appeared in La Revue Musicale for July, 1926. Epochs in Musical Progress by Prof. Clarence G. Hamilton, of Wellesley College is the fourth volume in A Study Course in Music Understanding. The whole series under the general editorship of William Arms Fisher, composer, critic, and editor is a finely conceived and excellently carried out scheme for the cultivation of intelligent listening. First in the series is a volume on the Fundamentals oj Music by Prof. Karl W. Gehrkens, with chapter on Notation, Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Form, etc. Prof. Daniel Gregory Mason in From Song to Symphony discusses Folksong, Art Song, Opera, Piano Music and Orchestral Music. The third volume in the series is on Musical Instruments and is by Dr. Edgar Stillman Kelley. Early instruments as well as all the instruments of the modern orchestra are carefully treated. The publishers (Oliver Ditson Company) are to be com- mended for the attractive form in which this excellent material is presented. The volumes are small and light contrasting favorably with huge unwieldy volumes. Each book is fully illustrated, pictorially and musically. The material is readable and authoritative. Each chapter is provided with lists of phonograph records that illustrate the text. This at once removes it from the class of books addressed exclusively to trained musicians who can read notation although even they will find it indispensable. R. G. A. ‘GRAMOPHONE TIPS" By Captain H. T. Barnett The new 1927 Edition of Captain Barnett’s valuable “Gramophone Tips,” now in the fifth year of publication, has just been issued. It is published by the author, 123 High Street, Old Portsmouth, England, and is priced at one shilling, post free (which probably applies only to Great Britain). It is to be hoped that it will soon be made available in this country for it contains much interesting and helpful information and will be of worth to many phono- graph enthusiasts, particularly those whose experience is of recent date. It is sure to stimulate activity in the fascinating fields of experimentation with sound boxes, tone chambers, tone arm counterbalances, and all the various appliances so dear to the heart of the veteran phonograph student. Captain Barnett is well known as an expert and has been writing on the subject of the phonograph and recorded music for many years, particularly in “The Gramophone” to whose columns he is a regular contributer. American readers of his “Tips” are sure to disagree with some of his con- clusions, especially those regarding electrical recording, but they cannot fail to find much of value in his varied hints and suggest'"ons covering nearly every phase of the phono- graph and records. “Gramophone Tips” should do much to stimulate phonograph enthusiasm. We strongly recommend every owner of a phonograph and a record library to read it. AN EXCELLENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Representatives and Advertisement and Subscription Agents for the Phonograph Monthly Review are wanted for cities where as yet there are no representatives. Write to the Business Office, The Phonograph Publishing Company, Inc., 101 Milk Street, Boston, Mass., for details. SUBSCRIPTION ORDER THE PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY REVIEW Date The Phonograph Publishing Co., Inc. 101 Milk Street, Boston, Mass. Enclosed please find (money C order ) for $4.00 in payment for The Phonograph Monthly Review for one year beginning with the issue. Name [~Yearly subscription price for Canada! Street I and other foreign countries $5.00, I I postage prepaid. I Town