Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 1, No. 5 (1927-02)

228 The Phonograph Monthly Review 3IGV Analytical Notes and Reviews BY OUR STAFF CRITICS D URING my recent trip west I had the pleas- ure of attending a meeting of the Phono- graph Art Society of Chicago, accompanied by Mr. Vories Fisher, President of the other Chicago Society. The meeting was most ably conducted by President William Braid White and included a splendid musical program chosen and illuminatingly presented by Mr. George W. Oman, the Secretary. It was indeed a pity that the en- thusiasts all over the country did not have the advantage of attending this meeting and having brought home in a most forcible manner the value of a phonograph society. Surely no one present could fail to realize the good a well or- ganized society can do for the cause of good music in this country. Congratulations to Messrs. White and Oman and all the other officers and members! Part of my visit in Chicago was spent in the pleasant company of Mr. and Mrs. Vories Fisher , Mr. Harris, Secretary of the Chicago Phonograph Society, and last, but far from least, Mr. B. M. Mai, who despite the demands of his business — particularly heavy owing to the arrival of sev- eral shipments of Polydor records from abroad and the seasonal rush—so kindly devoted his time and attention to me. Going directly to Pennsylvania, I spent a few very busy hours in Philadelphia and Camden, N. J. On my arrival in New York, I found the preparations for the new Society there in the capable hands of Mr. Henry S. Gerstle and Mr. Peter Hugh Reed. It was evident that the New York Society would soon be well established and would adequately represent the metropolis and its many music lovers and phonograph enthusiasts. My return to Boston found my desk loaded with contributions from many writers, making the problem of the selection of material for the com- ing issue increasingly difficult. Some of these contributors no doubt may be disappointed by not finding their work in this issue , but from the wealth of material it was possible to find space for only a part. In the future, we must request our contributors to be as concise as possible. The routine Phonograph Society Reports should be limited to approximately 250 words. Of course, for unusual features like Mr. Poliak's lecture in this month's report of the Chicago Society, we shall always have room. We do not believe in “cutting” signed articles under any circum- stances, but we wish to have as much and as varied material for our pages as can be obtained. Our readers seem most interested in the reviews and articles of direct and helpful bearing on practical questions of the phonograph and record- ings. The outstanding records of this month's re- leases are the neiv Mengelberg Tannhauser Over- ture for Columbia, one of the most remarkable interpretations in recorded music; and the bril- liant Poet and Peasant Overture and Rimsky- Korsakow's Spanish Caprice for Victor. Elgar's first Pomp and Circumstance Marches, conducted by the composer, should also be mentioned; the second is an English recording of unusual merit (Victor 9016). O'Doherty's Irish Folk Songs (Columbia 33116 F) and a surprising whistling record (Victor 20382) should not be passed over. From Mr. B. M. Mai in Chicago came the first Parlophone records of Aus Italien (Symphonic Fantasia) and Macbeth by Richard Strauss to be imported into this country. Unfortunately these unusual recordings arrived too late for review in this issue and mention of them must be deferred until next month. By courtesy of the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, the Brunswick instrument in the Studio was supplanted by a new, electric-motor-driven “Cortez” model Brunswick. This, however, seems to be having a bad influence in one way: the Staff is becoming too lazy to wind spring motors any longer! Undoubtedly the Studio Annex will have to be remodeled into a gymnasium to supply the necessary physical exercise! At any rate, the new Cortez Brunsivick is favored, with constant use. And while it would still be premature to announce any final comparisons or judgments of the instru- ments in the Studio, we can safely say that this new Brunswick is the finest for new orchestral recordings of any instrument with a metal dia- phragm sound box we have yet heard. (As the Victor Company has just announced it is sending us a new Electrola, and the Columbia Company that it is replacing the spring motor in its excellent Viva-Tonal at the Studio with an electric one, the proposed gymnasium seems an immediate necessity!) From the Orchorsol Gramophone Company, London, England, we have received one of the new adjustable Orchorsol patent sound boxes, which proved to be a veritable marvel as long as the adjustments were left alone. But after start- ing to change and experiment, R.D.D. and I had seven hours' hard work trying to get it back to where it was in the beginning—even now we are not sure that we succeeded! It takes consider- able experience to adjust it correctly, but when it is tuned right it is able to give more realistic reproduction than we have heard to date. For those who love to experiment with sound boxes and reproduction, this box will prove ideal. And at its best, it can hardly be beaten. The Jewell Phonograph Company of Chicago, III., writes us that it is sending two of its famous Jewell sound boxes to us for test; one of the “Nom-y-ka” and the other the new improved