Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 2, No. 11 (1928-08)

August, 1928 The Phonograph Monthly Review 391 nouncement of which has just been received as we go to press, there will be disks by Friedman, Felix Salmond, and Johann Strauss and his or- chestra, reduced in price to $1.00 each instead of $1.50 or $1.25 as formerly. Those who have to employ strict budgeting systems in buying re- cords will give this reduction a deserved welcome. From the Okeh Corporation the leading record is an Odeon disk of the Barber of Seville Over- ture played by Mascagni and the Berlin State Opera House Orchestra in a way that reflects further glory on his prowess as a conductor. It is easily the best version available today of this popular work. There is also another good waltz coupling from Dajos Bela. In the Brunswick list Godowsky and Albert Spalding figure prominently, the latter with a coupling of the Prize Song and Chopin’s E flat Nocturne, and the former with the Melody in F and Chopin’s Waltz in C sharp minor. Needless to say, both are excellent. There are also inter- esting vocal releases by Edith Mason, Giuseppe Danise, and Dan Beddoe; and three additions to the ever-growing series by the Brunswick Con- cert Orchestra: Schubert’s Marche Militaire and Moment Musicale, Ketelbey’s In a Persian Mar- ket and In a Monastery Garden, and Losey’s Feast of the Flowers and Warde’s Rosine. Among the foreign releases there are several “finds”: another Didur record in the Brunswick Polish list; and in the Victor German list Wien bei N/acht and several other works by Marek Weber, and a choral record by the Lehrergesang- verein. Wien bei Nacht, a Viennese Potpourri is one of Weber’s best achievement to date. Among the imported records received at the Studio have been many works of uncommon in- terest. From the H. Royer Smith Company of Philadelphia we have received three Beethoven Piano Sonatas played by Kempff for Polydor, and a large group of unusual French Columbia disks, including Debussy’s Fetes conducted by Gaubert, Saint-Saens’ Septet, two Handel Oboe Sonatas, and miscellaneous flute, horn, and harp solos. From the Gramophone Shop we have received the French H. M. V. Pelleas et Melisande album, Honeggers’ Pacific 231, Ravel’s Pavanne and Five O’clock, the Preludes to Acts 2 and 3 of Dukas’ Ariane et Barbe bleue, and a disk coupling the third and fourth movements of the Jener Symphony from Parlophone. The last-named record deserves special comment, for the earlier issue of the first two movements aroused a great deal of interest. The rest of the Symphony has been discovered that here it is on records, played fully as well as the first parts. The Gramophone Shop deserves credit in making it available in this country so soon. Some of the above works are reviewed in this issue; others will be re- viewed later. In the current number of our contemporary “The Gramophone” Mr. Mackenzie makes a re- ference to people who write in demanding im- possibilities of reviewers, which strikes an echo- ing chord in the Studio. I can say with him, “Try to review yourself.” It these people would gather a few of their musical friends together, play several records, and then observe the difficulties of arriving at any unanimous opinions or con- clusions, they would better realize the impossi- bility of ever pleasing everybody. No one who has not been present at one of the Studio sessions can realize how much time and effort is taken to give our readers the sanest and most unbiassed opinions and findings. Our heavy correspondence on this and many other points indicates the intensity of the interest our readers take in us. Recently we have re- ceived a number of suggestions for a new fea- tures and developments which should be grate- fully acknowledged. Unfortunately it is impos- sible for us to take advantage of them at the present, but some of them will surely be incor- porated into the magazine in the near future. Next winter will see many new developments in the magazine, both in size and contents. We have also received a number of complaints from several cities over delays in receiving the magazine. Our publication date of the 28th of the month has always been scrupulously ob- served; the subscribers’ copies are invariably sent out not later than the evening of that date (sometimes on the 27th). The local postal authorities have assured us that every effort is made to send them out the same night. Delays when they occur, must surely be at the receiving end, and neither we nor the local postal authori- ties can fairly be held responsible. All addresses are carefully checked not less than three times, and in the event of non-delivery the copies are re- turned to us. In many instances where a sub- scriber complained of not receiving his copy, and we sent another we were informed later that both copies had arrived. We recommend any subscrib- ers who receive the magazine late to see their own postal authorities to ensure their copies be- ing delivered promptly. Recent developments in the phonograph world have put me in mind of a conversation I had about a year ago with an English manufacturing official of international repute. Our subject was the desirability of repressing in America impor- tant British releases, which I, of course, strong- ly advocated, but which this official opposed with the argument that his company’s sales sheets nroved that records given international release had an immense sale in England and a very small one in this country. The last year has shown more than ever that this argument was based on misleading facts. Even at that time the evidence of the flood of mail we constantly received, our rapidly growing subscription lists, the interest we succeeded in arousing, (to say nothing of the fact that this country boasts an enormous number of music lovers, of which an unusually large percentage are financially equipped to spend a great deal of money on records) con- vinced us that America must be absorbing far more good records than it was being given credit for. The reason it was not given this credit is simple. I notice in “The Gramophone” not less