Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 2, No. 2 (1927-11)

48 The Phonograph Monthly Review November, 1927 Dr. Frederick Weissmann Exclusive Parlophone-Odeon Artist (Photograph on Front Cover) T O American music lovers Dr. Weissmann is known only by his recordings, made by the Parlophone Company in Germany, and is- sued here under the Odeon label. To us his name is inseparable from that of the phonograph; it is difficult to realize that he actually conducts con- cert performances also, so closely has his person- ality become entwined with the association of records. Those poor souls who still fondly believe the phonograph a mechanical monster, the mur- derer of the artist’s personality, can find scant sympathy from the Old Guard of the enthusiasts, to whom Weissmann is as real a person and as vivid a personality as any musician whom they have seen and heard in the flesh. Perhaps he is even more real, for surely there are few concert artists whose performances suffuse their hearers with a sense of individuality as strong and as crystal clear as Dr. Weissmann’s records do. And all this is in spite of the fact that the vast body of his work is acoustically recorded, some of it dating from the early days of symphonic re- cording of major musical compositions. From a mechanical point of view these old disks are con- sidered antiquated today, but from a musical one, they are as fresh and new as ever. The new phonograph converts, entranced by the obvious splendors of the new process and its triumphs, give scant attention to these masterpieces of an- other day, but the new recordings will do well indeed if their inner worth survives the test of the next mechanical revolution in recording as well as Weissmann’s works have done the recent one! If for nothing else, Weissmann’s fame would be firmly established by his part in the first com- plete recorded library of the nine Beethoven Sym- phonies, made under his direction with the excep- tion of the Seventh and the last movement of the Ninth. The historical importance of this issue can hardly be overestimated, especially in Am- erica where the Okeh (then the General) Phono- graph Corporation released them in its Odeon Library. From the beginning, most of the great works of Weissmann and his colleague, Dr. Morike, were released in this country as well as abroad, and while their actual circulation never reached great proportions (the difficulties con- nected with obtaining them in the market have only lately been ameliorated), their actual influ- ence was far-reaching and powerful in building the foundation for the phonographic renaissance that is now upon us. A list of Dr. Weissmann’s recordings should be given before more detailed mention is made of them. The works starred are not yet available in this country. Electrically recorded: Beethoven: “Battle Symphony”; Jener Symphony”* Mozart: Don Juan overture* Flotow: Martha overture*; Stradella overture* Wagner: Tannhauser—Grand March Acoustically recorded : Beethoven: Symphonies—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 (except the last movement, which is conducted by Dr. Morike). Overtures—Leonore No. 3; Coriolan; Namensfier*; Der Weihe des Hauses*, Twelve German Dances* Mozart: Symphonies—G minor*; E flat*; Jupiter*. Over- tures--Don Giovanni; Cosi fan Tutte; Der Schauspiel- direktor*; Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail*; Figaros Hochzeit; Idomeneus*; Die Zauberflote*. Three Old Dances*; Turkish March* Haydn: Symphony—G major (“Surprise”)* Weber: Invitation to the Dance. Overtures: Der Frei- schutz; Preciosa*. Introduction Act III, Der Frei- schutz* Nicolai: Merry Wives ol‘ Windsor overture Bizet: Carmen Excerpts Tschaikowsky: Symphonie Pathetique; 1812 Overture* Listz : 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody Kelar-Bela: Lustpiel overture (Hungarian) Wagner: Tannhauser overture; Die Meistersinger prelude Strauss: Salome’s Dance Strauss (Johann): Der lustige Krieg* Smetana: Libussa overture. Moldau Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique* Roman Carnival overture* Humperdink: Hansel und Gretel-Vorspiel*, Hexenritt*, and Knusperwaltzer* Lortzing: Overtures—Der Waffenschmied*; Undine*; Zar und Zimmermann*; Der Wildschutz* Saint-Saens: Samson and Dalila—Ballet Music* Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite*. Sigurd Josalfar Suite*. Hochzeit- stag auf Troldhaugen* Goldmark: Sakuntula overture*. Queen of Sheba—Mar'ch* Puccini: La Boheme—Fantasie* Ponchielli: La Gioconda—Ballet music* Rossini: Wiliam Tell overture* Mendelssohn: Ruy Bias overture Brahms: Academic Festival overture* Thomas: Mignon overture Gluck: Iphigenia in Aulis overture A remarkable list of records to be credited to any one man, and still more to one of Dr. Weiss- mann’s comparative youth—he is only thirty-one! Naturally, the Parlophone Company would never have given so many important works to any one who had not already proved his mettle; Weiss- mann had given abundant evidence of his talents before he set to work on the first recorded series of Beethoven’s Nine Symphonies ever to be is- sued. Like Schumann and many another musi- cian, he was intended by his parents for another career, that of the Law, but again the urge of music proved too strong for any parental control, and the piano and composition soon outdistanced legal studies, even though he went to Heidelberg University for a time. It was music, however, which he studied, and his earlier lessons with Rehberg, were supplemented with work with Wolfrum, and later Braunfels in Munich. Bruno Walter was conducting in Munich at the time and played an important part in turning