Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 2, No. 3 (1927-12)

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December, 1927 The Phonograph Monthly Review 85 Br„ Walter Bamroseh Exclusive Columbia Artist (Photograph on Front Cover) I T should not be necessary to remind the readers of the Phonograph Monthly Review that the career of Walter Damrosch has been insepar- ably connected with musical development in Am- erica, and especially in New York City, from his earliest manhood years to the present time. It was upon the death of his father, Dr. Leo- pold Damrosch, in 1885, that Walter Damrosch, then scarcely out of his teens, undertook the di- rectorship of the orchestra of the New York Sym- phony Society. Blest with indefatigable energy, unusual musical gifts and a positive genius for organization, he threw himself into the task of developing the orchestra into one of the finest bodies, of players in the United States. His his- tory since that time has been practically that of the orchestra itself. For short intervals he de- voted himself to other work, having conducted at the Metropolitan Op°ra House from 1900 to 1902 and directed the New York Philharmonic Orchestra during the season of 1902-03. He was instrumental in securing the services of some of the most brilh'ant of +h° Fu^on^an conductors for guest appearances with the New York Svmphony, these including Bruno Walter and Felix Wein- gartner. At the end of the season 1926-27 he resigned his post as permanent conductor after forty-two seasons of service, much to the regret of his many friends and supporters. He now continues his very popular series of Symphony Concerts for young people and conducts the regu- lar concerts of the Society for one month each season. Reference to Mr. Damrosch this month is parti- cularly timelv in view of the fact that his record- ing of Ravel's Mother Coose Suite is now being issued bv the Columbia Phonograph Company in its Masterworks Series. It was not the easiest thing in the world to secure Mr. Damrosch’s ser- vices for recording in the first place. Once com- mitted. to his Columbia contract, however, he en- tered into recording activities with the zest and enthusiasm that have ever been so characteristic of him. Not only did he give his utmost co-opera- tion to the securing of good recordings, but also, through his helpful criticism, did much to strengthen the standard of orchestral reproduc- tion generally. His attitude toward recording now-a-days is best shown by the unsolicited tri- bute he recently paid the Columbia Company: “We are happy to plav for Columbia,” said he because these New Process Records represent our music faithfully". It was Mr. Damrosch who originated the plan of having, a large symphonic organization make country-wide tours. For years, under Mr. Dam- rosch's leadership, the New York Symphony Or- chestra toured through the South, the Middle West and even as far West as California and Oregon. Estimates are that in these tours the Orchestra has covered four hundred thousand miles, bringing the best in orchestral music to the ears of between eight and nine million people. There can be little doubt that these tours gave the first impulse to the establishment of many of the now well established and successful Symphony Orchestras in other parts of the United States. The great roster of solists who have appeared at the concerts of the New York Symphony include such names as Saint-Saens, Tschaikowsky, von Bulow and Paderewski. Perhaps the most not- able achievement of the orchestra was its tour in 1920 of Belgium, England, France, Holland and Italy by special invitation of the governments of these countries, thus far the only European tour of an American orchestra. The appearances of the orchestra in Havana in 1925 are still recent in the minds of the musical public. Mr. Damrosch’s contribution to orchestral re- cording through his Columbia New Process Rec- ords are: Ravel: Ma Mere L'Oye (Mother Goose) Suite for Orchestra Complete in five parts Masterworks Set No. 74 7016 M—Symphony in G Minor: 1st Movement —Allegro Mol to (Mozart) Symphony in G Minor: 3rd Movement —Menuetto (Mozart) 7018 M—Merry Wives of Windsor: Overture (Nicolai) Freischutz: Overture (Weber) 7017 M—Norwegian Dances, Nos. 1 and 2 (Grieg) Roses from the South (Strauss) 7073 M—Symphony No. 8 in F, Opus 93; Second M o v e m e n t—Allegretto Scherzando (Beethoven) Symphony No. 8 in F, Opus 93; Minuet (Beethoven) 7074 M—Rosamunde: Overture (Schubert) Symphony No. 2, in D Major, Opus 72: Third Movement—Allegretto (Brahms) Our Christmas Number will he out December 22ud