Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 2, No. 6 (1928-03)

204 The Phonograph Monthly Review March, 1928 in connection with the appearance of his mag- nificent records in the Columbia Bayreuth Festi- val Album. Splendid as this album is in many re- spects, its greatest claim to fame is undoubtedly based on the merit of bringing Dr. Muck back on records again. Here in Boston, particularly, these recorded performances of his are a cause for the greatest rejoicing. Some of the new sub- scribers to The Phonograph Monthly Review are perhaps unfamiliar with the article on the Boston Symphony Orchestra which appeared in the second issue, November 1926, and for their benefit a paragraph dealing with Dr. Muck’s famed conductorship of that orchestra deserves to be resurrected from the files. “To many he (Dr. Muck) represents the peak of musicianship and the perfection of the art of conducting. A man of broader sweep of mind and imagination, he went beyond Gerike in his capacity for expression, while still keeping the same powerful grip on the technical abilities and training of the orchestra. His introduction of the “unified” program, by which a concert would leave a single, consistent impression on the mind of the listener, longer concerts and a greater variety of musical works, the limitation on solo- ists that in every case they must be accompanied by the orchestra rather than a piano, and other innovations are but the externals of his services. His breadth of learning, the depth of his sym- pathy, the grandeur of his conceptions were the true gifts which he had for Boston and the world. Despite the circumstances of his deportation from the country in 1918 and all the insane hy- steria which war times and war time propaganda raised up, his place in the hearts of thousands of Bostonians and Americans has never been, and can never be, pre-empted. Dr. Muck was a Musician and a Man;—unfortunately he was also a German at a time when this country became engaged in a war with Germany. The Muck issue is past and done with now, we are told; cer- tainly this is no place to dwell on it. But a past thing or not, it has not been forgotten, nor should it ever be so. Dr. Muck gave the best years of his life, the finest fruits of his genius to Boston; as to its gratitude, let someone speak when the time is ripe. He is an old man now, broken and unhappy, appearing but seldom to conduct the works which he knows so well and can interpret so profoundly and with such divine insight. But he may rest assured that there are many—those who sat under his inspired baton and those who have heard of his readings only through the en- thusiastic lips of their elders—who hold for him and will always hold for him the deepest respect, the greatest admiration, and the most whole- hearted love.” Dr. Britzius’ stimulating comparison of Sto- kowski and Weingartner has aroused so much favorable comment that we, like our readers, are hoping that Dr. Britzius will be able to find time from his practice to write further on similar topics. Meanwhile we of the Staff are at pres- ent workng on a general resume of the works of all recording conductors, with brief compara- tive notes. Free expression will be given to all the diverse opinions which make the Studio at times a veritable hot-bed of debate—they should make lively reading. Probably it will be ready for the next issue; at any rate it can be definitely promised for the very near future. Just as I am about to end these remarks for this month, a record has come to hand which I feel deserves special comment. It is not a new symphony or by any celebrity artist, but in its class it is a remarkable piece of work. The disk is Brunswick 3727, In an Oriental Garden and Roses of Remembrance, played by the Anglo- Persians under the direction of Louis Katzman. I don’t know what particular innovations or revolutionary discoveries have taken place in the Brunswick studios, but of late they have been turning out some truly remarkable work in the way of recording, as a single hearing of this par- ticular record, or those of the Rhapsody in Blue or the New York String Quartet released this month, will quickly prove. I am looking forward to some big things from them in the very near PRIZE SACRIFICE CONTEST The awarding of the prizes for the best letter on “The Sacrifices I Have Made to Ob- tain Good Records”, announced for this issue, has had to be postponed until next month. The letters have been in the hands of the judges for decision, but although we held back the press date of the magazine over a day in the hopes of having the judges’ report in time, it was not forthcoming and the issue had to go to press without it. The illness of one of the judges and the absence of another from the city has con- tributed to their difficulties in choosing the winners among the many letters, but they assure us definitely that they will have a full report ready for the next issue, at which time the awards of fifteen, ten, and five dollars’ worth of records (of the winners’ own choice) will be finally announced.