Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 2, No. 9 (1928-06)

320 The Phonograph Monthly Review June, 1928 desire to have recorded. (It must be remem- bered that the N. G. S. as yet records only cham- ber and chamber orchestral music, and that large orchestral works or works liable to be recorded by the leading manufacturing companies do not come within its scope.) Our readers are in- vited to send their suggestions for such record- ings to me personally, from which I shall pick out a not-too-large list of works which seem most to be desired to send to Major Stone.. Mr. H. Royer Smith has just notified me that his Bulletin No. 1 is now ready. Every music lover who has not yet received a copy should lose no time in sending for one; it is to be had for the asking. I strongly advise every record col- lector to have his name placed on the mailing lists of all three of our forward-looking import- ers, the New York Band Instrument Company, the H. Royer Smith Company, and the Gramo- phone Shop, as works temporarily out of stock in one place are sure to be available from one of the others. Nor in mentioning our American live- wires should I forget to speak about our London dealers, Alfred Imhof Ltd., whose service con- tinues to be as reliable as ever, although records may take a little longer to come from them. We have not had much to say in regard to our American Phonograph Societies of late, as the Secretaries have merely written to me personally of the progress of the organizations rather than sending in formal reports for publication. In England the Phonograph Society Movement is thriving increasingly and its development is worthy of study here. I had always believed that the indifference of attitude on the part of some truly enthusiastic admirers of the phonograph was on account of the dealers. However, we find that in England the same problem of unprogres- sive or antagonistic dealers has to be met with, as Mr. Compton Mackenzie reveals in his most in- teresting editorial in the last issue of our con- temporary, “The Gramophone,” of which he is the Founder and Editor. I trust that he will per- mit me to reprint a passage in full, for it provides material for careful thought on the part of Am- erican as well as British phonograph enthusiasts. Now if the dealers, with a few notable and laudable excep- tions, had done anything to bring about the present happy state of prosperity in the gramophone world I might be will- ing to avoid treading on their corns. But I see them going the way of the booksellers, who with a minimum risk take a maximum of profit and do nothing to earn that dispropor- tionate profit. Understand me, I am not talking about the leading gramophone dealers. There is hardly a bookshop in the British Isles that can compare with them in intelligent trading. I am talking to the average dealer who, when you ask him for such and such a record, says “There’s no demand for that class of stuff here,” and who will not be cured of his defeatist attitude until customers make a habit of enter- ing his shop with a pistol and demanding the music or his life. Not a day goes by but I receive a letter from somebody to say that he has been trying to get this or that accessory, to find out if this or that song has been recorded, to obtain this or that record, but that the local dealer could not give him any information. No, and the local dealer never will be able to give anybody any information until he realizes that he lives by human brains and imagination and emotion, not by human stomachs. I notice with appre- hension that major works are now being published in Am- erica at the same rate as here. That means without doubt that in a short time major works will be produced at a faster rate in America. To be sure, the population is larger. Still, we did lead, and I believe that if we had enough intelligent dealers we could continue to lead. But no, there’s no demand for that class of stuff. They prefer to ladle out cuties and sweeties and babies, for which class of stuff the demand is so brisk that there is no need to interrupt the afternoon nap to sell them. When the Beethoven centenary was in full swing last year one heard gramophone dealers groaning about the records of symphonies and quartets as if they were lava being belched forth out of a volcano. Well, it’s up to our readers with a missionary bent to do some useful work. We shall soon find America with as big a lead in the production of good music as it enjoys at present in the production of syncopated sentimentality. I note as a sign of the times that the Editor of The Phonograph, which grows in excellence every month, has announced his intention no longer to review in detail the swarms of ephemeridae that dance for a month and die. The reason is significant. He cannot afford the space. There is too much good music being published. I have no doubt whatever that our own recording companies are publishing over here all the good music that the public can absorb at present; but the public will absorb a great deal more if the dealers will make an effort to put it before their customers in the right way. “He was a bold man that ate the first oyster,” said Swift. But the man who ate the first whelk was just as bold. Our deal ers forget whelks when they tell us there is no demand for oysters. Those who can eat whelks can acquire a taste for oysters. We accept too easily the notion that good music is caviare to the general; an ordinary herring’s roe is 'caviare to the infant-in-arms. The enjoyment of good music, the relish for unfamiliar food, the manipulation of false teeth, these are all accomplishments we acquire gradually. Appe- tite comes with eating, but, Rebelais adds, thirst goes away with drinking. Customers who acquire an appetite for good music buy more and more for it. Jazz, on the contrary, re- sembles thirst, and thirst is easily quenched except by drunk- ards. I have written at some length on this topic because I do feel seriously perturbed by what I know is the obscurantist and obstructive attitude of many dealers. The British pub- lic has been choked off buying books. Do not let it be choked off buying records. Mr. Mackenzie’s remarks indicate that condi- tions in England are not so different from those here as we had thought. But let us remember that we have also what he terms “laudable exceptions” —I again refer to the three Companies which demonstrate what progressiveness and efficient service may really be. And I have no doubt that besides the Royer Smith and the New York Band Instrument Companies and the Gramophone Shop, there are many others in various parts of the country which we have not yet succeeded in reaching. I know the day is not far away when every community in the United States will be able to boast of at least one progressive phono- graph society conducted by true enthusiasts, and of at least one energetic and capable dealer will- ing and able to serve them properly according to their needs. Let us use the coming summer months to pre- pare for a real drive in the fall for a phonograph movement in all its aspects, and above all for the best music on records, made available as soon as possible.