Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 3, No. 6 (1929-03)

184 The Phonograph Monthly Review March, 1929 Spanish Songs (two records) by Jeanne Gautier, and a harp record by Mme. Renie of a Respighi Siciliana and Daquin’s The Swallows. French Columbia releases Chopin’s Sonata, Op. 35 (with the Funeral March) played by Robert Lortat; Milhaud’s Le Boeuf sur le Toit (Cinema-Fan- tasie) played by Benedetii (violin) and Wiener (piano) ; a piano record by E. Trillat of Florent Schmitt’s Brises and Goossens’ Punch and Judy Show; Franck’s Organ Pastorale by E. Corn- matte; and Pierne’s Sonata da Camera for flute, ’cello, and piano, played by Moyse, Lopes, and the composer. In Italy Molajoli and the Grand Symphony Orchestra of Milan are recorded in Respighi’s Fountains of Rome, for the Italian Columbia Com- pany. I take great pleasure in announcing that Mr. Alfred H. Meyer of The Boston Transcript, lec- turer on music at Wellesley College and at the Children’s Concerts of the Boston Symphony, and known to our readers by his excellent article on Koussevitzky in our January issue, has now joined the regular staff of the Phonograph Monthly Review. Our readers will be interest- ed to learn that Mr. Meyer will furnish us with articles on various musical subjects. The first of these appears elsewhere in this issue. I am also very happy to inform our readers that Mr. George W. Oman of Chicago, our Historical Expert and a frequent contributor to the early issues of the magazine, has now largely recovered from a long and serious illness and that he will soon be represented in our pages again. Mr. Oman writes me that he is gradually becoming able to devote his attention to things phono- graphic again, and that he is at work on a “His- torical Review No. 2.” I am looking forward to having the pleasure of publishing Mr. Oman’s article in an early issue, accompanied by his photograph, which we have been waiting the op- portunity of sharing with our readers. H. ROYER SMITH CO. “The World’s Record Shop” New Importations Almost Every Day (See Advertisement on Page 209) Immigration and Music By EVELYN SHULER (Reprinted from the Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger) T HE immigration law with its attendant restrictions is working havoc with the symphony orchestras of this country and in time will sound the American death knell of the lesser-used instruments, according to Arthur C. Judson, manager of the Philadelphia Orchestra, who has found it increasingly difficult of obtain English horn, French horn and oboe players. “It seems a far cry from the immigration law to orchestras,” Mr. Judson said, “but they are very closely related. In fact, if the present unintelligent law continues to operate, some of our orchestras will cost $1,000,000 a year to keep up. “We have restricted quotas and then what happens? Music is a matter of nationality—especially the playing of instru- ments. The best French horn players in the world come from Austria. From Germany we get string artists. Now, then, musicians are temperamental, even if they won’t admit it. When they apply at the immigration office and are told they must wait three years to come to America, they give up the idea. “The present law is most unintelligent and is starving the cultural life of our country. It should be arranged by pro- fessions and not by numbers.” Mr. Judson recently has been in difficult straits to supply a substitute for the English horn player in the Philadelphia Orchestra, who was taken ill, but he points out that all musicians who play the lesser-used instrument are growing increasingly scarce due to the immigration law. “It is a question of supply and demand and the supply is not nearly meeting the demand today,” Mr. Judson continued. “The supply of oboe, French and English horn players has always been extremely limited, but today it threatens to be- come depleted. Naturally, when the players are scarce the wage scale goes up. Prices today are advancing enormously. This is primarily due to the lack of musicians. I am willing to prophesy that within a short time, if’ the present immigration law continues, orchestras will cost $1,000,000 a year. There is one orchestra today that costs $900,000 a season. “Within the last seven years the expense budget of sym- phony orchestras and other orchestras has tripled. “The radio and the ‘talkies’ are taking many of our best musicians. Top this off with the present immigration and we have serious prospects for the lovers of music, as well as for the orchestras. “We are getting very few first-class musicians from Europe today. I lay the blame almost entirely at the feet of the immigration law. That is the root of our whole difficulties. If that law continues to operate as it does now it will reduce materially the standard of symphony orchestras throughout the entire country, without any question. “I only wish some amendment could be arranged so that the immigration quota will be governed by professions. We must do this to feed the cultural life of our country. We simply do not produce here players of certain instruments. I do not know if our American students lack patience or whether they are not sufficiently encouraged. “In Germany, for instance, they have thirteen symphony orchestras in Berlin alone, and almost as many opera houses wdiere young students get an opportunity. Here we have very few. If we get one really talented oboe player out of a class of 100 it is a very high percentage. “There is one difficulty in America that is a handicap to the training of real musicians. The people here want to study the saxophone today, and go on the vaudeville stage tomorrow at $1000 a week. The Curtis Institute and a few similar schools are beginning to train students in the lesser- used instruments, but they could not begin to meet the demand. . . “America will either have to open her doors to musicians or else train her own faster. There is one good feature-- maybe this will compel us to train our own musicians. We have plenty of latent talent in America. This will be splendid for the future, but it is mighty hard on the present orchestras.