Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 10 (1930-07)

July, 1930 The Phonograph Monthly Review 359 FOREIGN International. Marek Wsber’s record of Popy’s Suite Orientale (Victor) is reviewed in the “Light Orchestral group, and the Koshetz release under “Songs. The other Victor issues are all in the novelty class. Giulietta Morina and her orchestra play exceedingly bland waltzes on V-44; one is dedicated to Raquel Torres, the film star, but the luscious, languishing piece falls far short of suggesting her exotic per- sonality. On V-42 the Hernandez Brothers, mustering guitar, bandola, musical saw, and bells, play Gounod’s Sing Smile Slumber and Nevin’s Mighty Lak’ a Rose. On V-43 Bob MacGimsey, harmony whistler weaves arabesques on Her- bert’s Gypsy Love Song and Carry Me Back to Old Vir- ginny. The two Columbia releases are orchestral: the Inter- national dance orchestra in a smooth waltz, Pair after Pair, coupled with a rather attractive Grandfather’s polka featur- ing a clarinet solo (12130-F); and Dajos-Bela’s orchestra providing rather featureless accompaniments to two xylo- phone solos—Parade of the Marionettes and Rendez-Vous of the Fire-Bugs (G-12131-F). Among the following records those marked with an asterisk (*) are of more than strictly national interest. Bohemian. There are popular songs by Martinek on Columbia 159-F, and by Fass,el and Hruska on G-160-F. Attention should also be called to the Bohemian H. M. V.’s issue of the complete Ma Vlast cycle of tone-poems by Bed- rich Smetana, given detailed mention in the article by Dr. J. E. S. Vojan elsewhere in this issue. Finnish. Most interesting are the songs by Ture Ara on Victor 'V-4077 and the dances by Willie Larsen’s trio on Columbia 3151-F. Ara sings a Finnish version of Ray’s suave Good-Night, and on the other side of the disc, two attractive Finnish songs to flute and piano accompani- ment. French-Canadian. Best of the three Victor releases is V-5088*, whereon Henri Marcoux, baritone, sings Tosti’s Nin- on and Bonincontro’s Tes Yeux, both in simple lyrical fashion and a splendidly masculine voice and manner that reminds one slightly of Richard Tauber. Marcoux is an artist not to be overlooked. His list of recordings grows in interest and merit with every new release. German. Victor is alone this month in this usually widely cultivated field. The Schubert songs by Hans Duhan are reviewed elsewhere, as are the smooth fox trot-tango coup- ling by Marek Weber’s orchestra (V-6069*), and the Max Schmeling record (V-6071). For novelty a Berlin hand-or- gan is recorded is typical pieces, Hipp Hipp Hurra march and a Rattenfangerlied waltz (V-6068). Greek. The outstanding disc, and one of the most notable Greek recordings of the year, is Victor 9648, a twelve-inch Red Seal, whereon Premier Venizelos addresses the people in Greece and the Greeks in America—speeches that naturally will b of the greatest interest to everyone of Greek exyrac- tion, and a valuable addition to the library of recordings by great statesmen and rulers. Both speeches are in the Greek Language. There are also the usual popular lists from both Columbia and Victor, led by Columbia 56194-F with the u Great Chorus” and Ioannidis orchestra in a two-part Sere- nata. Irish. The strong Columbia list is headed by 33414-F;* one side of which contains a speech on the Unknown Soldier, and the other a song, Jesus, Jesus, Come to Me, both by the Rev. James R. Cox , Pastor of the Old St. Patrick’s Church in Pittsburgh. The vocalists are Mattie Haskins Michael Ahem, and Jim Mullan; the instrumentalists, Innisjail Irish Orchestra , Frank Quinn, and the Four Provinces Orchestra. Italian. Brunswick and Victor are alone in the field, the former featuring Rosina Gioiosa, Gilda Mignonette, Arturo Ferrar, and the Marranzini orchestra; the latter, Daniele Serra, the Margadonna Trio and Pietro, the great accordion- ist. All of these are heard in popular pieces. Much more interesting are the duets from Act II of Lehar’s Danza delle Libellule (Dance of the Dragon-Fly), sung with considerable spirit and grace by Poggianti and Lomi (Victor V-12130*). Polish. Vocalion features dance music and comic sketches. Victor lists popular songs, led by a Polish version of the ubiquitous Stein Song by Wladyslaw Podoszek (V-16125). Columbia stresses comic sketches, violin solos, and popular dances. Porto-Rican. Los Jardineros sing for Okeh, and there are several popular song discs from Brunswick. Scandinavian. Columbia 22117-F, couples a waltz and fox trot by the Skalka-G t ellin-Borgstrom trio: G-26112-F contains popular songs of Sven-Olaf Sandberg. Slovak. Victor lists dance music on V-22049 and V-22051, while John Vrabel sings popular songs on Columbia 24146-F, and the Lapcak orchestra plays csardases on 24145-F. Spanish-Mexican. Brunswick, Columbia, Okeh, and Vic- tor all issue long lists. Some of the best are: a two-part El Carbonero by the Matamoros vocal trio (Okeh 16693); the Stein Song as sung by Juan Pulido and played by the Marim- ba Centro-America (Victor 46877 and 46879); an irresistible Siren Waltz played in Edith Lorand’s best manner (Colum- bia G-4064-X*—the coupling is a zither and piano duet— Celosa—by unamed artists); popular Spanish songs by Jose Moriche (Brunswick 41005 etc.); a very seductive tango-song —Son Tus Ojos Negroes—by Juan Pulido (Victor 46775*); and instrumental tangos by Los Romanticos (Brunswick 40993). Turkish. Columbia lists popular songs by Hanoum, Arab Hussni Efjendi, and Derviche Abdullah Efjendi. S. F. Two Phonograph Magazines from Latin America There comes to us, from Argentina, the first number of a new phonograph magazine, Fonos, which is the organ of the Argentine Fono Club, an organization similar to our Phonograph Societies. This magazine is published monthly at Viamonte 550—3er Piso, Buenos Aires. Annual subscrip- tion, outside of Argentina, $4.00. (The Argentine dollar at present equals about 38 cents in U. S. Money.) Editorial Com- mittee: Manuel Beltroy, Leopoldo Hurtado, Manuel Ortiz de Guinea. Manager: Jose A. Carvalho. Besides criticisms of the more important records (these are practically the same as released or imported in the United States), and re- views of those of lighter character, consisting of popular songs, tangos, etc., there are articles on “The Phonograph, the Radiotelephone and Instruction;” “The Recording of Sound on the Disc by Means of the Electrical Process” (this is a translation of an article which appeared in The Phono- graph Monthly Review) ; “Great Orchestral Directors Who Record on Odeon Discs;” “A New Electric Induction Motor;” “Review of Principal Discs Issued During 1929;” “Two Discs by Paul Whiteman,” etc. The Spanish language is of course used. The magazine is, typographically attractive, with a two-color cover design in the modernistic manner. May it have a long and successful career! Phono-Arte is a semi-monthly, printed in Portuguese, at Avenida Rio Branca 112 (4 andar), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Managing Editors: J. Cruz Cordeiro Filho and Sergio Alen- car Vasconcellos. Yearly subscriptions 36S000 (about $4.25, U. S. money). In general contents this magazine is similar to “Fonos,” with articles pertaining to phonographic matter, and reviews of records. One department, “What We Hear on Our Popular Disks,” gives the words of various popular songs. Below the lyric is given the make and number of the record, and the name of the publisher of the printed music. Another department lists the recordings from the music of the talking films, which, in this number, are all American productions. It is interesting to note that many of the record reviews are under the head of the singers and instrumentalists who make the recordings. That Brazil sup- ports, with other phonograph magazines, one of this character is indicative of the great interest in things phonographic that must exist in that country. To “Phono-Arte” we also ex- tend our best wishes. W. S. M. The picture on the front cover of this issue j is of Efrem Zimbalist, exclusive Columbia 1 artist, whose recording of Brahms’ D minor } violin sonata is reviewed on page 348 of this f issue.