Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 12 (1930-09)

September, 1930, Vol. IV, No. 12 401 There is almost no biographical data available concerning Mexican composers. Julian Carillo, composer, artist, and conductor, and developer of the “Thirteenth Tone,” has been brought to our attention lately through the recording of his Pre- ludio a Cristobal Colon (Columbia 50216-D) (See The Phonograph Monthly Review, June, 1930). Manuel M. Ponce, beloved composer and pianist, who spends much of his time in France, is best known for that delightful little song, Estrellita — “Little Star” (Victor 78807). There have been several recordings made of this song by various companies and artists. A la Orilla de un Palmar —“Beside the Palms” (Victor 1181) is not so well known in this country, but is also very pleasing. “Serenata Mexicana (Victor 79238) is written in the style typical of Mexican serenade. Miguel Lerdo de Tejada, pianist and composer, and director of the Coro Tipico Mexicano, whose La Paloma Blanca and La Per jura have already been mentioned, is the composer of many popular songs, among them the waltz, El Faisan —“The Pheasant” (Columbia 2509-X). Alfonso Esparza Oteo is the composer of the exceedingly popular Mi Viejo Amor —“My Old Love” (Victor 79291), which has been recorded so many times. He is also the composer of the canciones, Mi Gusto Es —“It is My Pleasure” (Col- umbia 2567-X) ; and Las Tres Palomas —“The Three Doves” (Victor 46024), the latter being especially attractive. His Adolorido has previous- ly been referred to. „ Eduardo Vigil y Robles, another prominent con- temporary composer, is the writer of Las Cuatro Milpas — “The Four Cornfields” (Columbia 2556-X) an attractive waltz cancion which has achieved much popularity. So far as the writer knows, Maria Grever is the only Latin American woman who has attained success as a composer. From a musical stand- point, her compositions are very well constructed. Perhaps the best known of these is the tango can- cion , Jurame —“Promise Me” (Columbia 3246-X). Among her other recorded compositions are the ' cancion , Loca , Loca —“Mad, Mad” (Columbia 2383-X) ; the tango cancion, Todo por Ti —“All for Thee” (Victor 78952) ; and the waltz cancion , A Una Ola —“To a Wave” (Victor 46274), one of her later efforts. Another prolific young composer is Belisario de Jesus Garcia, who has written many songs in the fox-trot rhythm. La Cancion de la Escoba —“The Song of the Broom” (Victor 78605) will serve to illustrate this composer’s style, as most of us are only too familiar with the fox trot. Ignacio Fernandez Esperon, popularly known as “Tata Nacho,” is a young entertainer and com- poser whose works today are in much demand. He has recently recorded three of his own composi- tions on Victor 46384: La Culebra —“The Ser- pent”; Joliana; and El Arrepentido —“The Peni- tent.” His droll rendition of the two latter songs makes it easy to understand his popularity as an entertainer. Besides La Borrachita , already men- tioned, he is the composer of El Chilpayate —“The Cricket” (Columbia 2628-X) ; La Guay aba —“The Guava” (Columbia 2628-X) ; Que Triste Estoy — “How Sad Am I” (Victor 79034) ; and Dime In- grata — “Tell Me, Ungrateful One” (Victor 46024). These songs are characteristic Mexican melodies, in which the composer shows a real gift for melodic invention. Esperon has also been en- gaged in collecting and popularizing folk songs for the Ministry of Education. One m^ght go on almost indefinitely naming at- tractive songs by various Mexican composers, such as Cancion Mixteca —“Mixtecan Song” (Victor 81915), by Jose Lopez Alvarez; El Suspiro —“The Sigh,” a whimsical cancion by Lauro U. Uranga; a charming serenade, Uruapan Hermosa —“Beau- tiful Uruapan,” and a waltz cancion , Una Manana de Horas Negras —“A Gloomy Morning,” two songs by Ignacio M. Valle which have recently been very popular, both recorded on Victor 46359. But those enumerated will be sufficient to give an idea of the variety and attractiveness of Mexican music. As before stated, all these are folk songs, or light compositions of a popular nature. I have been unable to find that any of the efforts of the more serious composers have been recorded. (The concluding section of Mr. Marsh's ar- ticle will deal with the recorded music of Carib- bean and South American countries.) Victor Symphonic Awards Announcement of the judges’ decision in the Victor con- test for the best symphonic work by an American composer, was planned for last fall, but owing to the large number of meritous manuscripts submitted and the extraordinary care exercised by the board of judges a final choice was not made until August 15th. So close were the leaders that a deci- sion was made to award five $5,000 prizes instead of the single $25,000 grand prize. Three of the winners are already well-known;' the fourth—two of whose compositions drew awards—is less familiar to the public. The prize-winning compositions were as follows: Sights and Sounds, and Abraham Lincoln, by Robert Russell Bennett, who like many other composers of the younger school has studied with Naida Boulanger at the Fountainebleau school in France. A Symphony by Louis Gruenberg, composer of The Daniel Jazz, Enchanted Isles, and other works fre- quently played in concert. Helvetia by Ernest Bloch, whose symphony— America —won the Musical America prize a few seasons back. A Dance Symphony by Aaron Copland, one of the more significant names in the younger American school, whose Music for the Theatre, Organ Symhony , and Piano Concerto have attracted widespread attention. The Board of Judges (Rudolph Ganz, Serge Koussevitzky, Olga Samaroff, Frederick Stock, and Leopold Stokowski) re- ported that the general level of merit in the works submitted was exceptionally high. Under the terms of the contest they had the right to award the prize money to any project de- voted to the development of creative music in America. They therefore suggested, in recognition of the magnificent efforts of the four winning composers, and to assure them the se- curity and leisure in their work of composition for at least a year, that the sum of $5,000 be awarded the works of these men—outstanding in creative musical work in this country. It is planned to present the composers and excerpts from their works in a broadcast program to be given over a nation- wide hook-up of the National Broadcasting Company some- time during the coming season. Recordings of the works un- doubtedly will soon follow. The Victor Symphonic Contest was the second of two contests conducted by Victor for American composers. The first, planned to discover the best instrumental work in the popular field, was won by Thomas Griselle with Two Ameri- can Sketches, and Rube Bloom, whose Song of the BayoU took second place.