Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 1 (1929-10)

October, 1929 The Phonograph Monthly Review 35 popular songs on Columbia 29028-F and 29029-F respec- tively. Croatian-Serbian. Victor issues five disks, V-3013-7, re- spectively songs by Sofka, songs by Jankovic, accordion and clarinet duets, a comic sketch, and folksong duets by Aneta and Marga Milholic. ..Columbia 1135-F, a comic sketch; a two part comic sketch. Finnish. Sfevander, Saari, and Kauppi sing comic and popular songs on Columbia 3121-3-F. The best of the five Victor releases is V-5039, unaccompanied male-choruses by the Mieskuoro Laulu-Miehet. One of the pieces is Palm- gren’s Lullaby, and the singing and recordig are very com- petent. Mention also goes to Victor V-4038, a two-part old Finnish polka by the Kamari orchestra. French-Canadian. Columbia features a two-part Fanfare Mosaique by the Fanfare Columbia (34239-F), followed by folksongs on 34237-F, and comic dialogues on 34238-F. German. The leading German records by Tauber (Odeon) and the Berlin State Opera Orchestra (Victor) are re- viewed elsewhere. The Junger Maennerchor von Philadel- phia are clearly recorded in Das Ringlein sprang entzwei and Das ist der Tag des Herrn (Victor V-56023) ; Marcel Wittrisch seems rather far from the microphone, but he sings well in German versions of Rose Marie and Indian Love Call (V-56024) ; Marek Weber’s orchestra has a good Aus Winkeln und Gassen Potpourri (V-6032)and the Grosses Militaerorchester provides vigorous versions of the Fredericus Rex and Hans Bredow marches (V-6033). For Columbia Muellers Kapelle plays Die Jungfrau and Der Strohwittwe on 55165-F, Arthur Hall sings folksongs on 55166-F, and Karl Priester sings popular songs on 55167-F. The Odeon list includes vigorous but rather shrill marches by the Kleine Deutsche Konzertkapelle (85211), marches by band of the Landespolizei of Munich (10546), songs of the day by Franz Hoffmann, tenor (10544), comic sketches in the Ostpreuss. Dialekt by Kurt Wernicke (10545), and dances by Wilfahrt’s Concertina Orchestra (10547). Greek. Columbia lists popular duets on 56154-F, folksongs by Sakellariou and Co. on 56155—F, and instrumental duets on 56156-F. Odeon lists popular songs on 28081-4. Victor V-58029-30 and V-80023 are all songs; the last named con- tains Toselli’s Serenade and the Tales of Hoffman Bar- carolle in Greek versions. Hebrew-Jewish. The leading releases are Columbia 8197-F, folksongs by the London Jewish Male Choir, and Victor 9511, a two-part Ma Noimar by Cantor P. Pinchik (Red Seal, $1.50). Hungarian. The outstanding disks are Odeon 12034 and 12034, the former instrumental solos by Olah Lajos Tarogato Mester, and the latter gypsy dances by the Kurina Simi orchestra. Irish. Columbia releases represent the Flanagan Brothers (33352-F), O’Leary’s Irish Minstrels (33353-F), James Ea- gan, tenor (33354-F), Frank Quinn (33355-F), John Griffin, flutist (33356-F), John McKenna and James Morrison (33357-F). Victor features three disks by Dan Sfullivan’s Shamrock Band (V-29053-4 and V129057), comic songs by Murty Rabbett (V-29055), and harmonica solos by Jimmy Smith (V-29056.) Q F Book Reviews Musical Spain from A to Z As Exemplified on Phono- graph Records (with which is also included the music of Hispanic America), by William Sewall Marsh, published by the Campbell Music Company, Providence, R. L 52 pages. Price not stated. Many readers of The Phonograph Monthly Review will remember with pleasure Mr. Marsh’s article, ( Musical Spain via Phonograph,” from the first year of the magazine. He is an acknowledged expert of Spanish music and an ex- perienced phonograph connoisseur in addition, and the records with which he deals are without exception those with which he is personally familiar. This booklet is a sort of dictionary of Spanish and Spanish-American musicians and musical terms, amplified by lists of phonograph records. At such it is of course a highly valuable reference work to anyone interested in the great Spanish musicial literature, the extent and value of which are gradually becoming generally recognized. One might wish, however, that Mr. Marsh had expanded his all-too-brief introduction into a general study of Spanish and Spanish-American music. The book’s purpose is stated in the introduction: “It is probably true that only in S(pain can Spanish Music be heard to advantage. Yet, the music lover, student, and hispanophile will find a surprising amount of pleasure and satisfaction can be had through the phonograph recordings of the various companies. Around this fact has this little book been built, realizing the difficulty, to those unfamiliar with the subject, of recognizing, in the catalogs, the records necessary to exemplify the folk-songs and dances of the various sections, and the works of the various composers.” Our Contemporaries The Gramophone Critic (Incorporating the Radio and Music Critic), published monthly by Dunlap and Company, 1 and 2 Whitfield Street, Leonard Street, London, E. C. 2, England. U. S. A. subscription rate, $1.00 yearly. The reprinting of an article from “The Gramophone Critic” undoubtedly drew the attention of many of our readers to this lively little magazine, which has just com- pleted its first year. It has been mentioned previously in these columns, but no information on the subscription rate for prospective American readers was available until lately. At the very modest price of $1.00 for twelve issues it should find many American supporters. “The Gramophone Critic” is expressly designed to minister to the “man in the street” rather than the “highbrow.” It is issued at a very low cost (twopence per issue in Great Britain), and its articles are brief and pointed. There are competitions, topical verses, and phonographic cross word puzzles for phonophiles in their lighter moments. Reviews and articles are written in lively and informal fashion. A characteristic list of contents (September 1929 issue) in- cludes articles on Instrumental Novelty Records, Kipling on the Gramophone, Two Mlozart Overtures, Intelligent Listening, Some Vocal Gems, The Orchestra—Clarinets and Brass, Tuning a Sound-Box, etc., etc. The Orchestra World, published monthly (except July and August). New York office, 1674 Broadway. Edited by Robert W. Marks. Yearly subscription, $2.50; single copies 25c. Followers of dance orchestras and records will be par- ticularly interested in “The Orchestra World” which keeps yery much au courant with the activities of the leading dance bands, although attention is also given to symphonic and semi-symphonic orchestras. The contents are pri- marily newsy in style, written in the stimulating and highly modernistic idiom made famous by “Variety.” There are special departments devoted to organists, cinematics, and current dance disks. F. F. g The photograph on the front cover of this 8 8 issue is of Dr. Oskar Fried, after the painting g g by the famous German artist, Max Lieber- § g mann, published by courtesy of “The Musical 8 8 Courier.” Dr. Fried conducted many record- g 8 ed works for Polydor and now is recording g 8 for Columbia. His Columbia records of Tchai- g ^ kowsky’s “Pathetique” are reviewed on page ^