Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 3 (1929-12)

76 The Phonograph Monthly Review December, 1929 truth, they would be compelled to admit that the real factors were the lack of a widespread retail outlet organization and the enormous cost in- volved in bulding up a record catalogue that could compare even humbly with those of the existing leading companies. According to newspaper reports of the an- nouncement, a Mr. Walsh (who is he?) stated that in his opinion “the Victor Talking Machine Company of Camden will follow the example set by Edison in discontinuing the manufacture of records.” Such a preposterous statement is hardly worthy of any attention, but on a business trip to New York and Camden last week, I spoke of it to prominent officials of the leading com- panies. Without exception they agreed that this was easily the most ridiculous untruth ever issued from Orange, N. J. The Phonograph enthusiasts can rest absolutely assured that the existing lead- ing companies will continue making records for many years to come. The Delius Records By ROBERT DONALDSON DARRELL T HE name of Frederick Delius is magical but dangerous. To those of us who know and revere the music of this lonely, sensi- tive artist, the impulse to rhapsodize on his work is almost uncontrollable. When his works are played at all they are misunderstood with such persistent frequency that it is galling for us to abstain from proselyting for him, forgetting that among the man’s own most admirable qualities is that of fine disdain for every sort of propaganda and evangelicism. The hysterically effusive praise of some of his friends (Grainger is perhaps the most conspicuous example, but there are over- florid patches even in Heseltine’s excellent bio- graphy) has done Delius far more harm than good. The more considered and sober words of Cecil Gray (in Contemporary Composers) George Dyson (in The New Music), and N C. (in The Manchester Guardian Weekly for October 18, 1929) are more in keeping with the composer’s own reserve and economy of expression. And ■as with these qualities in his music, such reason- ed, sturdily rooted comment has the ring of pro- found and forceful conviction. The Delius Festival held in London from Octo- ber 12 to November 1 marks the coming to a head of the steadily growing appreciation of— or at least interest in—Delius and his music. It is a touching and romantic spectacle—a partly blind and paralyzed composer receiving at last (in his 67th year) a modicum of the honor due him in his native land, but it is ironical indeed that Delius is to win popular approbation in this way when the deep pure stream of beauty that is his music has been so thoroughly neglected in the past. But the occasion does offer apt ap- portunity for winning him a larger audience. Here in America such a festival is inconceivable. Even the rare performances of his works are usually thoroughly parbled and corrupted, except ing of course in the hands of such understanding and gifted exponents as Sir Thomas Beecham, Beatrice Harrison, or Eugene Goossens. Apart from such happy exceptions we are forced to rely upon printed scores and our own digital abilities, or—rather and—our good and faithful servant, the phonograph. It would be easy to write several pages of attempted analysis of Delius’ art, but both prac- ticability and prudence forbid. Those who wish to read the details of his career and studies of his work will find no dearth of readily available material. Records of his music have been studied less frequently; many of them are very recent (the festival is greatly stimulating their issue), so one can hardly honor him more effectively than by helping to make these disks better known. Unfortunately a few are by no means worthy or even competent They will win no friends for Delius and they are exceedingly liable to repel potential kindred spirits. They are over-balanc- ed, happily, by the disks that are played and recorded as the composer himself would have them, and to many these offer the only gateway to his incomparable world of “dream within a dream.” For many years Delius’ cause has been in- defatigably and nobly championed by Sir Thomas Beecham, one* of the few conductors to give perfect interpretative expression to the essential qualities of his music. Among many other works Beecham introduced Delius’ most important oper- atic essay, A Village Romeo and Juliet, and in concerpt he has offered frequent hearing of an intermezzo in which the sum and substance of the entire work are found in concentrated es- sence. In The Walk to the Paradise Garden the child lovers, Sali and Vrenchen, seek to escape from the bitterly harrassing world to a place where they shall be alone and unknown. “In the Paradise Garden we shall dance the night away!” The curtain falls and the drama is centered in