Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 7 (1930-04)

April, 1930. The Phonograph Monthly Review 223 and a Boellmann toccata is played by Sittard for Brunswick and Commette for Columbia), but the French and English H. M. V. and Columbia companies have released a number of good ex- amples. Guiraud (1837-1892) was born in New Or- leans, but his associations with the French school of light opera gives him a place here. Verbrugg- hen conducts the Melodrama from Piccolino for Brunswick (on the other side of the Australian, Hill’s Waiata Poi), and the ballet from Gretna Green is listed by Pathe-Art. Probably there are several vocal excerpts issued by various Eur- opean companies. Bizet (1838-1875) has been greatly favored by the phonograph, as well he should be, for whose music is better adapted for recording? Carmen is available in two complete album sets (Columbia and Victor), and probably several more composite versions could be constructed by assembling disks of the separate numbers. Of the orchestral excerpts special praise must go to the superb performances of the suite conducted by Stokowski (Victor) and the overture alone conducted by Wolff (Polydor). Les Pecheurs de Perles is represented by a wide range of record- ed vocal excerpts. La Patrie overture, one of Bizet’s earlier works, is conducted by Sargent for Victor and Cloez for French Odeon. The incidental music to Daudet’s L’Arlesienne is out in many versions, of which the best is the suite conducted by Stokowski and L’Arlesienne album issued by French and English Columbia, from which three of the most popular orchestral num- bers are also re-pressed by the American Colum- bia company (Chagnon is the conductor). There is also a Petite Suite, frankly slight but amusing little pieces, issued by Victor, and an acoustical recording of the Agnus Dei sung by Stracciari for Columbia. Chabrier (1841-1894) should not be associated only with his kaleidoscopic Spanish rhapsody, Espana (recorded by Coppola, Gabrilowitsch, et al). The Marche joyeuse and the Bourree fan- tasque contain music nearly as vivid and exuber- ant (the former is conducted by Wolff for Polydor and the latter by Pierne for French Odeon). His writing for voice is exemplified by the legend from his opera, Gwendolini (sung by Mme. Nes- poulous), and a song. L’ille heureuse (sung by Reynaldo Hahn), both for French Columbia. (To be concluded) New Phonography for Old By “OBSERVER” My article in the last issue of The Phonograph Monthly Review dealt with only one, albeit a very important aspect of modern phonography—the instrument itself. This month I have been requested to give an exposition of the present status of the phonograph movement and the changes that have taken place in it during the last few years. In particu- lar my aim is to attack a curious psychological attitude to which a few of the once-leading spirits of the movement have recently fallen victims. This attitude is exemplified by a submitted article and a letter culled from the magazine’s correspondence, which I have had the privilege of carefully examining. The article is the work of the man of some phonographic prominence, who has had experience both as an amateur collector and as professional dealer. He has an abundance—perhaps an over- abundance—of ideas about the proper paths of progress, but he makes almost no pretence of an attempt to hide the defeatist spirit that grips him. The man is discouraged and while he has endeavored sincerely enough to balance the picture of contemporary phonography he paints, his pers- pective is hopelessly destroyed, and black and dark browns heavily overshadow the whites. The letter is from an erstwhile collector, in the early days of the magazine; an “enthusiast” of the liveliest type. He spent a vast amount of his time not only in listening to records, but in importing them directly from abroad, ex- perimenting with sound boxes and needles, developing elaborate filing systems, even working out an extensive in- dex to the first volumes of the magazine. Yet he writes an unqualified renunciation of the phonograph and recorded music. Ninety-nine per cent of the correspondents of the maga- zine are fully as whole-hearted in their allegiance to our miraculous re-creator, the phonograph, as they ever were. Their letters over a period of several years evidence a stead- ily growing knowledge of music in general and of the re- corded repertory. Their numbers are constantly and in geo- metrical progression augmented. But the immortal, and in- eradicable viewer with alarms, the Calamity Jane, is, like the poor, always with us. And during the last season his ranks have been swelled by a number of sincere phonophiles who who fallen a victim to the inoculations of this disease. A certain psychological instability is to be observed among the members of the professional fraternity. While on one hand the movement is flourishing as never before ; critics like Lawrence Gilman are devoting their time and thought to the progress of recorded music publications like the New York Herald-Tribune, the New York Times, the American Mercury, and many others are inaugurating regular record review columns; there is evidence in other directions that a germ of discontent and dissatisfaction is abroad. It has not spread far, but it seems to me that immediate action is necessary to stamp it out before it does succeed in doing serious harm. “Hard Times’* First, one hears it whispered in affrighted tones that bus- iness is bad. One was told the same thing at the peak of the acoustic era, and again during the last couple of years when even the most golden days of the past were far surpassed in volume of phonographic business. The inevitable debacle after the bacchanalian revels in stocks and the consequent tightening up of businesss in general has meant that this year is to be one of recession rather than inflation. Money is less free and easy and naturally the entire commer- cial world feels the difference. Records, being popularly (and quite erroneously) considered luxuries, have suffered to some extent with the rest. One quaisi-phonograpfiic company finally ceased even the semblance of its activities. In several instances record prices have been raised. Many people have had to trim their budgets for record purchases to confirm with their lessened income. But what call is there to act like frightened antelope and to refuse to face a situation as perfectly natur- al as this one? It is not a particularly pleasant one, but it