Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 4, No. 9 (1930-06)

June, 1930 The Phonograph Monthly Review 311 PHONOGRAPHIC ECHOES Canadian Activities The Correspondence Columns of this issue contain an interesting letter from Mr. P. Eugene Charbonneau of Les Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada, music critic on the French- Canadian paper, “Le Nouvelliste.” His “Chronique Musi- cale,” written over the pen-name of Guy Leval, includes material on the talking films as well as records. The “Chronicle” of April 21st was devoted entirely to a detailed review of the Victor album of selections from the reper- toire of Yvonne Printcmps and Sacha Guitry—an inform- ative and appreciative analysis of the artists and their ma- terial. Accompanying a letter to our columns, Mr. S. J. Craw- ley, Secretary-Treasurer of the Winnipeg Gramophone So- ciety, has sent us a bulky batch of program and newspaper clippings. The Society has been giving phonographic con- certs featuring the current records of significance, and “Gramophile” writes a regular weekly gramophone review column in the Manitoba Free Press. Practically all of the important American Brunswick, Columbia, and Victor work are released in Canada, and in addition there are a number of imported discs listed in the Society’s programs. Recording from Echoes Mr. Louis Katzman, Manager of the Brunswick Com- pany’s New York recording laboratories, has devised a new method for recording violin music that avoids the irritat- ing inclusion of such mechanical sounds as the scraping of the bow on the strings. Working on the theory that an echo can have no mechanical attributes and that sound reflected on a smooth, hard surface will accentuate its re- verberatory qualities, he hit upon the scheme of stationing the violinist with his back to the microphone and facing a mirror. Through so doing he found that he accomplished a double purpose, since not only does the voice of the vio- lin record more smoothly, the microphone receiving only the echoes of its tone, but the violinist is able, through watching the mirrow to follow the dictates of his director. From Disks to Films An occasional star of the talking movies earns a record- ing contract on the strength of his film work, but a group of Columbia artists have reversed the process by winning opportunities in Hollywood through their phonographic suc- cess. The Two Black Crows led off with a new edition of their best dialogues in “Why Bring That Up?” Ted Lewis followed with “Is Everybody Happy?”, and now Paul Whiteman’s “King of Jazz” has made a successful debut. The Ubiquitous Pair Amos ’n’ Andy have not essayed the celluloid reels yet, but they have always augmented their broadcast work with an occasional recording for Victor. Their current as- tounding—and to a few irreconcilables, incomprehensible— popularity has led the their records being pushed by a new advertising campaign. “Check and Double Check” is the title of their current release—a phrase that bids fair to emulate the favor “Oh, Yeah?” found with the populace. The Philharmonic-Symphony Abroad As this appears, Toscanini and the New York Philhar- monic Symphony are making their long heralded tour of Europe, giving concerts in all the important musical cen- ters. American orchestras have long since won such favor abroad through their recordings that there can be little doubt of the success of the actual appearances. Curiously enough, the Philharmonic-Symphony records, or even the earlier Philharmonic disks, here never been as widely dis- seminated in Europe as the recordings of the Philadelphia orchestra. In the acoustic days there seem to be some con- tract difficulties which prevented the early Toscanini re- cordings (made with La Scala orchestra) being released in England, and the more ambitious British gramophiles were forced to import the Toscanini disks from the United States or Italy. The British Brunswick company’s issue of the Midsummer Night’s Dream Scherzo (reissued here last month) was probably the first Toscanini record to be put on general sale in Great Britain. The present concert tour should ensure a vigorous demand all over Europe for Tos- canini’s superb series of major works recorded by Victor. Analytical Notes and Reviews By OUR STAFF CRITICS SACRE Victor Musical Masterpiece Set M-74 (4 D 12s, Alb., $8.00) Strawinski: Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring), played by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadel- phia Symphony Orchestra. A recorded version of “Le Sacre du printemps” by an American virtuoso orchestra at last. I can well remem- ber my anxiety in the old acoustical days aawiting the release of a “cut” mechanical version made by the Phila- delphia orchestra but which never appeared. The Victor Company informed me that it had recorded Le Sacre “in part” and if it found a warm spot in the hearts of the mu- sical public more of it would be recorded. “What a pub- lic!” one was forced to murmur to himself in those days. Le Sacre had been played a number of times in concert and critics were divided into camps that smacked of fire- arms and bombs. But what a contrast in 1930! Already in a few short months three versions have appeared: Mon- teux’s for French H. M. V. (imported by some dealers), the composer’s for Columbia and now Stokowski’s for Victor. Surely an epoch in the history of recorded music, and Le Sacre is fitting food for such an epoch. It was back in May, 1913 that this ballet was first given in its original form in Paris, with Monteux conducting, the lamented Nijinsky in charge of the choreography and the decors by Nicholas Roerich (to whom the work is dedicated). We all know how it was accepted. The house was in pandemonium. So great was the uproar that Ni- jinsky (he did not appear in the ballet) stood in the wings jumping up and down, waving his arms in an endeavor to beat out the complicated Danse Sacrale for the prima bal- lerina who could not even hear the music above the uproar caused by the “intelligentsia.” Roerich said later: “I simply cannot understand the attitude of that audience . . . they simply could not have listened to that marvelous music.” The first performance in concert form was also given in Paris by Monteux April 5, 1914. The first American con- cert performance was by Stokowski and the Philadelphians on March 3, 1922, and the first complete performance with ballet was not given until April of this year with the same orchestra and conductor in the pit and Martha Graham as the “chosen virgin.” Well . . , yesterday Sacre was jeered; today it is cheered as the most stupendous compo- sition in existence. The full title of Le Sacre is “The Rite of Spring: Pic- tures of Pagan Russia, in Two Parts.” It is a representa- tion of the worship of the forces of nature by primitive man. Early mankind quite rightfully worshipped the sun as the greatest force in nature. It caused the long, cold and dreary winter to vanish when it “returned” and there was great motive for rejoicing and gratitude. (Our own celebration of Easter, by the way, is one of pagan origin. It is merely a continuation of the old pagan Teutonic and Roman customs of celebrating the death of winter. This observance, undoubtedly carried over from primitive times, was absorbed by Christianity, but it is the same idea of the rebirth of spring.) It was then that mankind offered his prayers of thanks for the return of spring and his prayers for earthly fecundity in the form of a sacrifice and for this rite only a virgin would appease their earth-and sun-gods. The sun-worship which Strawinski worked into his ballet was probably suggested to him by Rimsky-Korsakow’s opera “Snegourotchkathose who are acquainted with that opera will remember the closing hymn to the sun- god Yarillo which Rimsky wrote in 11-4 tempo. This par-