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

June, 1930 The Phonograph Monthly Review 323 Chinese. The Victor release is devoted to four records (56128-31) by Prof. Yau Hok Chau and his associates (Can- tonese dialect). The first three are vocals; the last an in- strumental quartet. Croatian-Serbian. Columbia lists folk songs and sketches on 1165-7-F. Victor, songs on V-3045-8. Cuban. Brunswick and Victor are alone in this field, each with a number of popular vocal and instrumental disks. Eskimo. See special Victor Educational list. Finnish. Special mtntion goes to a waltz-polka coupling by the Antti Kosolan orchestra (Columbia 3148-F), and highly popular Finnish by the Suomi Jazz orchestra—one of the best sellers of the year abroad (Victor V-4074). French-Canadian. The Columbia artists are Doc. Gilles R. Amiot, du Matou-Botte (3475-F), Jean Riddez, de 1’ Opera de Paris (34280), and John Luciano, guitarrist (34- 282-F). The Victor artists are the Quatuor Franco-Ameri- cain, Les Melodiens Campagnards, and Georges Dufresne (V-5084-6). Best is the male quartet disk, smooth vocali- zations of A la claire fontaine and Les Montagnards. German. Most important are Brunswick’s polkas, Col- umbia’s Tauber and Academic Festival Overture records, and Victor’s Marek Weber records, reviewed elsewhere. Columbia has two interesting releases in the Columbia or- chestra’s smooth Lorely and Edelweiss waltzes (5913-F) and the Beka-Streich Orchester’s coupling of the Marionetten- Brautzug and Nigger-Puppen-Parade, done with much spirit and alertness (G-5194-F). For Victor Marcel Wit- trisch sings fervently in hits from the popular, “Land des Lachelns,” accompanied by Marek Weber’s orchestra (V- 6067), and the latter’s brisk performance of the march- song from “Drei Musketiere” is coupled with the equally spirited Leutnant, warstd u einst bein den Husaren? by the Grosses Salonorchester— with vocal choruses (V-6066). Greek. Columbia and Victor issue lists, with first men- tion going to the former’s 56187-F, a waltz and polka by the Greek Orchestra of New York, and the latter’s V-58- 053, claeinet solos by Kostas Gadinis. Hebrew Jewish. Victor is alone with a ten-inch Red seal release by Cantor Josef Rosenblatt and his son Henry (4183), clarinet solos by David Tarras (V-9030), popular hits by Schoengold (V-9029), and songs by Cantor Ben- jamin Levite (V-59007). Hungarian. Columbia is alone with instrumentals by the Banda Marci (G-10230-F), and folk songs by Sarossy and Serbo (10231-2-F). Irish. I have received only the Columbia Irish list, fea- turing Frank Quinn, Michael Gus O’Keefe, O’Leary’s Irish Minstrels, the Flanagan Brothers, Seamus O’Doherty, and John Griffin (33408-F to 33413-F respectively). Italian. From the long Brunswick, Columbia, and Vic- tor lists I might single out the Marranzini orchestra’s polka and waltz (Brunswick spirited marches by the Banda Presi- daria di Milano (Brunswick 58207), 58217), the Rigoletto Quartet and Lucia Sextet played by the Banda Italiana Columbia, Columbia 14573-F, marches by the Banda del lo Reggimento di Fanteria (Columbia 1451-F), smooth waltzes by the Banda Rossi (Victor V-62010), and songs by Raoul Romito (V-12127). ^Japanese. Columbia issues the Japanese anthem on 410- 30-F. Lithuanian. Columbia and Victor both issue several popular song and instrumental selections. Mexican. There are long lists from Okeh, Brunswick, Columbia, and Victor, with special praise going to spirited marches by the Banda Imperial (Columbia 4031-X), songs by the Trovadores Mexicanos (Okeh 16682), Nunez’ Ronda by the Banda del Estado Mayor (Victor 46734), and dance music by the Marimba Chiapas Mexico (Bruswick 409- 94). Brunswick also issues a long list of repressings of its dance disks for the Mexican trade. Philippine. Columbia issues a Message to Filipinos—in the Tagalog dialect—by the labor leader, Pablo Manlapit (4029-X). Polish. There are long lists of sketches and instrumental pieces with incidental singing from both Columbia and Victor. Porto Rican. Brunswick and Okeh are alone in this field with popular dance song recordings. Portuguese. There are three releases in this group from Columbia, of which the best is the disk of original guitar solos by Dr. Alfonso de Sousa (1102-X). Roumanian. Columbia issues popular songs by Milbail Vulpescu and a two-part orchestra by the Grigoras Dinicu ensemble (31106-7-F). Russian-Ukrainian. Columbia features a Lemko sketch on 20219-F, and Victor a disk of Carpatho-Russian songs by the Ushhorodskii Choir (V-21036). Scandinavian. Columbia lists dance disks by the Bor- dinggaard, Jahrl, and Danielson orchestras on 22114-6-F respectively. Slovak. Best is John Kurucz’ piano solo versions of old Gypsy melodies, well played and recorded (Victor V-22044). Spanish. The most important release is the complete re- cording of the great Spanish opera by Arrieta—Marina, issued by Columbia on twelve disks with album. To be given special review next month. Brunswick, Columbia, and Victor release the usual lengthy lists, from which I might choose the dance songs by Olga Albani on Victor 46767 for special mention. Turkish. Columbia lists instrumental selections by Dar U1 Elhan and popular songs by Haffouz Burhan Bey (40- 028-F and 81009-F). Syrian-Arabic. Saleh-Eff. Tbdel-Hay, tenor, sings a four- part popular song on Columbia 35-6-X. S. F. BUBBLE BOOKS The Bubble Books—New Series. Stories by Ralph May- hew and Burges Johnson. Pictures by Rhoda Chase. Rec- ords by the Columbia Phonograph Company. Published by Dodd, Mead and Company of New York. Price, $1.00 a volume. The Bubble Books were immensely popular with children when they were first issued, and at the height of their fame a decade or so ago they were selling at the rate of nearly a million coppies yearly. It is good to see that they have not been forgotten in the rush of complete operas and symphonies that clamor for record-buyers’ attention today. There is nothing elaborate or pretentious about them. They are designed for a specific purpose—the entertainment of small children—and they meet that purpose very satisfac- torily indeed. The first four books in the new series are on sale and I presume that there will be others published at regular intervals. The present four are the Chimney Corner, Higgledy Piggledy, Robin and Wren, and Child’s Garden of Verses Bubble Books. Each book is built on an identical plan. There is an illustrated story in verse embodying three songs sung by the magic bubbles—five inch phonograph records slipped in envelopes formed by pages of the book. The songs are familiar nursery tunes and rhymes (The North Wind Doth, The Sandman, Who Killed Cock Robin? etc.), and are sung in unaffected manner by an unnamed male singer to very simple orchestral accompaniments. The words are clear, the accompaniment well subdued, and the recording (electrical of course) fully competent. The books are at- tractively illustrated in colors by Rhoda Chase and should be a delight to children’s eyes as well as ears. Nursery songs still have very much of a place in the life even of the modern child and the record feature makes this presentation of the familiar rhymes more than ordin- arily appealing, as well as forming an easy but effective in- troduction to the fine art of phonography. May the Bub- ble Books be the beginnings of a record library for many a phonophile of tomorrow! The picture on the front cover of this issue is of Maurice Ravel, published in connection with the release of the Bolero records (review- ed on page 312 of this issue). M. Ravel rec- ords exclusively for Brunswick.