Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 6, No. 2 (1931-11)

November 1931, Vol. VI, No. 2 39 cation which attended the Scherzo from the Mid- summer Night’s Dream, this piece having appeared in about three Victor sets. There is nothing to do now but sit back and await with interest the wonderful developments and trust that the old complaints will be eliminated and that the recording companies will feel it their duty to satisfy artistic demands and do their utmost to build up a larger clientele for their output. Emil V. Benedict Congratulations Editor, Phonograph Monthly Review: Congratulations on having attained your fifth birthday! With the Phonograph in its sixth year and the British “Gramophone” having issued its hun- dredth number, the progress of recorded music and gramophone instruments goes forward with the inde- fatigable aid of two splendid periodicals. I am an old reader of both and find them of constant value and very genuine pleasure. Bermuda A. R. Phonographic Contest Editor, Phonograph Monthly Review: I have not seen any comment in your journal on the results of a notable phonographic contest in France, where the French weekly, “Candide,” award- ed prizes totally 25,000 francs in the first of an an- nual series, “Le Grand Prix du Disque.” The jury, which included such celebrated musicians and critics as Ravel, Charpentier, Vuillermoz, and Sordet, awarded prizes to the following records, some of which have been released in America also. Orchestral —Debussy’s L’Apres Midi d’un Faune, conducted by Straram (Columbia); Chamber Music—Debussy’s Sonata for Violin and Piano played by Thibaud and Cortot (H.M.V.); Instrumental—Chopin’s Concerto in F minor played by Marguerite Long (Columbia), Franck’s Chorale in A played by Tournemire (Poly- dor), and Mompou’s Jeune Fille au Jardin played by Tagliaferro (H.M.V.); Song—Cavatine from “Nor- ma” sung by Ninon Vallin (Odeon); Light Music— records by Josephine Baker, Kucienne Boyer, and Robert Marino; Diction—Cocteau’s La Voix Humaine acted by Berthe Bovy (Columbia), and Le Cirque by Bilboquet, the clown. New York City, N. Y. G. G. Attention is called to THE PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY REVIEW’S new address: 69 MARION STREET MEDFORD, MASS. Tel.: Mystic 0882 For Better Gramophone Music By OTTO SCHNEIDER Q ^UITE a number of people substitute a wireless set for a gramophone, not be- cause they prefer wireless, but because they find that the constant purchase of those ex- pensive and fragile discs, which is a necessary complement to the ownership of a gramo- phone, is beyond their means. A good deal of experience with regard to the lasting powers of records in the hands of average people has been gained by taking over numbers of them from friends who were giv- ing up. From knowing the iodosyncrasy of each individual from whom a group of records came, from studying their used records, by asking questions, and by making experiments oneself, it has been possible to discover some at least of the avoidable causes of undue rec- ord wear. In the following lines some ways of avoiding them will be suggested. Wie will start by assuming that the gramo- phone is a modern one. If it is not, it will pay in the end to change it for an up-to-date ma- chine because it is the records, not the gramo- phone, which cost the money. One of the commonest causes of record wear is using the machine when it is not prop- erly levelled. A portable model will often be dumped down and played on any chair or table. Even a cabinet machine may stand on an uneven floor or with two feet on a carpet and two on boards. It is important to find out what table or position is precisely level and then use only that spot for playing the ma- chine. The easiest way to do this is to place on the turntable a (preferably old) record with a wide unrecorded area in the centre around the spindle. Wind the machine up and when it is revolving swiftly, gently place the needle down in the centre of the smooth area mid- way between the spindle and the ends of the grooves. If the machine is level the needle will remain practically where it was placed. If the gramophone has a tilt to the left the