The record changer (Mar-Dec 1947)

We Henries get around to taking our Christmas trees down along about this time of year, and it sometimes happens that the debris beneath has hidden a goody overlooked in the hurly-burly profanation of The Nativity ever attendant upon our celebration. This year's discovery is a small, slim tome called, simply, "Christmas Story," and it originated in the pages of The New Yorker a few semesters ago. The author is H. L. Mencken and the price, a dollar. Each reading of it will lengthen your life by a year. That's a lie but better go buy a copy, anyway. — o — Charles Hart, a good tenor who sang for several labels in the old days, is playing a bit in "The Iceman Cometh." Still possessed of tractable vocal equipment, Mr. Hart does right well for himself and is in frequent demand as soloist at leading New York churches and synagogues. Alas, his voice is not heard at all in the play, his sole chore there being to snap a pair of handcuffs onto the homicidal protagonist's wrists a few moments before the final curtain falls. This department is in receipt of a parcel of mighty expensive rarities of great interest and antiquity which arrived ballasted with some presumably worthless trash — to include one small tidbit which turns out to be the most listenable thing in the entire bundle. It may be far outside my ken to offer comment upon a "popular" release, but hanged if I can recall any more genuine exhibition of How to Sing a Song than is to be had from a hearing of Capitol No. 181 whereon, over a superb violin obbligato, Miss Jo Stafford intones a ditty called, "I Promise You." Here is cantilena for the mighty to emulate. — o — For almost two decades, A. J. Franck (a tax collector or some such nefarious thing by trade), whose advertisements betimes favor this journal's columns, has been serving phonophiles as international, nay, Planetary Agent. If it's in print, Mr. Franck's International Records Agency will get it for you, and at catalog price in most cases. If you know that what you want is out-of-print, have the goodness not to annoy this kindly but ferociously busy gentleman who, during the infrequent moments not spent in the service of others, is adding refinements to his master-plan for the world's one perfect record store — and seeing to the securation of patent on his invention : a disc storage envelope calculated to withstand, with contents intact, just about every possible abuse and/or mishap. It should be mentioned that IRA's activity is confined to "respectable" music. No swing, no pornography, no polemics. And, NO VISITORS. Write Box No. 171, Richmond Hill, N. Y. THE VICTOR HERITAGE SERIES Activity is revived at the wailing wall with the announcement of re-issuing of historically significant vocals. Long, loud and lewd are the lamentations of the old guard at large which, in accordance with its nature, assumes the mantle of prerogative to reject with utter abomination the thought that the parent-owner of the stampers should dare to determine the choice of artists and repertoire for the project. Now, (un) naturally any such publicly wholesome enterprise as this is bound to get off on the wrong foot in the esteem of those who have belonged to the collecting sorority for decades, in the course of which time they have gathered unto themselves, in its original form, some or all of the material now listed anew. This species of feces being what it is, no consideration is extended to the very idea that a new public for old records should be tolerated. Such a thought is squelched with venomous animosity toward alleged interlopers who might become infected with the desire to seek out originals which the self-elected hierarchy would much prefer to imagine lying fallow than to live with the agonizing mental risk of having them fall into the hands of The Great Unwashed. But now, praise be, the barriers are down and he who will may buy; and the long standing need for a domestic equivalent to HMV's No. 2 historical catalog seems well started along the way to fulfilment. The five couplings comprising the first group in the "Heritage" series feature two selections each by Alda, Ancona, Caruso, Journet and Tetrazzini — and all save the last mentioned are worthy choices, indeed. The over-celebrated Luisa, seldom wholly rewarding as a recording artiste, is slighted by the unfortunate choice of hackneyed airs, insipidly done. Mario Ancona and Marcel Journet fare quite satisfactorily in forcefully projected if not too particularly deft efforts. The Caruso sides show us the great tenor after his lyric opulence had been abandoned to declamation. Very best of all and an absolute "must" for conscientious devotees of opera is Mme. Alda's exquisite singing of Desdemona's two arias from the last act of Otello. Obviously the choice of repertoire has been governed to a considerable extent by the "forward" qualities inherent to some but not all acoustical Victor records. That is a sensible approach, for the beginnings at least, to a somewhat risky venture. Names known to be still widely celebrated lead the procession, and that's simply good business. One may surmise that as the plan develops the realization will appear that there are many Great recorded performances outside the realm of opera, and that some of them are on discs of the ten-inch size. Of grievous report are the facts that the series has been launched in vinylite; therefore the intention to immemorialize is substantially weakened — and that the product, at $3.50 per disc, is vastly overpriced. There is no healthy reason why these ancient recordings, made by singers whose contracts have long since expired and whose royalty payments consequently have ceased to be forthcoming, should be marketed at anything above the customary one dollar list price; most particularly since the quality of plastic which Victor uses is, by the word of one of that company's responsible function; jl aries, no more costly to produce than :' i • the red-seal-grade shellac compound. Not so long ago there was an album o "Voices of the Golden Age of Opera" cor sisting of ten well-chosen sides, which sol for $5.50. Need I go on? IRISH SONGS, sung by James Melto Victor Album M-1090. There's a word spoken here and a woi spoken there and a word that gets aroun and that's how it's going to be with tl records here discussed — with the resu that a multitude of good folk will bi and live with and adore Mr. Meltor forthright lyricism, allowing their ov faculties of imagination to provide tl interpretation of texts that are deep ai dear and difficult. The presentation of the songs here i eluded seems to have been in answer the wishes of Melton's host of radio a mirers as has largely been the case in tj choice of his previous recordings. T orchestral arrangements have been plac in the custody 'of David Broekman, exceedingly radio-wise musician, and ha been fulfilled accordingly. Included are three genuine articles: S Mov'd Thro' the Fair, The Minstrel B and Kathleen Mavourneen — and thi more, Macushla, Mother Machree a The Rose of Tralee, whose fame is vaudeville and the radio. The tenor's rendition of the entire cc tent of the set is well within reason, cording to his lights, and it is no ms against his honor that the fierce politics The Minstrel Boy escape him or that ghostly enchantment of She Mov'd Th' the Fair is alien to his background; these songs are safe in the hands of si a very few mortals and, indeed, requ as much of the listener, as to backgrou as they do of the singer. But, to dispense with egregious carp and to state the case for the set: It \ bring much honest pleasure to the m£ and cannot possibly harm the few. P.S.: Should there ever be a (deservi record of Sir Hamilton Harty's "I Lagen Love," let it be assigned to Ch topher Lynch — always presuming that McCormack matrix is unavailable for Heritage series. fill t trail \_ ailis 1 :mt|[ Ml I'; m 1 HI M i§ 3,1.1 an Marian Anderson, heretofore a st and militant judge of which records of voice could be allowed circulation, slipped up rather badly as regards Vie No. 10-1260, on which she gives C Scott's banal Lullaby, along with B the Wind Whispering, a tune set to own words by one Frida Sarsen But The famous contralto is guilty of in sant lapses from pitch in both these ferior songs and we are appalled by choice of them for the unforgiving ord. Add to Arthur Fiedler's ever-lengtlLing catalog of pleasant listening ano'f zing-boom funfest, von Siippe's Fatin Overture (Victor No. 11-9261). Someb} at Victor will one day compile a cat of, say, 100 records, collectively entiif (Continued on Page 35) 32