The talking machine world (Jan-June 1928)

Each month W. Braid White will suggest methods of s ti mulating retail sales of high-class music Creating a Record Demand for Finest Music The question is sometimes asked: what sort of high-class music is most easily digested by the greatest number of possible consumers? In other words, if we go out after those members of the community whom we think of as being the most likely to take an interest in high-class recordings, with what music is it best to start them? A good deal hangs upon the answer to this apparently trifling question. Some months ago, Compton McKenzie, the brilliant novelist who founded and continues to conduct that attractive little magazine The Gramophone, offered a prize for the best short essay from a reader on the subject "Why I don't like Chamber Music." The prize was awarded to a coal miner, who stated his preferences and his antipathies so simply and well that there was no doubt of his eligibility for first prize. It does not matter in the least, for our purposes, what he said, save that he showed he thought chamber music to be dull and pointless; but what is important is that his prize consisted of a set of records of Schubert's so-called "Trout" quintet, for two violins, viola, cello and contra-bass. What the Winner Learned The winner got his prize and presumably tried the records over a few times, for the following issue of the magazine carried a letter from him in which he said that if all chamber music was like that, he was glad he had learned how wrong his opinion had been. And he wanted to be put in touch with other chamber music records, so that he might improve the acquaintance thus accidentally begun. All of which simply illustrates the difficulty of dealing with a subject like this. Music appreciation has two sides to it. The world is simply full of men and women who latently are ready to absorb sweet sounds through every pore of their beings. But this instinctive desire for the healing and inspiring influence of fine music is sometimes weak amid the rush and noise of the modern world, needing to be built up by cultivation and experience. Yet, in point of fact, there is no such thing as a music either obscure or uninspiring to the open mind. Theodore Thomas was very right when years ago he said "popular music is familiar music." For this aphorism is just as true when it is rendered in the form "any music which is familiar is popular." In other words, virtually all the barriers which are supposed to stand between the average person and the understanding of By W. Braid White high-class music vanish into nothingness, just as soon as there comes the opportunity to hear a great deal of this music. So that it is absurd to say that any of this or that type, class or kind of music is easier or harder to sell than any other. How About These Of course there are certain pieces which capture the attention of the most ignorant mind, if sobeit any feeling at all for musical line and form lies latent. Thus, if one were to undertake to pick out a few titles which could be absolutely depended on to sell to the most unlikely customers, one should have no difficulty in making up a very respectable list. Thus, for instance, taking some of the simplest, shortest things first, and omitting vocal music altogether, there are: Minuet in G — Beethoven, violin arrangement. Gypsy Rondo — Haydn, string trio. Minuet from Don Juan — Mozart, string orchestra. Air on the G string — Bach, violin solo. Humoresque No. 7 — Dvorak, violin solo. Prize Song from "Meistersinger" — Wagner, violin solo. Evening Star Song (Tannhaeuser) — Wagner, 'cello solo. On Wings of Song — Mendelssohn, violin solo. Spinning Song — Mendelssohn, piano solo. Fifth Hungarian Dance — Brahms, violin solo. Nocturne in E flat — Chopin, piano solo. Maiden's Wish — Chopin, piano solo. Canzonetta from quartet op. 12 — Mendelssohn, string quartet. Andante Cantabile from Quartet — Tschaikowski, string quartet. The list could be extended much further, but enough has been given to show what is meant. All the above-mentioned pieces are instantly attractive. After long experience in trying all of them on persons of every kind of receptive capacity, I can safely say that I have never yet found one of them fail to make a hit. Trumpets and Drums If now one goes on from these simple solo and small ensemble pieces to larger works of the orchestral style, there are quite a few which may be recommended and demonstrated without fear of consequences to any person. Such are: Tannhaeuser Overture — Wagner. Introduction to Third Act, Lohengrin — Wagner. Magic Fire Scene, Valkyr — Wagner. Theme and Variations, Rustic Wedding Symphony— Goldmark. Marriage of Figaro, Overture — Mozart. Zampa, Overture — Herold. William Tell, Overture — Rossini. And so on. All are guaranteed to be painless, and it may be said with complete confidence that not one of them will be dismissed as dull. Intelligent promotion of sales of good music means more substantial success for the retailer Some of them, like the first and the third on the list, almost overwhelm the hearer with their magnificence. Others like the fourth and the fifth are charmingly gay and lightsome. The last appeals to all those immature adult minds by whom the rendering of an imitation thunderstorm on a movie theatre organ is regarded as the summit of musical achievement. With Bated Breath With bated breath now, let us approach chamber music, which we are told is so terribly unintelligible. Well, here is some which is anything at all save unintelligible, but which, on the contrary, will make a hit with any group of business men and women anywhere: Trio in B flat op. 99 — Schubert, piano, violin, 'cello. Trout Quintet — Schubert, two violins, viola, 'cello, contrabass. Trio in D Minor — Mendelssohn — piano, violin, 'cello. "Harp ' Quartet op. 74 — Beethoven, two violins, viola, 'cello. Clarinet Quintet — Mozart, clarinet, two violins, viola, 'cello. Again there are plenty more. But one will begin warily, trying a bit at a time. Most of these last-named pieces come on two to four records, usually set up in an album. To work up a trade in records of this kind is an achievement which many dealers already have found possible, and extremely profitable to boot. Of course I have only skimmed lightly over the surface of a very large subject in mentioning the titles listed above. But my object has been to give the dealer who wishes to investigate the possibilities of selling high-class records profitably some general ideas which he may use to guide him until he feels that he can go on by himself. It will be noted that I have entirely omitted vocal records. This was simply because there has been too much past insistence upon the names of operatic stars, which has in fact not led to steady purchases of even good vocal records by other singers. For every owner of a talking machine to have one or two records by one or two well advertised singers may in the aggregate mean large output of these one or two numbers; but does nothing to help along general buying of the thousands of other fine records by the same people or by other artists, of which the general public knows nothing and the dealers apparently not much more. Voice records I shall come to in due time. Let us meanwhile cultivate a more profitable field and one as yet almost untouched. A safe, snug pack — quickly handled! With Jiffycases you get a safe snug pack which can be handled in a fraction of the time required via the obsolete wrapping and crating method. Jiffycases are quickly assembled from light, tough, cleated ply-wood panels which come to you cut to size and knock down. 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