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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
TANUARV 13,
1923
AEOLIAN CO. ANNOUNCES ITS NEW 1923 VOCALION LINE
NOVELIST RECOMMENDS "TALKER"
Includes Five Conventional Models, Two Art Models and Seven Period Consoles in Wide Variety
of Finishes—Revised New York Retail Prices Also Announced on January 10
Pays Tribute to Perfection of Recording and
Stresses Educational and Entertainment Pos-
sibilities of Talking Machines in Homes
Under date of January 10 the Aeolian Co.
made formal announcement of its line of Vo-
calion instruments for 1923 with revised New
York retail prices effective on that date. The
line of conventional models includes Style 450,
red mahogany, at $125; Style 460, brown
mahogany, duo-tone, at $135; Style 650, red and
brown mahogany, at $160; Style 550, red and
brown mahogany, at $175, and Style 720, same
finish, at $250.
The line includes two art models of partic-
ularly attractive design, namely, No. 1617, in
walnut, at $325, and No. 1627, polychrome and
walnut, at $375.
Seven period consoles are featured in the an-
nouncement, these styles having proven partic-
ularly successful during the past year. The
new line includes No. 1640 at $175 and 1642 at
$225, both finished in brown mahogany; No.
1620 at $275, finished in brown mahogany, duo-
tone; Nos. 1634 at $350 and 1624 at $400, both
finished in walnut; No. 1628, finished in poly-
chrome and walnut, at $450, and No. 1632, in
brown mahogany, at $550.
AU the instruments listed are equipped with
the Graduola tone control, which has always
been a feature of the better types of Vocalion
instruments, and it is expected that the new
line will find a strong demand with the dis-
cerning trade during the year. With the an-
nouncement of new styles all other models
have been discontinued from the Vocalion
catalog. The new line represents one to be
an immediate appeal to the prospect.
ARTISTIC SONORA OPERATIC POSTERS
"Lohengrin," "Parsifal," "Valkyrie" and "Faust,"
besides the two mentioned above.
These posters are highly and artistically
colored and are being used by a host of Sonora
dealers throughout the country.
Unusual Series Being Furnished Sonora Dealers
for Display Purposes
In the Sonora Bell for January issued by the
Sonora Phonograph Co., Inc., 279 Broadway,
New York City, a column on each page is de-
Sonora "Carmen" Poster
voted to the story of a different opera, each ex-
plaining the significance of one of a series of
very attractive window display posters which
are being furnished Sonora dealers. Two of
NEW POSTS FOR VICTOR OFFICIALS
J. S. Macdonald Appointed Associate Director
of Artists and Repertoire Department and Is
Succeeded as Sales Manager by F. K. Dolbeer
The Victor Talking Machine Co. has just an-
nounced several important changes in official
personnel and in the designations and duties
of certain executives of the company, becoming
effective on January 8.
J. S. Macdonald, who for the past two years
lias been sales manager, has been advanced to
the post of Associate Director of Artists and
Repertoire Department and in that capacity will
tict as direct assistant to C. G. Child, who has
been designated as Director of Artists in Reper-
toire Department although continuing the work
which he has handled so ably for a number of
years past in building up the prestige of the
Victor record catalog.
Mr. Macdonald, in his new post, will divide
his time between duties at Camden and New
York, and travel in the interest of the record
catalog. Through past experience he is well
acquainted with the duties of the new position,
and will maintain contact with musical interests
and with the trade.
The other promotion is that of Frank K.
Dolbeer, formerly head of the Traveling Sales
Department, to the post of sales manager, with
full charge of the operation of the sales de-
partment. Mr. Dolbeer will handle or delegate
the handling of all ordinary business with the
trade and will relieve Ralph L. Freeman, Di-
rector of Distribution, of many of his present
duties in order that the latter may give more
time to work of a general character.
MAKES S0ME_REC0RD IN SALES
Sonora "Love of Three Kings" Poster
these arc shown in the accompanying illustra-
tions, one depicting "The Love of Three Kings,"
in which is shown a Queen Anne model, and the
other portraying a scene from "Carmen" and
displaying the Elite model. There are nine dif-
ferent operas portrayed in these posters, includ-
ing "La Tosca," "Madame Butterfly," "Aida,"
J. H. Rex, manager of the Hall Drug Co.,
at Fairmount, W. Va., Brunswick dealer, made
his seventh Brunswick phonograph sale to mem-
bers of the l'oplc family of this city. Mr. Rex
first sold the old folks and then successively
sold' each of the six married children, com-
pleting the circle.
Morgan & Sons, 578 Summit avenue, Jersey
City, N. J., sold a Sonora Marquette recently
ft> one of the local churches to be used as a
prize at the church carnival for the holder of
the ticket bearing the lucky number.
Mrs. Gene Stratton-Porter, famous American
novelist, in an interesting article in McCall's
Magazine, pays tribute to the perfection of talk-
ing machine recordings, pointing out that often
the record is superior to the artists' actual per-
formance in concert work. The following is an
extract from the article:
"To your library add music—violin, piano and
harp, played by hand if it is a possible thing.
If it is not possible then, even before the auto-
mobile, purchase the very highest-grade talking
machine you can encompass with your means,
and records selected quite as carefully as you
select books. If you go less beautifully clothed,
less deliciously fed, make a generous selection
from the great composers of the world—ora-
torios, symphonies, sonatas and serenades.
Then add a carefully chosen list from the folk
lore of the nations of the world.
"I have met a few people who have professed
to dislike a talking machine and pronounce it
an instrument of 'canned music' The fact is
the average record gives one a better reproduc-
tion of the art of the great masters of the
world than they themselves give in nine in-
stances out of ten when making public appear-
ances.
"Schumann-Heink once said to a friend of
mine that if he wanted to hear her at her best
he should buy her records, and the explanation
she gave was sane and sensible as morning
light. She said that when she was booked for
a concert performance, when the day and hour
arrived, she must sing perforce. It might be
gloomy weather, she might be physically out
of condition, she might be depressed mentally—
in any event it took several numbers to limber
up her voice until it reached its best. When
she sang to have her voice recorded she waited
until she was physically fit, until her mind was
free from care and was fixed tenaciously upon
what she was doing. She sang several numbers
to exercise her voice before she stepped before
the recording instrument. Sometimes she sang
a number over, listening to each record of it,
to the extent of from ten to twenty-five or
thirty times before she got it so that there was
not one note upon which she could improve.
The record as given to the public was as per-
fect as it was in her power to make it. She
said that the same thing held true of every
record that was made for public usage. So do
not feel that you arc denying your children any-
thing when they cannot go to the concerts, but
must listen to the music of the records you
buy."
MICA INDUSTRY OF GUATEMALA
Guatemala, although at present a small pro-
ducer of mica, may become, as a result of de-
velopment work now in progress, an important
exporter of this mineral, according to a report
from Consul Frost. As the United States re-
quires four times the mica it produces, Guate-
mala should readily find in the United States
a market for all that it can export in the
future. To-day four mines are open and oper-
ating, all under American control. A fifth
mine will be opened within a month or two,
and two more mines are expected to be operat-
ing before the end of the year. Present pro-
duction is at the rate of 600 to 1,000 pounds
per month, being about 40 per cent cut mica
and 60 per cent rough trimmed, all of which
is being shipped to the United States for use
in this country's industrial requirements.