Presto

25
PRESTO
May 15, 1920.
THE
TALKING MACHINE
News of the Week in the Phonograph Field
SCHOOLED BY RECORDS
"Artists no longer find it difficult to sing
in smaller towns; serious numbers, instead of
being unknown quantities are understood
everywhere," says Miss Sophie Braslau, the
young American operatic contralto. "Be-
cause," she explains, "everywhere they have
been made familiar through frequent hear-
ings on the records."
This artist who has made a notable career
both at the Metropolitan Opera House, New
York, and with the Chicago Opera Co. on
tour, has found and still finds the talking ma-
chine records most effective aids to study.
She gives it as her opinion too, that the
records of great artists have, more than any-
thing else, been responsible for the growth of
love of good music and musical appreciation
throughout the country.
Miss Braslau tells the aspiring young man
or woman that all can be students from the
good records which represent the perfect work
of the greatest artists. One can understand
that when the care with which the fine records
are made is borne in mind. A certain pass-
age may not go well in concert, but all that
follows may be given so perfectly as to make
ithe listener forget that which was momen-
tarily less good. In the record this will be
impossible. The artists' best throughout the
whole number is demanded. In the big record
producing companies nothing less will suffice.
To make records is the greatest nervous strain
upon artists.
A jail sentence confirmed by Judge William
Fenimore Cooper of the Illinois Supreme
Court last week created a precedent. For the
first time in Illinois the charge of stealing
trade secrets has been followed by a term in
jail for the defendant. For nearly two years
Harold I. Koppelman and Jacob L. Brenn
fought in the courts to avoid serving sixty
days in jail. Seventeen judges sat on the case.
Last week Judge William Fenimore Cooper,
the seventeenth, turned "thumbs down" for
the two officials of the Sanitary Specialties
Company and they were locked up in the
county jail. The Supreme Court in its de-
cision in the case asserted the theft of business
secrets was as criminal as the theft of goods.
COMPOSER'S FIRST AID
Best Help Towards Recognition of American
Composers May Be Looked for in the
Phonograph.
The phonograph is recognized as the most force-
ful help to American musicians. The records of
meritorious work will provide the square deal the
composers of this country were so long denied.
What a mass of foreign propaganda American music
has had to fight against' Germans in high author-
ity in musical organizations, and teaching in insti-
luions everywhere, have fluently discouraged it.
Prior to 1914 German publishers in their contracts
bound American firms to sell annually certain thou-
sands of dollars worth of German-published "edi-
tions" in order to secure the agency for those edi-
tions. Consequently, American music had always
to compete with the obstacle of forced sales.
For several years the French government has sent
noted musical artists, and last season one of its
famous orchestras, to enlist our interest in French
music. It is now proposed to establish a center in
New York for the sale of French music at cost, in
order to promote its wider sale in America.
An old saying goes that a people is judged by the
songs it sings. Thanks to the recognition that has
been given our song-composers, we may be judged
in this direction and not found wanting.
The talking machine record is the helpful agency
in getting judgment in no restricted way. Com-
posers in every branch of the musical art will re-
ceive a just and rightful hearing. Throughout the
country, the orchestral conductor is still stolidly
indifferent to the American composer, givitjg even
mediocre music that is foreign in preference to
American music that is good. What encourage-
ment would there be for any man to compose were
the phonograph records not viewed as a means to-
wards recognition.
' '
The National Bureau for the Advancement of
Music can do a lot towards encouraging a national
feeling or spirit. Framed as a slogan it might be:
"Let all work as individuals, singing American
songs, playing American music, teaching American
music, not only because it is American music but
because it is good music."
A great lot of good American music has been
heard by the great mass of the people because some
foreign orchestra leader has never told us it was
good or showed us how good it was. A million
times more effectively the phonograph record will
do for other composers what Mme. Nordica did for
James H. Rogers' lovely song, "At Parting." The
famous singer found the music of the song lying on
the piano in a Cleveland hotel. Humming it
through, she recognized its beauties. In one sea-
son she made it nationally known.
PHONOGRAPH INCORPORATIONS
Growth of Trade and Industry Is Shown By
Newcomers in Field.
Harmonia Talking Machine Corporation, Manhat-
tan. Capital, $50,000^ E. M. Bernstein, C. Warner,
B. Robins.
.-*""
Hill Crest Phonograph Co., Manhattan; $85,000;
J. N. Vandervall, L. A. Leavelle.
Campbell Phonograph Sales Co., Salt Lake City,
Utah; $50,000. S. B. Campbell, president; H. H.
Cummings, vice-president; D. S. Campbell, secretary
and treasurer.
Dallas Phonograph Mfg. Co., Dallas, Tex.; $100,-
000; G. S. Maxwell, J. Ed. Howe.
Radio Talking Machine Co., Dover; manufacturers
of talking machines; capital, $500,000.
Victoria Talking Machine Co., Brooklyn, N. Y.;
$100,000; M. Stettner. A. Rosenkrantz, C. Magid, 776
Greene avenue, Brooklyn.
MEETING IN BIRMINGHAM, ALA.
The Southeastern Talking Machine Dealers' As-
sociation which met recently in Birmingham, Ala.,
was well attended by dealers and jobbers doing
business in that territory, who handle the Victor
line. An address was made by J. Parham Werlein,
of Philip Werlein, Ltd., New Orleans. E. W. Wil-
son, Jr., of the Collins Piano Co., John V. Dugan
of the Dugan Piano Co., and B. G. Powell of the
Maison Blanche, were others among the New Or-
leans delegation.
TO MAKE RECORDS.
The Record Manufacturing Company, organized
to manufacture talking machine records in Boston,
has been incorporated and capitalized at $325,000.
Among those connected with the undertaking are
George A. Mearsley, Boston; Alfred B. Carhart,
Winchester; Frank L. Curtis, Natick, Mass.; James
E. MacPherson, Framingham, Mass.; Arthur Bergh
and Harold Sanford. New York, and Herbert J.
Mearsley, Quincy, Mass.
HOW THE RECORDS TEACH
Famous Operatic Contralto, Miss Sophie
Braslau, Tells About Their Helpfulness
to the Student of Singing.
The great value of talking machine records in
training the voice and in furthering the study of
music generally is told by Miss Sophie Braslau, a
foremost young American contralto, who has made
a notable career both at the Metropolitan Opera
House, New York, and with the Chicago Opera
Company on tour as interpreter of principal roles.
"Very often 1 have played records for myself as
aids in study, and it is my conviction that the rec-
ords of great artists have, more than any other
source, been responsible for the love of good music
and musical appreciation throughout our country.
Artists no longer find it difficult to sing in smaller
towns; serious numbers, instead of being unknown
quantities, are understood everywhere, for every-
where they have been made familiar through fre-
quent hearings on the records," writes Miss Braslau
in the Delineator.
Five years ago Miss Braslau made a successful
debut at tfTe Metropolitan. The following opinion
as to the potency of the talking machine record is
valuable coming from an artist who from the very
beginning of her career became a prominent figure
as soloist in music festivals, in concerts with the
principal orchestras, and in recitals throughout the
country, from New England to California:
All can be students from good records, for they
present perfect studies in singing by the greatest
artists. These records may not be able to tell us
in words how to do things, but they will show us
practically how to get over barriers. In records,
too, one will find the most finished examples of the
individual singer's art, and for this reason: It is far
more, difficult to make a record than to sing in con-
cert.
To get proper value out of records, the first neces-
sities are a good musical car and strict attention in
listening. A method must be followed in studying
from records, just as in studying anything else.
I do not believe in making a study of any one es-
pecial singer, but of several, in order to compare
their way of doing things. Take, for instance, a
Melba, a Galli-Curci and a Tetrazzini record of the
same piece and compare the different methods these
singers have of doing the identical song or aria.
Records will show us, among many other things,
what a full, beautiful quality of tone is; evenness of
tone in runs and scales; how the voice should be
managed in singing difficult intervals; the variety
that may be obtained in coloring the tone—that is,
in making it dark and covered, or light and brilliant
—and as well it will show how many varieties there
are in shading these two extremes. In addition there
DETERLING
Talking Machines
Challenge Comparison in
every point from cabinets to
tonal results.
Prices attractive for fine
goods. Write us.
Deterling Mfg. Co., Inc.
TIPTON, IND.
'Guesswork Won't Do"
—The ACME allows test with
the drag of the needle throughout
the length of the
record.
The
Acme Speed Indicator
—is precision made.
—clears the tone arm.
—locates
motor
troubles.
—registers 78 and 80
revolutions.
F. P. ALTSHUL, MANAGER.
Frederick Altshul is the new general Eastern dis-
tributor for the Prima Donna phonograph made by
the General Sales Corporation of Milwaukee, Wis.
Mr. Altshul has offices and display rooms at 112
West Twenty-third street, New York.
COLUMBIA STOCK LISTED.
The Columbia Graphophone Manufacturing Com-
pany's additional 200,000 shares of common stock
were announced among the listings of the New York
Stock Exchange last week.
Made by
The Acme Engineering & Mfg. Co.
1622 Fulton St.
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CHICAGO
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