232
The GRAAIOPHONE
November 1937
television or the perfection of various broadcasting services should be hampered by lack of funds due to unreasonable taxation. Unless television is to be allowed a chance to develop i t had better be left alone altogether; and i t is perfectly clear that television never will develop until television"stations are established all over the country, for the value of i t will lie rather in its ability to annihilate space by keeping everybody in the country in touch with what is happen" ing everywhere rather than in deliberately setting out to provide entertainment. One of the great advantages of broadcasting is that i t eliminates sight and encourages the mind's eye. The trouble with any advance is that one can never step back. I think the introduction of talkies was a dubious benefit, but once introduced i t is impossible to imagine returning to silent films.
There is a good deal to be said against broadcasting drama, but I think that televised drama will prove a Frankenstein when i t comes. And it is to be remembered that when i t does come we shall not be able to . go back to broadcasting drama unaided by television. That may seem a good argument against the development of television, but once again I repeat one cannot go back, and having gone so far with television we must go on.
Under all these menaces the future prospects of the gramophone become increasingly rosy. The technique of recording continues to show a steady advance and I can tell from my correspondence that the figures of gramophone converts are steadily being maintained.
When one takes up the latest catalogue of His Master's Voice, "Recorded Music," and turns over the 480 pages, one is amazed again at the richness and variety of its contents. To the editor who occupies himself with the task of maintaining the accuracy of this catalogue the grateful thanks of all of us are due , Perhaps nobody who has not been called upon to read proofs can appreciate what a task the reading of these proofs means. English, French, German, Italian, not to mention Gaelic and other languages. Complicated Slav, Hungarian and Czech names. Keys and instruments. And worst of all numbers: about 75,000 threeor four-figure groups! And if one figure is wrong the whole industry is in a whirlwind. Looking through this great catalogue, 1 find only one serious omission, but that omission is so serious that I must enter a solemn protest against it. Page 24 carries on the top of i t the Royal Arms, underneath which is a list of sixteen royal records which His Master's Voice has had the honour of making. Was it by the wish of his ex-Majesty King Edward VIII that the record of his abdication speech was not circulated? An assurance from the recording companies that this omission is due only to the express desire of H.R.H. Duke of Windsor would allay the resentment which many of the Duke's late subjects throughout the Empire feel over what, until they have some assurance to the contrary, seems a cold and caIculated insult on a par with the many other cold and calculated insults which have been offered to a man who has shown his country such an example of courage and sincerity. I possess a record of that abdication speech, the most poignant speech monarch ever made, but my record had to be imported from over the Atlantic and owing to the difficulties of perfect transmission does not do justice to that historic speech. What influence was brought to bear to suppress the record which must have been made in this country? Was i t a mistaken sense offit.ness, or was i t subserviency to the bureaucratic powers that be, or was i t merely nervousness which prevented any of the recording companies from putting this record into general circulation? I f some bureaucratic mandarin interfered to stop the circulation of this record, the public has a right to hear which particular mandarin i t was. The only valid excuse for suppressing this record was that i t was in deference to the wishes of H. M. King George VI, which I do not believe, or of H.R.H. Duke of Windsor, which I do not believe either. I have kept silent on this matter until now because 1 had hoped to see in this new catalogue the record duly listed, but 1 cannot keep silent any longer now that 1 am compelled to realize that its suppression is evidently intended to be permanent. Readers of this paper cannot accuse me of giving vent to my personal feelings in this matter during the months since last December, but I feel too strongly about this subject to keep silent any longer, and as 1 consider the suppression of this record a matter which THE GRAMOPHONE may becomingly protest, I make that protest now. If the recording companies can adduce satisfactory reasons to justify their action in not circulating this record, I shall be happy to apologize for the observations made above.
In writing like this 1 have no desire to stir up controversy, and no controversial letters on this subject will be published.
When from Windsor Castle H.R.H. Prince Edward made that last speech he was speaking to the world of to-day and the world of to-morrow, and such a speech does not deserve oblivion.
As a supplement to the General Catalogue ofH.M.V. Music we have been given what is called a " Mood Music" catalogue, obtainable only from His Master's Voice, 363 Oxford Street, W. I , a really admirable combination, of the greatest use to a variety of people, and -I quote from the compiler's notes- here are some of the headings of the Moods: Gay - Light - Comic - Jolly Quaint - Impertinent. Gay - Brilliant - Effervescent Sparkling. Pastoral - Peaceful - Serene. RushingDashing. Teashop - Pretty-Pretty. Tripping - Dainty. Sad - Heavy - Ascetic - Spiritual - Divine - Sublime. Grand - Pompous - Majestic. Serious - Tragic Gloomy - Sad. Stormy - Wild - Tempestuous. WeirdHarrowing - Ghoulish.
You will notice that the compiler has avoided providing music for the mood of love, and that bears out the difficulty we have recently been discussing of
