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London. W.1. THE GRAMOPHONE L<mdon Office: 68, Frith Street, Edited by COMPTON MACKENZIE TELEPHONE: Regent 1383 TELEGRAMS : Parmaxto, Westcent, London Vol. IV. NOVEMBER, 1926 No.6 All communications should be addressed to the London Office. In the case of MSS. or of lette-rs requiring an answer an addressed and stamped envelope m1tst be e-nclosed. All cheques, rrwney ordMs and postal orders should be in favour of "Gramophone (Publications) Ltd.," and should be Massed " Bank of Liverpool and Martins, Ltd." For the conve-nience of readers the following are kept in stock ;Red cloth spring-back Binding Case with gilt lettering (for the preservation of current numbMs), 3s. 6d., postage 6d. Volume I . Nos. 5, 8 to 12 with Index, 8s., postage Is. Volume II. Nos. 1 to 12 with Index, 14s., postage Is. Index, 2s.· Oomplete bound volume (only a few copies left), 23s. post free in U.K. Volume III. Nos. 1 to 12 with Index, 148., post(tge Is. Index and Binding Case, 4s. 6d. Index alone, 2s. Complete bownd volume, 20s. post free in U.K, Sepamle numbers of Vols. I . , II., I l l . , and IV., Is. each, postage 2d. The annual subscriPtion for THE GRAMOPHONE is Us., post free, from the London Office. MUSIC AND THE GRAMOPHONE. Compiled by H. L. Wilson, 7s. 6d., postage 3d. THOUGHTS ON MUSIC, compiled by Hervey Elwes, 216 pp., 8vo, cloth, 6s., postage 6d. A LIST OF RECORDED CHAMBER MUSIC and Supplement to THE 'VILSON PROTRACTOR (for testing needle-track alignment). Is., postage 2d. TIlE LIFEBELT, for Continental fitting, 5s. pOBt free . Adaptor July, 1926 (N.G.S. booklet), 9d., postage Id. GRAMOPHONE TIPS, by Capt. H. T. Barnett, M.I.E.E. New Edi­ tion just Ollt, Is. post free. Last Edition (1925) 9d., P08t free. GRAMOPHONE NIGHTS, by Compton Mackenz·ie and Archibald Marshall, 58., postage 4d. COLOURED PORTRAITS OF MOZART AND WAGNER, 6d. each, post free. for H.M. V. fitting Is. extra, for Columbia fitting Is. 6d. extra. W. G. N. 'WEIGHT ADJUSTER for goose-neck tone-arms or for new H.M. V. models, 7s. 6d., postage 3d. (Full instructions for fitting and use e-nclosed.) W. S. A. WEIGHT ADJUSTER for (Columbia) straight tone-arms. lOs., postaqe 3d. w OCTOBER w w RECORDS By THE EDITOR SINCE the new recording the question of the right conductor has become of really vital importance for an orchestral record. I t is evidently not enough to have musicians of taste, discretion, and conscientiousness. I might almost add that dignity and a certain nobility of manner which we associate with certain conductors are a hindrance rather than a help to the recording of orchestral works for the gramophone. I can understand, and in some moods sympathise with, the l istener who does not care to see the conductor sweating like a stoker, and I admit that i t may easily induce in the audience a sense of fatigue which is far removed from the highest resthetic pleasure. At the same t ime I must avow that the two conductors I know who sweat most profusely and whose collars at the end of a symphony are wetter than the inside of the horns, do happen to be the very two conductors who galvanize their orchestra into what seems a veritably demonic condition; and I feel convinced that an orchestra stimulated to this extent is the one in the most suitable condition to be recorded. I t is no use talking about the phlegm of British orchestras. The British orchestra with the right conductor can give as inspiring a performance of a great orchestral work as i t is possible to hear anywhere else in the world. But we a,re not getting demonic performances on the gramophone when they are most required, and however authoritative the conducting by a man like Weingartner of the Ninth Sym,phony of Beethoven may be, the inelucta,ble fact remains that life is absent from i t . At present on the gramophone there are two conductors who have unmistakably known how to transfer their own life to a machine-Toscanini and Albert Coates; and I do not think that I am prejadiced by friendship if I add the name of Eugene Goossens. A conductor who I am convinced would have the same power, but who has not yet been recorded, is Koussevitsky. One might expect this Ufe-breathing spirit from Sir Henry Wood, but Sir Henry Wood is really overworked. He achieves

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London. W.1.

THE GRAMOPHONE L

Edited by COMPTON MACKENZIE

TELEPHONE: Regent 1383

TELEGRAMS : Parmaxto, Westcent, London

Vol. IV.

NOVEMBER, 1926

No.6

All communications should be addressed to the London Office. In the case of MSS. or of lette-rs requiring an answer an addressed and stamped envelope m1tst be e-nclosed.

All cheques, rrwney ordMs and postal orders should be in favour of "Gramophone (Publications) Ltd.," and should be Massed " Bank of Liverpool and Martins, Ltd."

For the conve-nience of readers the following are kept in stock ;Red cloth spring-back Binding Case with gilt lettering (for the preservation of current numbMs), 3s. 6d., postage 6d. Volume I . Nos. 5, 8 to 12 with Index, 8s., postage Is. Volume II. Nos. 1 to 12 with Index, 14s., postage Is. Index, 2s.· Oomplete bound volume (only a few copies left), 23s. post free in U.K.

Volume III. Nos. 1 to 12 with Index, 148., post(tge Is. Index and Binding Case, 4s. 6d. Index alone, 2s. Complete bownd volume, 20s. post free in U.K,

Sepamle numbers of Vols. I . , II., I l l . , and IV., Is. each, postage 2d. The annual subscriPtion for THE GRAMOPHONE is Us., post free, from the London Office.

MUSIC AND THE GRAMOPHONE.

Compiled by H. L. Wilson, 7s. 6d., postage 3d.

THOUGHTS ON MUSIC, compiled by Hervey Elwes, 216 pp.,

8vo, cloth, 6s., postage 6d. A LIST OF RECORDED CHAMBER MUSIC and Supplement to

THE 'VILSON PROTRACTOR (for testing needle-track alignment).

Is., postage 2d. TIlE LIFEBELT, for Continental fitting, 5s. pOBt free . Adaptor

July, 1926 (N.G.S. booklet), 9d., postage Id. GRAMOPHONE TIPS, by Capt. H. T. Barnett, M.I.E.E. New Edi­

tion just Ollt, Is. post free. Last Edition (1925) 9d., P08t free. GRAMOPHONE NIGHTS, by Compton Mackenz·ie and Archibald

Marshall, 58., postage 4d. COLOURED PORTRAITS OF MOZART AND WAGNER, 6d. each,

post free.

for H.M. V. fitting Is. extra, for Columbia fitting Is. 6d. extra. W. G. N. 'WEIGHT ADJUSTER for goose-neck tone-arms or for new H.M. V. models, 7s. 6d., postage 3d. (Full instructions for fitting and use e-nclosed.) W. S. A. WEIGHT ADJUSTER for (Columbia) straight tone-arms.

lOs., postaqe 3d.

w OCTOBER

w w RECORDS By THE EDITOR

SINCE the new recording the question of the right conductor has become of really vital importance for an orchestral record. I t is evidently not enough to have musicians of taste, discretion, and conscientiousness. I might almost add that dignity and a certain nobility of manner which we associate with certain conductors are a hindrance rather than a help to the recording of orchestral works for the gramophone. I can understand, and in some moods sympathise with, the l istener who does not care to see the conductor sweating like a stoker, and I admit that i t may easily induce in the audience a sense of fatigue which is far removed from the highest resthetic pleasure. At the same t ime I must avow that the two conductors I know who sweat most profusely and whose collars at the end of a symphony are wetter than the inside of the horns, do happen to be the very two conductors who galvanize their orchestra into what seems a veritably demonic condition; and I feel convinced that an orchestra stimulated to this extent is the one in the most suitable condition to be recorded. I t is no use talking about the phlegm of British orchestras. The British orchestra with the right conductor can give as inspiring a performance of a great orchestral work as i t is possible to hear anywhere else in the world. But we a,re not getting demonic performances on the gramophone when they are most required, and however authoritative the conducting by a man like Weingartner of the Ninth Sym,phony of Beethoven may be, the inelucta,ble fact remains that life is absent from i t . At present on the gramophone there are two conductors who have unmistakably known how to transfer their own life to a machine-Toscanini and Albert Coates; and I do not think that I am prejadiced by friendship if I add the name of Eugene Goossens. A conductor who I am convinced would have the same power, but who has not yet been recorded, is Koussevitsky. One might expect this Ufe-breathing spirit from Sir Henry Wood, but Sir Henry Wood is really overworked. He achieves

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