Records for Pleasure [Reprint 2022 ed.] 9781978810792

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Records FOR

PLEASURE

Records FOR

P L E A S U R E 9 9 9 9 9 9

By JOHN

BALL,

JR.

New Brunswick RUTGERS

UNIVERSITY

!947

PRESS

COPYRIGHT, TRUSTEES

OF

RUTGERS

1947,

BY

COLLEGE

ALL RIGHTS

THE IN

NEW

JERSEY

RESERVED

MANUFACTURED IN T H E UNITED STATES O F AMERICA

FOR MY THREE GIRLS:

Mother, Cynthia, and the Gremlin

PREFACE 0o®

is A BOOK about records for people who may or may not know very much about music. Most especially it is for potential collectors who feel that they might like records if they were a little more informed about them. This is by no means a textbook on music; if you would like to find out what the sonata form is, there are many excellent authors who have covered the subject brilliantly. The purpose here is to take away from recorded music some of its strangeness and technicality and to talk about it for what it is—something to be listened to and enjoyed. THIS

T h e material has been prepared from the standpoint of the initiated and uninitiated alike. The "hows" and "whys" of record collecting are included—how to tell good records from bad ones, how to keep and protect records, and how to play them. As a practical guide, there is included a list of two hundred recordings from which a satisfactory library can be built. Considerable care has been exercised to keep the list balanced, adjusted to the pocketbook as well as attuned to the ear, and so chosen that the persevering collector who sees it all the way through will have in his possession a record library which will be a source of continuing pride and enjoyment as well as a nucleus from which to build as far and in as many directions as he chooses. This list may serve to fill in the gaps in a record library already well started. Some of the selections may seem sur-

vii

prising, but when you have listened to them for awhile, perhaps you will come to agree with the writer. If you do not care for "classical" music as long as you can listen to Bing, Gene Autry, or Mildred Bailey, this is still your book. And by the same token if you already have all of the Beethoven symphonies and most of Schubert's Lieder, perhaps it may widen your horizons a little too.

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CONTENTS O 9 ®

Preface Records in General

vii 3

Buying Records

11

Caring for Records

25

Phonographs

41

Record Accessories

56

The Recording Process

65

Enjoying Records

73

T w o Hundred Selected Recordings

80

Recordings of Special Interest

182

Appendix

202

Glossary

204

Index

211

ix

Records FOR

PLEASURE

I.

R E C O R D S

I N

G E N E R A L

© © ©

ALMOST EVERYONE sooner or later has a desire to own some phonograph records. Contrary to what you might think, this impulse seldom comes from a deep love and understanding of music, or even from a very particular urge to acquire such an understanding. More often either a particular piece of music, classical or popular, will appeal strongly enough to suggest owning a recording of it for enjoyment at any time, or seeing and listening to someone else's record library will invoke the idea of having one too. The purchase of a new radio-phonograph may also provide an incentive. Usually it takes two or three exposures to records to bring about a determination to start a collection. Once started it can be a source of far more genuine pleasure and incidental self-development than would ever be supposed at the beginning. This enjoyment can be greatly increased if, early in the process of building a library, some of the hazards of record buying can be avoided and if a proper method is selected for the protection and care of the growing collection. T o provide a guide to this early period of record collecting is the purpose of this book. T h e way to become the gratified owner of a major collection is to acquire one record. If the purchase is a good one, another disc will soon be found to keep it company, and you are on your way to becoming a collector. T h e expense of building a library is not nearly so great as might be at first supposed. At one time, a poor-quality recording 3

of a single song sold for five dollars; today, with few exceptions, any record in the catalog of any major American company can be had for one dollar or less. Many musical masterpieces cost far less than might be supposed. A large number of fine works can be had in two-pocket album sets for three dollars. These include, by way of example, Ravel's Bolero in a complete recording, Bizet's Carmen Suite, the wonderful Polivetzian Dances from Prince Igor, the Peer Gynt Suite, and such lesser known but utterly enjoyable works as Ravel's Introduction and Allegro for Harp and Strings, César Franck's Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra, Offenbach's Gaite Parisienne, Handel's Water Music, and many others. For one dollar more you can have your choice of Beethoven's Eighth Symphony, a magnificent recording of Grieg's Piano Concerto by Artur Rubenstein with the Philadelphia Orchestra, a fine collection, Opera Arias, sung by Richard Crooks, the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, Prokofieff's Peter and the Wolf, and dozens more. And if you have been having a tough two weeks and the record budget is at its slimmest, there are any number of excellent recordings which can be had for seventy-nine cents, tax included. Unquestionably the building up of a record library involves the expenditure of money, but such an expenditure may be properly regarded as an investment. Dividends are received in the form of widened musical horizons, numerous evenings of enjoyment flavored with hospitality as you may elect, comfort and inspiration when they are needed, the development of a healthy musical interest in children, and satisfaction which goes with owning a fine possession. In addition to its purely musical aspects, the phonograph stands ready to assist you to learn a foreign language, master skiing, perform card tricks, go to sleep, laugh, lose money on the horses (several multi-grooved 4

racing records are pressed), learn birdcalls, and become a proficient rhumba dancer. A very respectable collection need not include any of these items, but they are available if the need for them is felt. After a record library is well begun, a good deal of added satisfaction is derived from the purely collective aspects of its growth. Eminent men and women have found recreation and relaxation in collecting postage stamps, and this avocation has become almost a science. The same interests which inspire the search for a rare triangular stamp once published by a little-known republic will also provide a warm glow for the record collector who succeeds in finding and obtaining for his very own a copy of the wonderful Avshalomoff Concerto in D on Chinese Themes and Rhythms as performed by the Shanghai Municipal Orchestra under the composer's baton (Columbia M-286—withdrawn). Some may elect to collect for the pure joy of possession. A few specialists scattered throughout the country are intent on obtaining as many diversified labels as they can manage. Others pursue the early cylinder records and care nothing for the current output. The large majority of record collectors, however, acquire records for the sake of the music or drama which they possess, and give little consideration to labels and such extraneous matters except as they reflect upon the quality of reproduction available from the discs in question. There are several general classifications into which worth-while recordings are regularly grouped. Only a collector of exceptionally catholic taste will attempt to obtain a large representation of all of the principal divisions. It is an excellent idea, therefore, to understand clearly just what these divisions are before the acquisition of too many records. A decision may then be made as to which types of recordings are going to be of greatest inter-

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est and which may be deferred for later consideration. First of all, then, is the current repertoire—symphonic, vocal, and chamber music, and all of the other forms in which music is found. By far the largest number of collectors are primarily interested in this category and watch with enthusiasm the release announcements from the manufacturers. T h e finest known recording techniques are utilized in making permanent the contemporary performances of great masterpieces. In addition, the principal catalogs include hundreds of other listings recorded a few years ago, but still of acceptable mechanical quality. Such records as these are usually easy to obtain and offer a very wide range of selection. Next in point of interest are the recorded examples of the singing and playing of great artists who have retired or who are no longer living. T h e performances available on such discs are often remarkable and are often beyond the artistic reach of present-day musicians. As a simple illustration, no tenor has appeared since the death of Caruso who has been widely accepted as a successor to this great singer. Unfortunately the recording technique used to perpetuate the art of many of the immortals of opera was, by modern standards, atrocious. In listening to these early discs, wholesale allowances must be made, with the imagination supplying many of the overtones and delicate shadings which the old acoustical process was incapable of capturing. Despite this objection, devotees of the "golden age of opera" recordings gather to listen to voices which sometimes emerge from the phonograph as feeble shadows of what was once glorious singing. Other discs are surprisingly effective even today. T h e Death of Otello, recorded on portable equipment in 1903 by the celebrated Francesco Tamagno is still pressed in England, and the art of this long dead singer may be heard with remarkable clarity on modern reproducing equipment. T h e great (5

majority of the acoustical discs fall somewhere in between these two extremes when proper allowances are made. Interest in early recordings has been mounting continuously for some time, with lively bidding often displayed in auctions of the more select and rare recordings. In many instances such old records have been re-recorded and reissued, making classic performances once again available to all who are interested. Generally speaking, the collectors of acoustical discs are connoisseurs of vocal art, students of singing, persons with an exceptionally keen interest in opera, or in some instances, individuals whose reminiscences reach back to the heyday of the great singers represented on these records. Popular recordings are seldom collected with the same care as are the recordings of more serious music. T h e ordinary "tune of the day" is usually made available by half a dozen different record manufacturers, often in more than one version. Six months later the sale of such discs will have reached the vanishing point, as will the public's interest in the composition itself. Occasionally there are exceptions. Musical comedy numbers are frequently longlived, and sometimes the least likely popular melody will receive a performance so good that the record is kept in the catalog for that reason alone. Recordings made by such artists as Bing Crosby and Duke Ellington, to name only two, tend to hold some value because of the talent or exceptional popularity of the interpreter. T h e perennial Stardust has had a career unmatched by any other popular composition. Similarly, Billie Holliday's remarkable performance of Strange Fruit (Commodore) has kept this antilynching song continuously on the presses over a period of years. Popular records are generally bought to be enjoyed for the time being and then discarded or consigned to limbo after the novelty of the tune has worn off. Outstanding discs are spotted very promptly, and the col-

7

lector interested in acquiring a few such items usually will have plenty of time before the record is withdrawn. Jazz records are an entirely different matter. The students of this type of music are entirely serious and have done some remarkable research into the background of both the records and the performers who make them. The distinction between popular music and jazz is sharply marked in all such discussions, and not without justice. Both old and modern recordings are carefully reviewed and appraised, collectors' catalogs are published, and a large amount of scholarship has gone into compiling discographies concerned with particular phases of recorded jazz. Several magazines are published which deal exclusively with this subject. As opposed to "popular" recordings, good jazz records frequently increase in value, and the older items have the same type of connoisseur appreciation that is associated with the early vocal discs of the great artists. In both cases the groups of collectors, which only infrequently overlap, are primarily interested in recapturing performances which are no longer currently available. In addition to the categories outlined above, there is a sizable repertoire of drama and speech recordings, both prose and poetry. Shakespeare is well represented on records by such interpreters as Maurice Evans, Otis and Cornelia Otis Skinner, Southern and Marlowe, John Barrymore, Orson Welles, Paul Robeson, John Gielgud, H. Beerbohm Tree, and Judith Anderson. Not all of these records are now being listed, but most of them can be secured with a little effort. In many cases an author's own reading of his work is available on records. Edwin Markham has given us a selection of his poems including The Man with the Hoe. Cardinal Spellman has read from his poems, and so has Lagston Hughes. Important moments of history have 8

been recorded, including the abdication address of the present Duke of Windsor, the wartime addresses of the late President Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and King George VI, and statements of leading military figures. In addition, there is available a remarkable series of short addresses by distinguished citizens who originally came to America from other countries. Dr. Einstein recorded his remarks on the day that he became an American citizen. A very considerable library can be built entirely from the spoken word as it is available on phonograph records. Folk music has recently undergone a considerable revival of interest; the large number of authentic folk recordings now available are partly a cause and partly an effect. Phonograph literature is remarkably rich in genuine folk songs and dances from almost every country. The Library of Congress has made available some highly interesting American folk songs recorded throughout the country on portable equipment. Extensive collections of folk music have been prepared from originals made in Oceania, Africa, the Caribbean, and almost every other inhabited area of the earth. Certain areas have highly distinctive folk music which can be identified at once with the place of origin; the Spanish Flamenco and the Trinidadian Calypso are two prime examples. Once heard, neither could possibly be mistaken for any other regional type. Both Calypso and Flamenco are well represented on records. The same goes for such specialized song forms as Cajun, Corrido, Voodoo, Madrigals, Authentic Blues, Saetas, and a wealth of other types. Here you will find the phonograph at its most useful, bringing to you music which without its aid could not be heard short of expending months in travel and exploration. The choice, therefore, is an exceedingly wide one, and the horizons which lie before the new record collector stretch forth in many directions. T h e menu of recorded

9

art is so vast and so tempting, it is hard to avoid having eyes that are larger than your pocketbook. On the other hand, there is no need to despair at the thought that you cannot have it all. No man can hope in one lifetime to read all of the books which limitless funds would permit him to purchase. Even with the willing aid of the public library the task is an impossible one. Yet to abandon reading because not all of literature can be embraced would be preposterous. Within a reasonable length of time, you are likely to acquire most of the records of the standard musical repertoire that you want, and the fascination of discovery is always at hand as new releases are announced or as a broadened taste begins to focus on different fields of music and the rich experiences which are waiting there. When you find that this is happening, you will have just cause for self-congratulation to combine with your healthy curiosity as to what the new and untrod pastures contain.

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II. B U Y I N G

RECORDS

© © ©

is almost an art. The intelligent record purchaser seeks to establish himself on a middle ground halfway between being overly fussy and difficult and being foolishly extravagant. When the customer has a certain amount of money available for record purchases, it goes without saying that he would like to obtain good value for his investment. At the same time no one likes to be classified as a crank whom clerks hate to see. Once the business of buying records is well understood, the informed purchaser can pay a pleasant visit to a store and come out within a short time with exactly what he wants tucked under his arm. Such an experienced buyer sees a great many things in a short while, and over a period of time will reap increasing dividends from his investment because of his ability to make wise selections. There are almost as many kinds of record buyers as there are discs in stock on the shelves. Retail music dealers often become bitterly eloquent about some record customers whose patronage represents a continuous source of irritation and doubtful financial gain. Just as long as records are on sale this problem will continue. There is no need to outline here all of the ways in which an individual can make himself persona non grata in a record store, for the nature of this book is such that no such problem children, or problem adults, are likely to delve into its pages. The rules of common courtesy are as potent in the B U Y I N G PHONOGRAPH RECORDS

II

record business as in every other phase of human relations. The average record dealer who stocks serious music is obliging and more than co-operative in helping customers to satisfy their needs. The higher the quality of the stock the better the dealer is equipped to understand the problem of the individual collector and to help in its solution. Fortunately the number of dealers who try to "shove" merchandise which the buyer does not want is limited. T o a considerable degree record stores operate on a principle of repeat business with the same customers showing up week after week. For this reason if no other, record store proprietors are inclined as a group to give attentive service and build customer good will whenever they can. Because of the enormous catalog of published recordings, very few stores make any pretense of carrying absolutely complete stocks. During the last few years dealers in smaller communities have often offered wider selections than have large metropolitan stores where the turnover is much more rapid. There is no reason to assume that a store in a small city will not be able to give service which compares favorably with the best obtainable in large communities. With practically no exceptions records are sold at list price which is the same in all stores where the items are carried. The only differential which occurs at all commonly is in areas where local sales taxes are imposed. There are a very few establishments which allow small discounts to regular customers, but generally speaking this is an accommodation which the regular record buyer does not expect and for which he does not ask. One of the best ways to assure the maximum satisfaction from your record purchases is to prepare a "want list." This need not be elaborate; a simple listing will suffice, giving title, artist, and the record number. With such a list it becomes possible to ask specifically for what is 12

wanted and, in the event of disappointment, to have immediately at hand a number of alternate choices. Many people feel that they do not like to visit a store, consume the clerk's time, and then leave without making a purchase. A want list covers this situation completely; if none of the items represented are available, the sales person at least knows that the customer is sincere and has done his best to make the visit profitable. When a customer is in a record store and surrounded by album displays, he is quite likely to forget momentarily precisely which recording he came for in the first place. If you think this isn't so, try it sometime. Record manufacturers devote a great deal of effort and money to making their products attractive, and they get results. Many a customer walks through the door intent on The Moldau and comes forth a few minutes later the slightly bewildered owner of a group of Palestinian folk songs. But a want list can also be something of a Frankenstein's monster if it grows to such proportions that the clerk is only bewildered by its size. Even the most courteous salespeople turn pale when confronted with a list of two or three hundred items which they are expected to check in their stock. In almost all cases, being human, they look at the list intently for a few minutes and then announce regretfully that none of the items wanted are in stock. Or a long want list can place its owner in an embarrassing position if a well-stocked store turns up a larger number of the requested items than the customer is prepared to accept. For both these reasons it is advisable to keep the want list down to a reasonable number of items if you leave it with a clerk. One satisfactory device is to list the wanted items on filing cards, a dozen or so to each card; as many of them can be left with the clerk as the circumstances warrant. If the purchaser wants to avoid certain kinds of disi3

appointment, there are several other things he must do. He must know exactly which album set or single disc he wants and must ask for it in unmistakable terms, by number if possible. This piece of advice is not so infantile as it at first seems; there are two recordings of the Brahms Violin Concerto, both of which bear the Columbia label and both of which feature Joseph Szigeti as the soloist. Furthermore, both sets have the same odd side. If the customer specifies the Brahms Violin Concerto by Szigeti and the Philadelphia Orchestra, he will get the recording he wants providing it is in stock (which it certainly should be); otherwise he will get the Hallé Orchestra which, while satisfactory, is-not so good. Misunderstandings of this kind can result in minor embarrassments. It should be clearly understood that record stores accept no responsibility for broken discs once the customer has left the premises. The need for this policy is obvious. If a customer dropped a package of records, in the ensuing period of frustration he might easily yield to the temptation to return to the store and explain with wide-eyed innocence that the damage had just been discovered. Under no circumstances, therefore, accept an album of records in the manufacturer's wrapper; open the package and satisfy yourself by inspection that each disc is in good condition. No reputable dealer will ever resent your doing this; as a matter of fact many of them do it themselves to avoid any possible question later on. Sometimes the strong temptation to overlook this precaution results in a disappointment for which no one but the purchaser can be blamed. If a number of single records are purchased, or only one or two, the buyer has every right to request that they be packaged with a square of cardboard on each side to guard against breakage. Album sets should have a piece of cardboard inside the cover for the same reason. Many record r4

packages are equipped with a paper or cardboard carrying handle, the use of which is not advised, for they have a way of tearing, suddenly and without warning, especially when you are carrying the last available copy of the disc you so carefully selected. Records are fragile, and proper respect should be shown for that fact; once a few simple, proper precautions are taken there is no reason to anticipate expensive breakage. Most accidents which break records are the result of carelessness, such as the favorite stunt of leaving a package flat on the seat of a car. Once the discs are safely home and installed in the collection, the immediate danger is past. In addition to breakage, there are several other ills which records are heir to and which should be checked before a purchase is concluded. Here are some of them: ([ i. Needle Drops. Records in stock may have been played once or twice before by prospective customers. Glance over the surface to be sure that there are no telltale little pits which show where the pickup was allowed to fall onto the record. One suchflawcan produce annoying clicks when the record is played, and frequently will cause mistracking, that is, the same groove will play over and over again. ([2. Swishes. Records which appear perfect but which are pressed from worn stampers will often "swish." The surface noise surges each time the turntable revolves. This is highly annoying, especially on good reproducing equipment. ([ 3. Off-center Pressing. This is a fairly common fault and one which can be very provoking. If record grooves are eccentric to the center hole, the tone will sound uneven toward the finish of the side. This fault may be detected by setting the pickup near to the end of the record as it is revolving and watching to see if it travels noticeably from side to side, that is, towards the center and back again. If 15

it does, reject the record no matter how badly you might have wanted it otherwise. 4. Gritty Surface. Even the best brands will occasionally press a few bad records. The fact that a record bears a respected name does not insure that it is free of this fault. ([ 5. Warping. Warped records will skid on changers with devastating results. It is almost impossible to straighten out such records. Although a single disc that is warped is sometimes acceptable, when one is found in an album set it should be refused. ([6. Mispressing. This, too, happens more frequently than record manufacturers like to contemplate. Simply stated, the wrong music shows up on the record. This is one fault which reputable dealers will adjust if it is detected at home, since the records were clearly at fault when they left the store. There have been some celebrated incidents of mispression, and a new one turns up about every three months or so. ([ 7. Wrong Sequence. If you are the owner of a machine equipped with a record changer, you will naturally want the sets of records that you purchase to be arranged for automatic operation. If they are not so arranged, instead of enjoying the full forty minutes of easy-chair relaxation that you anticipate, you have to get up every four minutes and change the records. In this case the fault lies not in the records but in the buyer. ([ 8. Worn Stamper. Worn stampers give rise to many ills, ranging from slight swishes to heavy blurs that make the record all but impossible to play. Loud passages should be sharp and clear; if they are not it may be the fault of the needle or the machine. If both are proved satisfactory with another disc, a worn stamper can be blamed. ([ 9. Blocked Runoff. The eccentric groove at the end of all modern records is there to trip certain types of record 16

changers. Sometimes the label will lap over this groove, in which case the changer won't work properly. 10. Line Clacks. Many cracks appear on only one side of a record, particularly in laminated (Columbia) discs. Others may start from the center hole or from the rim and lead into the body of the record for an inch or so. These little cracks are ambitious and invariably grow until the disc has to be discarded.