New Magazine

Last week simultaneously in Paris and in Manhattan there was issued a new musical magazine. The Paris version was in French, the U. S. version in English but to almost all who can see it the language will make no difference for it is written not in neat black type but in Braille, the system of tangible dots whereby blindmen have learned to read.

Many know how the French Louis Braille, blind from the age of three, devised a scheme of embossing dots into thick, stiff paper that the blind might touch and interpret. Few realize that Blindman Braille was a musician, an organist in a Paris church; that the invention of a system of musical notation for the blind seemed to him almost as important as the making of an alphabet. His code of notes similar to that for letters (dots arranged in different numerical designs), did not attain great vogue during his lifetime. As with the alphabet, different keys cropped up in different countries and not until 1888 at an international Congress at Cologne was an attempt made at standardization. Since then Braille has progressed rapidly. Recent great step was the establishment in 1916 of the American Braille Press. Lawyer William Nelson Cromwell of Manhattan originated it as a special service to the War blind. Now from its headquarters in Paris it caters to all blind, supplies them with literature; with Braille writers which resemble typewriters, only are simpler, smaller, have six keys, three for each hand; with Braille slates for handwriting; games (dominoes, crossword puzzles); music (Rimsky-Korsakov, MacDowell, Debussy, popular dance tunes).

To the American Braille Press, blind-men now owe the publication of the first Musical Review for the Blind. It will be distributed to them free (already some 10,000 specimen copies have been sent out). Wherever they live, whether in the U. S., New Zealand or Serbia, they need only send an annual 50-c- or its equivalent as a registration fee for all Braille publications. Those who receive the first issue will find it to be of about the same flat dimensions as the Saturday Evening Post, bulkier because of the raised paper. Those whose fingers can read will learn about the 1929 Paris Conference on Braille Music at which existing musical symbols were standardized, new ones adopted whereby even the most complicated modern composers can be transposed into Braille. They will be interested in the foreword of Blindman Louis W. Rodenberg, head of the department of music at the Illinois State School for the Blind, who will edit one-third of the magazine in the U. S. (Georges Louis Raverat, onetime War correspondent will edit the rest in Paris). Future issues of the Musical Review will include one or more compositions, according to whether the idea proves popular. Doubtless too, there will be articles on blind composers, perhaps one on Alfred Hollins of Edinburgh who toured the U. S. in 1925 giving organ recitals, or on 23-year-old Beatrice Fenner of San Francisco, or on Fanny Crosby (Mrs. Frances Jane Crosby Van

Alstyne), an associate of Revivalists Moody, Sanky, and William H. Doane who wrote "Pass Me Not, 0 Gentle Saviour,"

"Rescue the Perishing," "Safe in the Arms of Jesus," "Blessed Assurance," "Saved by Grace."

Professor

In Newark, N. J., the Board of Education engaged what Superintendent John Hubbard Logan called a "mouth organ professor," to encourage music among summer playground gamins.

Chicago Opera Tour

In Boston last week many a suit of dress clothes was well pressed in honor of the coming of the Chicago Civic Opera Company. The Chicagoans closed their home season with a performance of Lucia, proceeded to Boston at a transportation cost of $65,000 (27 baggage cars for scenery and equipment, $40,000; railroad and Pullman fares in two eleven-car special trains, $14,000; excess baggage, $11,000), opened a two-week season there with Die Walkure. A routine repertoire of 15 French, German and Italian operas was scheduled to follow after which Bostonians may lay aside their opera hats for another 50 weeks while the Chicago troupe moves on to Detroit, Columbus, Louisville, Jackson, Miss., New Orleans, Memphis, Shreveport, La., Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Tulsa, Wichita, Lincoln, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, a tour lasting until the end of March.

Lutherans' Tour

Through the South last week, giving concerts each night in a different city, toured 60 undergraduate singers from St. Olaf Lutheran College. Savannah heard them, as did Charleston, Columbia, Charlotte, Salisbury (N. C.), Winston-Salem. The week before they were in St. Louis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Jacksonville, where audiences unanimously praised the earnest way in which they sang difficult classical music, admired Director F. Melius Christiansen's close-knit, nicely modulated effects.

Back in Northfield, Minn., townsfolk and students at St. Olaf College read with pride of the success of their singers' first Southern tour. Loyally they believe that St. Olaf has the greatest a capella* choir in the U. S., greater even than the Dayton Westminster Choir/- also composed of 60 members and touring now under Conductor John Finley Williamson.

Junk Concert

Anna Luboshitz gave a recital on her 'cello last week. The admission fee was six pounds of junk. Reason: Anna Luboshitz is a loyal Soviet. Her Moscow recital was for Government benefit. The Soviet Government is happy to get junk--bottles, tin cans, rags, old pairs of rubbers, old corsets or chandeliers.

February Records

Some phonograph records are musical events. Each month TIME will note the noteworthy:**

Opera:

MADAME BUTTERFLY, made in Italy by Italian singers, the Scala Chorus and the Milan Symphony ($28)--The fourth double-album in Columbia's operatic series (others: Carmen, Tristan und Isolde, Aida). The singing is no better than at average Butterfly performances. Tenor Alessandro Granda (Pinkerton) occasionally bleats, Soprano Rosetta Pampanini is sometimes shrill and sophisticated for a 16-year-old heroine. But Conductor Lorenzo Molajoli keeps the whole moving at fine pace; the recording is first-rate.

PAGLIACCI FANTASY (Victor, $1.25)-- Conductor Marek Weber sends from Europe another of his single-record potpourris. Good for those who like their opera edited and prefer the voices of violins, clarinets, 'cellos to sopranos, tenors, baritones.

FAUST, LE VEAU D'OR and NORMA, AH! DEL TEBRO, by Ezio Pinza and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus (Victor, $2)--The first is sung with such flourish that many will want the popular basso to attempt the role of Mephistopheles. The second will remind that other singers than Soprano Rosa Ponselle contribute to the Metropolitan's proud production of Norma.

Symphonic:

STRAVINSKY'S SACRE DU PRINTEMPS by Igor Stravinsky and Symphony Orchestra (Columbia, $10)--Some call this ballet music mad, others magnificent. A Belgian soldier wounded in the last German attack dreamed of the whole earth uprooted and dancing to its primitive rhythms. (The first stage production is to be given in April in Philadelphia and Manhattan by the League of Composers in collaboration with the Philadelphia Orchestra.)

MENDELSSOHN'S SYMPHONY No. 3 by Felix Weingartner and the Royal Phil- harmonic (Columbia, $8)--This seldom-heard Scotch Symphony was inspired by a visit to Holyrood Palace, the Edinburgh home of Mary, Queen of Scots. Conductor Weingartner plays it in the capable, undis- turbed spirit in which it was composed.

ALBENIZ' FETE-DIEU A SEVILLE by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra (Victor, $2.50)--Noisy picture music of a Spanish holiday dramatically played.

Chamber:

BLOCK'S CONCERTO GROSSO by the Philadelphia Chamber String Simfonietta under Fabien Sevitzky (Victor, $5)--Bloch is one composer, at least, who lives in the U. S. (San Francisco) and deserves the adjective "important." The Simfonietta is composed of 18 Philadelphia Orchestra- men; Conductor Sevitzky is nephew of Conductor Serge Koussevitzky, like him a virtuoso on the double-bass.

FRANK'S QUARTET IN D MAJOR by I he London String Quartet (Columbia, $12)-- The Londoners play fastidiously the great quartet for which Frank, 69, and long belittled by the Paris public, was first widely hailed.

Sonatas:

BEETHOVEN'S SONATA IN G MAJOR by Violinist Fritz Kreisler and Pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff (Victor, 2 records, $2.50 ea.)--Beethoven in his happiest, most vigorous mood given by an all-star team.

GRIEG'S SONATA IN C MINOR by Violinist Toscha Seidel and Pianist Arthur Loesser (Columbia, $6)--Capable if less eminent musicians play Grieg at his greatest. Violinist Seidel is better on this record than in many a concert.

Double-Bass:

KOUSSEVITZKY'S CHANSON TRISTE and the LARGO from Eccles' Sonata, by Serge Koussevitzky (Victor, $2)--These numbers are doleful but Koussevitzky's rich, profound tones make his clumsy instrument seem worth its bulk.

Songs:

DEBUSSY'S BEAU SOIR and SZULC'S CLAIR DE LUNE by Mary Garden (Victor, $1.50)--The first Garden record in two years can teach vocal students much in the way of interpretation, phrasing.

WEEPIN' MARY, I WANT TO BE READY, GIT ON BOARD and DERE'S No HIDIN' PLACE, by Paul Robeson (Victor)--Robeson knows better spirituals of his race than these, but these amply reveal one of the smoothest, warmest baritones of the day.

CHANT OF THE JUNGLE and WAITING AT THE END OF THE ROAD by the Revelers (Victor)--The best of close-harmonists get rare instrumental effects with two good tunes, the first from the cinema Untamed, the second from Hallelujah.

NOBODY'S USING IT Now and FUNNY, DEAR, WHAT LOVE CAN Do (Brunswick--) --The tunes don't matter. Marion Harris sings them in her husky, submissive voice. Also she has made Nobody's Sweetheart and My Fate Is in Your Hands (Brunswick).

I'M FOLLOWING YOU and HOOSIER HOP by the Duncan Sisters (Victor)--Recom- mended only for those who want a do-de-o-do sister act in their homes. The Duncans perform just as they do in real life.

Hoosier Hop has a bit of their typical dialog thrown in for good measure.

Piano:

WHY WAS I BORN? and DON'T EVER LEAVE ME (Brunswick)--Lee Sims upsets a few rhythms, improvising in the manner known as Gershwinian.

Dance Records:

SHEPHERD'S SERENADE and CHARMING (Victor)--Leo Reisman's version is the best of these two hits. There is a good piano, soft saxophones and Reisman's own violin.

I'LL SEE You AGAIN and IF LOVE WERE ALL (Victor)--Well-mannered tunes from the musicomedy Bitter Sweet. British Noel Coward, actor-playwright, composed them.

DON'T EVER LEAVE ME and 'TWAS NOT So LONG AGO (Brunswick)--Roger Wolfe Kahn has entertaining variations for Sweet Adeline tunes which stay the season's best.

YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME and YOU'VE GOT THAT THING (Victor)--Composer Cole Porter's jazz in Fifty Million Frenchmen is disappointing but Leo Reisman atones with smart interpretations.

SOUTH SEA ROSE and ONLY THE GIRL (Brunswick)--These are played by the able Gypsies who advertise A. & P. groceries over the radio.

ROGUE SONG and WHEN I'M LOOKING AT You (Victor)--These vocal choruses sound thin compared with Baritone Lawrence Tibbett's singing in the cinema The Rogue Song but the first has fanfaring trumpets and rolling drums highly descriptive of the picture.

CRYING FOR THE CAROLINES and HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN ME (Columbia)--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians have a languid way, melancholy horns. Ben Bernie (Brunswick) and Waring's Pennsylvanians (Victor) have recorded the same tunes.

SHOULD I? and A BUNDLE OF OLD LOVE LETTERS (Victor)--Victor Arden and Phil Ohman exercise their two pianos in the first. The second is maudlin but unavoidable this month.

THE WOMAN IN THE SHOE and A BUNDLE OF OLD LOVE LETTERS (Brunswick)-- Jesse Stafford makes the first gay, prattling. Both are from the cinema Lord Byron of Broadway.

I'M FOLLOWING YOU and I'M SAILING ON A SUNBEAM (Columbia)--Best tunes from the cinema It's a Great Life in which an expert male quartet assists Paul Specht's horns.

GYPSY DREAM ROSE and MARY, I LOVE Y-o-u (Victor)--Maine neighbors of Rudy Vallee will discover no trace of his Yankee accent. In these his saxophone, his singing are thoroughly refined.

Other good dance tunes: SHOULD I? and ONLY LOVE Is REAL (Brunswick), WHY Do You SUPPOSE? and MY MAN is ON THE MAKE (Columbia), UNDER A TEXAS MOON and GYPSY DREAM ROSE (Brunswick), TAP DANCE MEDLEY (for those who do) and BY HECK (Victor), ROMANCE and AFTER A MILLION DREAMS (Victor), WEST WIND and THE ONE GIRL (Brunswick), Do YA' LOVE ME? and WHERE You ARE (Brunswick), UNTIL LOVE COMES ALONG and HELLO BABY (Victor).

* Literally: as in a chapel. Popularly it applies to any compositions intended to be sung without instrumental accompaniment.

/- Members of the Dayton Choir, unlike the St. Olaf, devote themselves exclusively to music. Theirs is preeminently a school devoted to the instruction of choral conducting.

** Prices listed are for entire albums which in-clude several records. Where the price is not given, it is 75^', standard rate for popular 10-inch recorus.

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