The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 35

7 East Indian Music: A Parallel With Jazz Reviews of Recent Recordings BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE, NEW YORK, SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 1935 JOHAXXES RIUIIMS Recorded Jazz and Duke Ellington sue vera similar versions. The best A Critical Review of Ellliiillllil ifilfllMli-, MSIlillpi NhL xMusic Education League Announces Contest Plans SINCE the concluding sessions oN April 8, at 7:30 p.m., lntermedl-its district or preliminary con- ate violin. Grades A and and subtests are being held in Slein- junior violinists; Saturday, April 13. way Hall, the Music Education a' 2 Pm- elementary and sub-m-League announces that its borough termediate violin contests Grades contests will open on Tuesday aft- a and Monday evening. April 15, ernoon, April 2, all sessions being at 7 junlor 5ub.Jumor.

senlor and held in the salon of Steinway Hall, open violin contestants will receive The schedule for the borough con- tests, in which entrants of the sea- ratings. son will receive their first rating, The borough contests will close follows: on Thursday evening, April 25, with Tuesday, April 2, at 3:30 p.m., a contest for 'cello, woodwind and elementary piano, Grade on the brass soloists and orchestras, same evening at 7:30, sub-inter- All contestants who have received mediate piano; Thursday, April 4, their written criticism in the district at 7:30 p.m., intermediate piano. or prellminarj contests which will Grade Monday, April 8, at 3:30 close on Tuesday of this week are p.m., third session of elementary eligible to perform In the borough piano, Grade and first session of contest. The maximum rating ac-elementary piano, Grade on the corded in the borough contest, is same evening at 7:30, second session 85 percent plus, which entitles the of intermediate piano, Grade student to perform in the interbor-Wednesday, April 10, at 3:30 p.m., ough or final contests, providing he second session for sub-intermediate or she also receives a rating of 85 pianists, and on the same evening at percent in the theory and first session of sub-junior pian- ing examination which is to take ists; April 11, at 3:30 p.m., third ses- place April 27. Contestants region of sub-intermediate ceiving a rating of 85 percent in and on the same evening at 7:30.

the borough contest will be eligible second session of Intermediate pian- to claim their silver award, provid-ists, Grade and of sub-Junior ing they also receive a rating of 75 pianists; Tuesday evening, April 16. percent in the theory and ear-train-at 7:30, students of the junior piano ing examination, class; Wednesday evening, April It is important that Ail contest-17, at 7:30, piano ensemble, sub-1 ants eligible to perform in the bar-senior, senior and open piano con- ough contest who have not yet filed testants. their applications with the Music String contestants performing in Education League, do so lmmed-the borough contest are scheduled iately, otherwise they will not be as follows: permitted to appear. TTTITH the great majority off popular records lacking even the slightest semblance of inspiration, It is something of a Chore to begin another record. re-View.

In the recent crop of dance tunes there are only a few Jhat Would interest either the musician-or the recently graduated Arthur Murray pupil; therefore we will have iu give ear 10 jveryining irom mil- billy laments to Hlndemlth Trios. One of the most attractive songs I of the year is "Night Wind," and all the companies have done their duty by it. For Victor, Fats Waller made the most skillful of all the recorded versions, featuring himself on organ to a grand orchestral accompaniment. Both he and the Dorsey Brothers, in their Decca (376) dies, tinkered with the harmony in a couple of places, and the result was an improvement over the original. Like so many successful tunes, this one was "borrowed" from an old and little known record: "Anything," played by Phil Napoleon on Victor, which featured some of the best improvisers of that period.

This particular record has been cut out of the Victor catalogue, so that the Similarity will probably pass unnoticed on Broadway. Freddy Martin end Benny Goodman made versions Jor Brunswick and Columbia, respectively, but neither is quite up to the Waller standard. The only drawback to the Dorsey interpretation is that it is coupled with an embarrassing conception of "Dinah," with Bing Crosby's brother, Bob, doing his best to outdo himself. Musicians would term the opus "icky" or "corny." Hal Kemp's Orchestra, which seems to record for Brunswick daily, has become the most popular in the city. It has tremendous assur- ftnee, good ensemble, and an endless i bag of tricks.

With "Down by the I Milan Pears for the Puttiiv i)f La Srala Milan Long a capital of the opera of the lot is on Bluebird (5880) sung by Amijs Easton, who can yodel as well as wail. But oerhaps the prize disc of the month lis Bruno Hauptman's "Fate," sung by the hillbilly Buck Nation (Decca 5075), which is probably the most pointed commentary on American manners and taste for many years. Like the true confessions in wood-pulp, the store contains the moral "'You must never kill or sin the law will take you In." The other side contains a graphic de- scriptlon of the End of Public Enemy. Number 1. rUrCE ELLINGTON haa been ab- sent from records for several but Brunswick promises a batch from him very soon.

One of the best of his new numbers is "Porto Rican Chaos," which is a typical stomp in rhumba rhythm. Inasmuch as there are disquieting rumors of a breaking up of this most accomplished of all bands, everyone interested in American music should start collecting recorded versions of Ellington's own compositions. There is little doubt that Ellington is the only creative genius among American popular composers, he a musician of consummate skill and taste, with melodic gifts unequalled in American composition. He has succeeded in making all the men in his band mouthpieces for his ideas, with the result that there is an ensemble and entente which has no parallel. Several New York record stores, among them the Commodore on 42d New York Band Instrument in Brooklyn and Manliattan, have a complete stock of Ellington's work, dating from 1927.

His earlier tunes have considerably less restraint and finish than his newer, and for that reason Duke preters them. There is not a record company which does not feature Ellington's orchestra in its catalogue. Like sj many Negro musicians, Allington has been exploited, and there seems some likelihood that bis orchestra, whtch has sent in notices of resignation several times in the last six months, will disband, even though the leader is doing everything he can to prevent it. It is fortunate for the record buyer that this group is at its very best on wax, whether it be in the early "Mooche," (Okeh) or the comparatively recent "Lazy Rhapsody'' (Brunswick). will pass over hurriedly some 0f the latest popular discs.

The Casa Loma orchestra really dis- tingudshes itself with a clever tune "Littte Man with the Hammer," written by the wittiest of the Broad- way lyric.writerSi Johnny Mercer iDeeaa 376 On the other side is a revival of "Who's Sorry Now," within miles which does not come of Retl Nichols Brunswick version. Okeh has issued "Nagasacki" and i "Maple Leaf Rag" by a Chicago or- ehestra headed by the old-time trumpet player Paul Mares. Recom- mendod for the better jazz musi cians only. Charles Barnet's orchestra suffers from bad recording on Bluebird 5816 in "Growlin' and "On a Holiday," known in Harlem under different titles. The Lom-bardo imitator, Jan Garber, is at his worst in "It's Easy to Remember," but "Here Comes Cookie" is a slight New Popular Music Recordings fey John Hammond virtue Of his amazing vitality.

Like his "Chimes at the Meetin'." its appeal lies in informality. Another Harlem orchestra leader who spends a considerable part of his time in recording laboratories is Benny Carter, who has Just made t.Wft rf Viic nmn frm Hnni "QhAnt vvuma mm tL cum uuuauj-, for Vocalion (2898). The second is particularly attractive, meant for listeners and not for dancers who have trouble witH very lethargic tempo. This is another of those all-star groups collected Just for records. FTER all these years, Eddy Du-chin manages to retain his record following, despite the similarity of all his piano solos.

His latest are "I Won't Dance'' and "Lovely to Look At" (Victor 24871), which contain all the usual ingredients. IF ONE is to Judge from phonograph records, the Southern Negro is concerned with only one thing. As I have remarked before, record companies blithely overlook the songs of oppression which even the casual tourist hears. Sex Is what the public gets on race vocal records, and it has its musical compensations. Victor's Bluebird list has the most impressive array of talent this month.

Tampa Red, who outsells Bing Crosby by almost a hundred to one in Savannah, has made a new version of the traditional "Shake That Thine" in "Shake It Ud a LUUe coupled witn a education anlmal Mean ow Tom Cat Blu( (5g78K The yrtas of what one ht cal, direct ad lhe gpnera, efect of honkv.tonk is kaz0Q washboard gaj. and pian0. unexpected success with "Milk Cow Blues'" by Kokomo Arnold, which became their best selling records. It has little to offer except the most obvious double entendre, but Bluebird and Vocalion were quick to is- Chamber Music Series At Library of Congress A festival of chamber music will bn hcld in lhe auditorium of the Li- brary of Congress on April 7, 8 and g. Vocal and Instrumental music commemorating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Bach and Han- del will comprise the program of the first concert, on Sunday, April 7, In i which John McCormack and Carl ueinrirh nriranist will be the solo- ists.

Howard Hanson will direct a group of players from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. The Mon- day morning concert will mark the first appearance of the Kolisch I Quartet, and music by Beethoven, Berg and Bartok will be played. The Paris Instrumental Quintet will play compositions by Gulllemain, Mozart. Roussel, Cras and Malipiero at the Monday evening concert. On Tuesday morning works by i Wc Tittrnnfni and the Philharmonic Symphimy (hdirslru uill resume the BruJnnt trricn at (urnrgie Hall Thursday nigit.

River" (7388). Kemp manages to dojaidpd by a swe accompaniment of A Digression on Oriental Music inadequately word "scale," tni nslated and that of by our 'tala" or rhythm Thp balance of unity and variety common to all types of art is hero entirely within the melodic fjcld. As opposed to our major and minor scales, which were adopted from among the mediaeval church modes (as Maurice Em- manuel has pointed out) purely be- 'cause of their adaptability to har monk: purposes the Hindu makes Straw i ii to Do "Persephone'' Here Strawinsky's latest work, "Perse- phone," had its American premiere in Boston on March 15 and 16, at a Boston Symphony concert conducted by the composer. "Persephone." for orchestra, chorus, speaker and tenor singer Is named after the poem by Andre Gide, which serves as lis text. Its first performance iook place last opnng in runs, wiui Strawinsky as conductor and Mine jda Rubmstein as the speaker Shortly afterward it was given in London.

Again Strawinsky con- ducted. In the Boston perform- nncc Mme. tva uautnicr was tne speaker and Colin O'More the tenor soloist. It Is reported that btrawinsK.v win severai things. It can draw to our attention the facts, often lost sight of, that music is fundamentally a miU1P1.

of performance; that the! romnser is a uhenomenon Dcculiar what we are witnessing in the West, need not necessarily imply the death of the art. daily use of a 100-odd ragas. each conduct "Persephone here next sca-different from the others, each with son, with the its own emotionaK associations and phony -Orchestra of New York, when conventions of melodic structure, he returns to this country for an-Of the subtleties of Hindu rhythm other American tour. there is not space to make mention here Any reader sufficiently in- terested will find a detailed dis cussion of the subject in an article ftTlUen jointly by Mr. Lahin and uie piesciu winer wnirn appearea 1" I IS sometimes healthy for the Western musician to remind himself that his is not the only civilization to have produced a complex and subtle musical art.

Particularly at the present time when the great musical culture of Europe seems to be in a somewhat chaotic if not decadent state, the investigation of the musical usages 0f other races takes on considerable importance. It opens new perspectives from which the art of music may be more fundamentally viewed, perspectives In which the conventions of our own music stand out as somewhat less indispensable to musical expression than is com- mon'y suPPosed It has long been a custom with the present writer, on occasions when momentarily fatigued with the great competitive rush of New York's sophisticated music life, to drop in for an evening upon an old friend who happens to be a Hindu musician of distinguished abilities. a certain Sarat Lahiri. Lahiri has been heard on occasion at the New School for Social Research, and has appeared in countless Broadway productions as a piece of exotic background for everything from the French Foreign Legion to Chi nese mystery plays. His more subtle capacities are seldom called forth in this sort of work, and, inasmuch as it is difficult to make a living as a "sitar" or "esraj" virtuoso in New York, he has opened a res- taurant called the "Bengal Tiger" I Its Lnlikeness and Its Likeness to the Music of the Wet fey IV in- llirop Sartieant visiting Oriental musicians, and in- terested Occidentals attracted by the peculiar charm of East.

Indian rpO TRULY appreciate tiiis music the Western musician must drop many esthetic preconceptions. One cannot experience its subtleties at a single hearing, and the initial impression is more than likely to be one of monotony coupled with the trite exotic associations that are so apt to accompany an Orien- tal melody for the Western mind Indeed, most Western listeners never get beyond this stage, which might be compared to that of a person who enjoyed listening to the sound of a foreign language with- out having the slightest Idea of its meaning. For one who perseveres, however, a new and refreshinc nra- sical dimension is revealed. A detailed discussion of the subject of East Indian music is not within the compass of a short article, bu there are a few points of contrast between the Hindu system and our own that might be mentioned In view of the light they i throw on fundamental conceptions of musical esthetics. East Indian music is concerned wholly with unaccompanied melody, West has no conception.

Its theoretical principles fall into two main divisions, that of "raga," somewhat the Musical Quarterly for Octo- music of the past four; As to the lack ot voices, an i or five centuries; that important esting theory is being advanced musical cultures have existed en- here. It is said that the musio AMONG the Interesting features tirely without him, and that a de- world is now going through the in which the Hindu system cline of composed music, if that is World War's empty years, which af- It Is perhaps premature at this voices naturally had to cease study-time to speculate upon the future ing, and the hardships of th fate of Western musical concep- trenches finished them off vocally. world, Milan, according to an As soc ta tea press nispntrn. is nrpaning the possible extinction of this classic form of art. In a scorching editorial "We Must Save Grand Opera," La Sera says; "It has been evident for the past year in Milan that grand opera is threatened with the same fate suffered by the operetta.

With thrce the flvp nppra nfmsPS in Milan closed and renmdeled into mo- tion picture houses, only La Scala is left to carry on the glorious traditions of Italian grand opera in this city, the last powerful stronghold of an essentially Latin art. Supporting the Scala is the Puccini, which now and then puts on a modest sea son ol grand opera at low prices. Tliat is all La Sera went on to ponu out that I lhe principal causes for the de-! cadence of grand opera were three: I 1 The lack of real teachers of voice culture in Milan. 2 Aside from the few big names in grand opera, there are no new elements rising up to take the place of the old ones. 3 Lack of dramatic artins leach- ers nr schools.

fected voices as well as other things. i It is said that during the years of the war youngsters with promising As for the women singers, the same i thing aoDlies, Poor food, or inade- quate supply, combined with all the other hardships the Italian civilian population had to undergo during the war, ruined many a fine voice that today might be heard at the Scala or the Metropolitan. CONCERTS MANHATTAN ONLY N. RECITAL THIS SEASON TOWN HALL THIS WED. EVE.

M. Tltk.ti at Sire BBrtnl utr ION HALL kit. Mrrh .10, at IGNAZ I PIANIST Friedman I A Mgr. NBC ArtiM Srrvir i TOWN HALL ILL THIS AfTMINOON at I RANK Sheridan RKl ITAL. lift.

Coplf JStftnwav TOWN HALL, TIES. AFT HAR, 2g, at Ruth Reynolds 'P' M1Mjt; Copity. (Str inmarl TOWN HAli. TIES. MAS.

s5.ST5t SOITO "r.RT CHLAAFF RlOTTE CONCERTS RROOKLVN bsjotmfst or music scmisr Olln Dnwnrt. nmmentatnr Thor.d.r Marrh at 15 GlESEKING Itn Strlat Ortlwttra fran IB, National Or. thwtral AatMiltlM. Lata Barrla. Canduetar Tnkfti Nra.

Bn OtllM. STarhca 3.871X1 or Mi-sir I CONCERT M- v- ch mil Sm1.n,r Bold Dirffcf'n Lnther Gocdhart. Frnrtt Wvltamr Br-nelit Thfatrr Lund. Brooklyn 1 III ch Srhonl Tit-al l'burtday Lvrnina, April 11th-III KITOHII 'Kalh Afrnur and Inrl Plar ooRi.vN ACADEMY lilUSlC METROPOLITAN OPFRA tOMPANT rUES. MAR.

26 MANON Bui; Hc 1 Luri aM.Tnitia rWABI PIANO EXCLUSIVT lions. Still, the world is growing smaller. Who knows what mula tions are in store for our musical art? It is heartening at least to realize that no race or culture known to historians or anthropolo- gists has been without its distinct idiom of musical expression, CONCERTS MANHATTAN Quincy Porter, John Alden Carpen- I improvement (Victor 24880). Helen ter and Werner Jannsen will be Morgan's voice is showing signs of played by the Gordon String Quar- wear in "I See Two Lovers" and tet, and Frank Sheridan will assist "Winter Over Night" (Brunswick in the Carpenter Quintet for Piano 7391). By far the best recording and Strings.

The concluding pro- of the infectious "Love is Just gram of the festival on Tuesday Around the Corner" has been made night will be devoted to music by by the Harlem Hot Shots, pseu-Stravinsky. The compaser, Samuel donym for Wingy Mannone's fine Dushkin, violinist; Olga Alverino, band (Perfect 16085). And be sure soprano, and Simon Bellison, clar-1 to watch out for Reginald Fore-inettist, will be the soloists of the sythe's "Melancholy Clown" from occasion. Columbia. a consmeraoiy more mhuui jou umn does Ray Noble (Victor 24879), who weaves in "Swanee River," "Deep River," and an out-of-date jazzy trumpet.

Kemp has a good flutist and a really elegant trombone virtuoso. CELLOS are very seldom used in jazz bands, and It is easy to Understand the reason after hearing one of the latest Brunswick opera by Ted Fiorito's orchestra Along Prairie Moon" 7379 1. The first chorus features a solo cello Which slides all over the place and successfully gums up the small amount of rhythm to be found in the record. The other side, "Fare Thee Well, Annabelle," spares us the so that we may sur- mise that the artist went back to bis guitar or saxophone. The best Of the new Fiorito sides is "Here Comes Cookie" (7380) with lyrics of Betty Boop calibre.

"If the Moon Turns Green," a clever tune of thirty-one bars, instead of the usual thirty-two, has been made for all the companies, but the most amusing version may be found on Perfcct-Melotone, sung and plaved by Taft Jordan, accom panied by a star black and white band. It is very unpretentious Btuff but packs a terrific swing. The other side is "Night Wind, and one should watch out for the piano playing of Teddy Wilson, about whom both Mr. Haggin and I have written in the past. Wilson, turns up in Willie Bryant's Victor record of "Viper's Moan" which is an education both In the names of Harlem musicians and the vice of "reefer" smoking.

A viper is a synonym for a mara-juana addict by way of explanation. Bryant has a good band, and he seems destined to take the place of Cab Callaway in popularity by left, Frederick iagei, tenor, ho at 342 W. 58th where he sup- and in this particular field has which lias dispensed wim the complements the virtues of his music achieved a complexity of which the poser in our sense entirely. It is with the more widely appreciated qualities of his cooking. Into this place drift, from time to time, "The Grpol" GlESEKING 9 PIANIST AMOXG THE WEEK'S RECITAUSTS differs from our own are its con- vent ions of performance.

It is en- i tirely improvisatory, ro play tne same thing twice in exactly the same way is considered by the East Indian musician to indicate a lack of imaginative perception. John, Hammond has mentioned several times in these columns the fact that the essence of American jazz lies In the improvised additions or I the performer rather than in the somewhat trite creations of the Jazz composer. What is true of jazz is doubly true of Hindu music, extremely interesting to compare, the two types of music, for that principle ot controlled improvisation hich jazz represents in a merely embryonic stage, Hindu music has developed and refined to the limit of civilized ingenuity. It is difficult for one who has never experienced the peculiar exhilira-tion ol this complex type of improvisation to form any conception of its beauties. This writer nas never been enthusiastic about deliberate attempts by Western composers to incorporate Oriental themes in their music.

Such superficial exoticisms as those of Rimsky-Korsakoff, Saint-Saens, the American modern ist Eicheim and Ernest Bloch are necessarily slerile in that they involve surface characteristics and completely ipnore the spirit of im-provisation that is the very life blond ot Oriental music. The same problem has always stood in the way ol the American composer who has a mpted to use Jazz themes in symphonic works. The spirit of jaz2 ias Mr. Hammond has re-marked lies in Its improvised character, and the "highbrow" composer with his elaborate paraphernalia of mathematical symbols and diagrams is to fix its really sig-nilicant elements on naper. AST INDIAN and other Orien tal music cannot find a com promise with the musical usages of the Occident, but it can teach i Philharmonic-Symphony JANSSEN, Conductor AT CARNEGIE HAM.

Thin Afternoon at Barh, Rarhrr, Schumann, tWlhnvrn TOSCANLM Conductor Thura. Kv. at Frl. Aft. at Nl Sunday Aftrrnoon at BRAHMS CYCLE Saturday ETPninff at BKKTHOVKN BRAHMS Arthur Judaoo, Mgr.

iSKnvaW TONIGHT at TOWN HALL Ml A I r. a Frantz DALIES BRILLIANT AMFRICAN PIANIST Mgl. Fvarn Bailor Sfrrni' Pttnot TOWN HAI TOMORROW Nijlit at 3n IRIDIR1CK A leading Trnnr Metropolitan Opert Asmi. TOWNHAU. Frl.

March 29, at :30 iu, rn. nirfa iv, i p.av Lhevinne Jo.ef and Rotioa riinl.ti Mt NRC Artlti Sfrvlcf Snrf'tHn Pfonr OI'FR A NHATTAN MANHATTAN lllh and rirhlh TOMtlHT CAR Cndiirtr.r fPPE AMBOSOHEK 25c, 40c, 75e, 99e SS Kill $in at lhe Town Hall tomorrow m'gfW. enter, Ruth Reynoldt, metto tnprnno, at the Totrn Hall Tuetdny afternoon. Right, Waller Cie- king, pimiMt, wh conclude the Town Hell Endowment teriat on Wednetday (jwninf..