Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-06
VISITING A MUSIC CANNERY
One Of the Days B
BY FREDERIC j. AAsKIN

CAMDEN. n. j.. May 5.--The other
day man prominently connected with
great American opera house came to
camden. One OF the biggest phono-
graph factories In the world is located
here. and all sorts OF musical folk are
continually visiting this Rrimy indus
trial city The manager OF the phono
graph company asked the operate gen
tleman what kind of photograph he
owned.
don't own any kind" was the
reply with the greatest artists in
the world singing for me In the flesh.
what do want with A photograph? ?"
But the manufacturers Of canned
mnsi" are fraternity not easily dis
comAtcd The photograph manager
seized the gentleman and led him TO a
lonely. shining cabinet in one corner
Il suppose you are familiar with most
operate music?" ne demanded s,ernly
Know what thing In when you hear
1t. and all ,hat?"
The gentleman modestly replied that
he thought he could recognize any
operate selection worth recognizing
very we'll. said the manager. Then
what Ia this?'
He put on record and started the
machine trio Of wonderful sweet
ness roured forth. Tho manager looked
in1uirincly at his guest. but the latter
shook his head. 1T Is beautiful" he
S"iu 'ut uh not KNOW what ii Is ~
THAT Is the trio from Verdrs opera.
l.ombar di.' sang by Caruso. Aida and
Gourmet" tho manager told him ,ri-
nmnhantly. at has never been pro :,
duced in America. and tho only chancs}
anybody has To hear i, is on the phonot
graph Now do you see what you want
With phonoGraph?'
BEHIND that little incident Ncs one
of the big romanceE IF modern in,-
dustry. From suueaky little tok.
grinding buelc calls and alleged
humorous monoloGucs OF a cylinder TO
magic cabinet that creditahly reprd
duces the voices Of the greatest siurcts
ana comnrls recognition from the moist
critical is long jump to make In A
few years. hut that is what the phonjo-
graph has done
Helps tho Singer Prnrtice.
Did YOU know that the modern opera
singer makes Drnctice OF rchearsin e
with photograph. which plays rrc-
ord or his own voice singing the same
air That is because his phonogrs, ph
record is absolutely correct WhcIt he
made tho record, 10 sang the aria over
and over again until he got II perfect.
! The machine has an unpleasant way Of
| masnifyinr tho slightest error In pone
or execution until II stands out ss
! prominently as yellow flag o., st.
ratricks Day. Hence, singing into
y
disk is more severe test OF technique
than singing in concert or opera.
where slight slip may pass uuno-
ticed. Caruso has probably tho least
trouble OF all great singers In rnaking
records hut the best Of them have 10
do one over occasionally.
Nowadays the phonograph COM
panles have gotten such comma nding
position that. before they make! con-
tract with new singer. even X It be
some one With national reputation,
they first make test record OF his
voice. to see how It Will record. That
in itself liz quite a step from the days
not 80 very long ngo, when singer
Of any note who sang for the machine
was regarded askance by his brethren.
Some voices that DO we'll enough In
the auditorium record poorly. so the
test record Is made with aTl the pomp
and circumstance that ate nds making
| disk whose duplicates Mill be run
| of by the thousands. just Ito see II the
! voice Is of the right quality to record
| properly.
! AS general rule. the best voices
make the best records. The singer
| who couples the greatest natural en-
| dowmcnt with the finest technique
| will have the least trouble. Very high
| tones and very low tones, however.
present special difficulties. Something
| Of the same sort Is trUe of instrument
4 n
| cult OF all Instruments properly to
| record.
| Photograph manufacturers have a
prediction for passing over the me-
chanical side Of their business as light
ly as possible. They seem TO feel that
a look behind the scenes, into the
springs and disks and pulleys breeds
establishment It is here, however,
that the real wonder lies. There lie,
! perhaps. no achievement OF modern
science that comes as close TO magic
as the turning of Jagged square OF
gummy black shellac into thing
that stores up the greatest music of
TO release 1t as often as you will .af-
ter composer and singer are dust ga
Process Ia Simple Enough.
The actual process OF making a &c
ord Is simple enough. The singer
goes into room specially constructed
TO produce the best acoustical proper
ties. He faces a square funnel. whose
small end leads to recording disk
made OF "a plastic material" In the
nature Of that plastic material lies the
secret OF perfect reproduction. and the
formula for its composition is not ex-
! actly being printed on handbills for
general distribution.
Behind the singer the orchestra is
ranged. II the number features some
special band or orchestra, the players
are. of course. brought especially to
Camden. but for ordinary accompani-
ments the company maintains It's own
organization OF thirty men. They have
to be artists Of the first quality, be-
cause there Is always that little re-
cordins imp Of the cabinet to be con-
sidered. with Ills Irritating demand
ia made, h. s3izes IL sleefulIy and
tr.narnits 1t toAll the Thousands ~ h .