Evening star., 1942-12-13
Music
Story of Recorded
Music Is Told in
Important New Book
By Alice EverSman.

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The history OF the gramophone
industry might seem, at first
thought, a record Of a scientific de-
velopment purely. 1t is much more
than that, however, as F. w. Gals
berg proves in his delightful book
''The Music Goes Round" published
by the Macmillan Co. The life
story of this great invention, one
of the most remarkable of the CEN
tury, is fascinating one, especially
with all the inside data that one
as closely connected with it since
its infancy as was Mr.. Gaisberg
could give.
The author begins very modestly
with a description of the Capital City
so years ago, surrounding Emile
Berliner, the inventor, with pleas
ant and rather prosaic background
for his revolutionizing work. Here
Mr.. Gaisberg, who at 16 years OF
age had already quite a reputation
as pianist and general handy man
with the Columbia Phonograph
Co, was brought in contact with the
inventor of the flat-disc talking ma
chine record and from that moment
mounted quickly to the top in the
industry.
Although the major part of the
book is given over to the later-day
experiments in different sections of
the globe and the great personalities
whose voices were recorded for all
time, the amazing and often lu-
dicrous story of the early attempts
and failures covered in the first
chapter are the most interesting and
revealing. 1t is entitled Cylinder
VS.. Disc" and tells of the efforts
of Charles Sumner Tainter, who
with Alexander Graham Bell, set up
the Volta Laboratory with the Volta
Prize money they won for the in
vention of the telephone, to popu-
larize the coin-operated talking ma
chimes.
While busy recording DAISY Bell"
After the Ball Was Over" The
Mocking Bird" and such like IA
vorites. Mr. Gaisberg came in con-
tact with Mr.. Berliner and witnessed
the making of the first gramophone
record.
The ups and downs of those early
days when Mr.. Gaisberg was promi-
nently associated with the inventor
is told with affectionate humor by
the author. In 1900, the gramo-
phone was still a primitive affair,
the records small in size, tinny in
sound, since recording on wax had
not yet been developed, and the
repertoire limited to comic songs,
ballads and band music. But the
men, working together, had enor-
nous faith, enthusiasm and vision
and as soon as possible ventured far
afeld, to Europe and even the Far
East.
From then on the book becomes
history of celebrities who one by
one were persuaded to make record
ings. The greater portion of these
was under the direct supervision Of
Mr.. Gaisberg and his anecdotes OF
famous singers, from Patti down,
VlollnlStS, pianiStS, orchestra con-
ductors, actors and political figures,
all fiouriShing in the era when tenn
perament and art were synonymous,
are highly entertaining.
Mr.. Gaisberg was the first to re-
cord the music of the Far East and
to penetrate into the artistic fast
nesses of Russia. All his expert
ences, side by side with the progress
sive development of the recording
industry, makes fascinating reading.
told in smooth, entertaining style
by Mr., Gaisberg. 1t is not only a
valuable book as a record of an i'm
portant industry but also AS one in
which the human side of the i'm
mortals of the art is brought out
with great personal sympathy.