The Magazine for Music Listeners November 60 cents Hih oiidclilq The - Natural History of the Orchestra by Norman Pickering Going Stereo by Herman Burstein Aa Violetta In Lu traviata RENATA TEBALDI Portrait of a Prima Donna by Francis Robinson www.americanradiohistory.com I I l l I ¡ I I I I I III I I I I t COMPAR SON OF PRINT -THROUGH FOR MASTER AUDIOTAPE AND CONVENTIONAL TAPE How Is It Eliminated? What Is Print -Through? 20 In Master Low Print- Through Print- Through is the magnetic ú Conve ntion al Tape Audiotape, print- through has "echo" effect induced in adja- o been reduced 8 db, by the use cent layers of by tape any 15 of specially developed mag- recorded signal. It continually netic oxides and special proc- d increases with time while the 13 essing techniques - without recorded tape is in storage. To Recorder No's* z Professional Type Machine) changing any other perform- keep print -through from being 10 ance characteristics. The curves too objectionable, conscien- v at the left show the remark- tious recordists have hereto- v able improvement obtained. fore had to lower recording z Mast. Audiotape Since print- through of Master levels as much as 6 to 8 db, 5 Low Print -Through Audiotape with reduced signal -to -noise remains well below the ma- ratio and sacrifice in tone chine noise, it is "eliminated" quality. for even the most critical ear. o t 8 hrs. day 1 wk. 1 mo. 1 yr. 10 yrs. loo yrs. TIME AFTER RECORDING 0 =63 db below 3X distortion at 1 kc, peak bias Thoroughly PROVED in service, and now available in AMPLE QUANTITY! Master Low Print -Through Audiotape has proved it- self in over a year of actual service. Thousands of reels have been used by manufacturers of phonograph records and pre- recorded tapes and other top pro- fessional users. It has been in regular production since May, 1957, and is now available in ample quantity through dealers everywhere. 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Cables "ARLAB" www.americanradiohistory.com Burton Browne Adrertning UNAX SINGLE ELEMENT DUAX 2. ELEMENT SYSTEMS Cx -Wo p1.255 COAXIAL 3- ELEMENT SYSTEMS You'll spend less for more performance ... get traditional Jensen quality! Making the utmost of the hi -fi possibilities of two coordinated cones driven by one voice coil, Jensen's new DUAX speakers bring you a lot more performance at a lot less than you'd expect to pay. No one makes a better speaker at anywhere near the price. H-320 Both acoustic elements operate together up to a "mechanical cross- over" at 4000 cps; above this the small cone operates with special COAXIAL 2 -WAY SYSTEMS effectiveness. Frequency range, 40- 13,000 cps, with low end en- closure dependent, but working fine just about anywhere you put it. One pound new high efficiency DP- Alnico -5 magnet. Twelve inch DX -120, net S25.50; fifteen inch DX -150, only S35.50. Free condensed Catalog 165 -B tells about the complete new Jensen line. Write for it now. TRIAXIAL' and T. M. Rat. TRIAX KTX-2 "STEP -UP" KIT 3 WAY SYSTEMS Start with a DUAX, up -grade later to a true 2 -way system with compression horn THE tweeter for 2000. 15,000 cps. Easy to add, WORLD'S costs only 532.50 net. MOST COMPLETE MANUFACTURING COMPANY HIGH Jensen FIDELITY 6601 South Laramie Ave., Chicago 38, Illinois LOUDSPEAKER In Conado: J. R. Longstaffe Co., Ltd., Toronto Division of The Muter Co. LIKE In Mexico: Radios Y Television, S.A., Mexico D.F. T. M. Rat. NOVEMBER 1957 I www.americanradiohistory.com volume 7 number zz The cover photograph, of Renata Tebaldi costumed for La Traviata, was taken at the Metropolitan Opera by Louis Melancon. A R T I C L E S The Natural History of the Orchestra 44 Norman Pickering 'l be John M. Conly evolution of the Alex instrument of Editor artistic e.tprt ,,ir,n in all civilization. Roland Gelatt Music Editor Renata Tebaldi - Portrait of a Model Prima Donna 48 Francis Robinson Roy F. Allison Formula for a successful operatic career today: Audio Editor a beautiful voice and an insatiable appetite for work. Miriam D. Manning Managutg Editor A Look of Youth for a Ripe Old Art 50 William Weaver Joan Griffiths Opera in opera's homeland nove delights ale as well as ear. Associate Editor J. Gordon Holt Going Stereo 53 Herman Burstein Technical Editor Hpu to make the moil of the fact that Too have luno cars. Roy Lindstrom Art Director The Audacious Oculist 56 Sol London Martha Jane Brewer A modern phlsiciau investigates the charges against the Editorial Assistant surgeon said to Gare killed Hach and Mandel. Frances A. Newbury Manaiiiit, Book Division A Hi -Fi Primer 135 John H. Newitt C. G. Burke Part /ll of a basic instructional tuiles. R. D. Darrell James Hinton, Jr. Robert Charles Marsh nlrsburns Editors REPORTS Charles Fowler Books in Review 31 Publisher Warren B. Byer Music Makers 61 Roland Gelatt Associate Publisher Claire N. Eddings Record Section 65 Advertising Sales Manager Records in Review Arthur J. Griffin Circulation Manager The Tape Deck 105 R. D. Darrell Tested in the Home 121 AMI Mark I radio -phonograph Tech-Master amplifier A D V E R T I S I N G Ferrograph tape recorder Sonotone HFA -150 amplifier Morn Office Weathers Barrington speaker system Claire N. Eddings, The Publishing House Great Barrington, Mass. Telephone 1300. New York Bernard Covit, 280 Madison Ave. AUTHORitatively Speaking 4 On the Counter 6 Telephone: MUrray Hill 3.4449 or 3 -4450. Chicago John R. Rutherford 8 Associates, Letters 9 Noted with Interest 21 As the Editors see It 43 Inc., 230 East Ohio St. Telephones Whitehall 4.6715 Audio Forum 139 Trader's Los Angeles Marketplace 160 Brand 8 Brand, Inc., 6314 San Vicente Blvd. Telephone: Webster 8 -3971. Professional Directory 162 Advertising Index 165 High Fidelity Magazine is published monthly by Audiocom, Inc., at Great Barrington, Mass. Telephone: Great Barrington 1300. Editorial, publication, and circulation offices at: The Publishing House, Great Barrington, Mass. Subscriptions: $6.00 per year in the United States and Canada. Single copies: 60 cents each. Editorial contributions will be welcomed by the editor. Payment tor articles accepted will be arranged prior to publication. Unsolicited manuscripts should be accompanied by return postage. Entered as second -class matter April 27, 1951 at the post office at Great Barrington, Mass., under NOVEMBER 1957 the act of March 3, 1879. Additional entry at the post office, Pittsfield, Mass., application for additional entry at Bristol, Conn. pending. Member Audit Bureau of Cucuiation. Copyright 1957 by Audiocom, Inc. The cover design and contents of High Fidelity Magazine are fully protected by copyrights and must not be reproduced in any manner. www.americanradiohistory.com e > only the has 100% IQF Choice of the best phonograph pickup can only be resolved by comparison! What is the yardstick? ... How can you tell? ... What do you look for? ... the answer is 100% Important Quality Features'! FREQUENCY RESPONSE CURVES PICKERING has had long experience in the cartridge field, supplying the finest quality products for recording studios, broadcast stations, wired music services, and high fidelity home music systems. As a result of this extensive experience, PICKERING has developed the FLUXVALVE . the one car- tridge which incorporates all of the Important Quality Features' so necessary for high fidelity reproduction from records. Before you choose a cartridge . ItfOUfNCY IN CYCLES PER SECOND CARTRIDGE A ........_-. Frequency Response: Flat 20-20,000 cps ± 2 db YES 20 Points NO 0 Points NO 0 Points NO 0 Points (see curves on right) Low Tracking Force, YES 20 Points NO 0 Points YES 20 Points NO 2 -4 grams 0 Points L FREQUENCY IN CYCLES PER SECOND High Output, No YES 10 Points NO 0 Points NO 0 Points YES Transformer Required 10 Points CARTRIDGE e Replaceable Styli YES 10 Points NO 0 Points NO 0 Points YES 10 Points I Mil Stylus YES 15 Points NO 0 Points NO 0 Points NO 0 Points One Cartridge For YES 5 Points LP's and 78's NO 0 Points NO 0 Points YES 5 Points Anti -Hum Design YES 10 Points YES 10 YES Points 10 Points YES 10 Points FREQUENCY IN CYCLES PER SECOND IMPORTANT Hermetically Sealed YES 10 Points NO 0 Points NO 0 Points NO 0 Points CARTRIDGE C QUALITY OTAL POINT VALUE 100% 10% 30% 35% FEATURES -so THE FLUXVALVE ... chosen time and again as the top cartridge sole y on the necessary basis of listening quality ... by panels of qualified experts ... tests which have proven that it is actually less costly to own a FLUXVALVE for The FLUXVALVE preserves the quality and prolongs the life of your record high since is L there complete absence of resonances throughout the audio frequency FREQUENCY IN CYC.ES PER )Er range.