The Lightweight Headphone is that it is not a ragtime at all. It is a grand opera with only three rag -type numbers (all of them terrific, it must be said) for the Heavyweight Sound plus a good barbershop quartet, an effective revival hymn, and some very operatic and classical writing. These include three instru- mental numbers (one of them a Dance of the Wild Bears!), three lengthy arias basically in the sentimental style of nineteenth-century parlor music, a little conjuring music, some extraordinarychoruses, and more dimin- ished -seventh chords than you can shake a conjuring stick at. Except for those arias BEER (which do go on and on), most of it is an at- tractive period piece. The choral writing is DT440 especially remarkable, but, of course, the rag- time numbers are still the highlights. Aunt Di- THE NEW HIGH VELOCITY nah Has Blowed de Horn is on the same sub- ject as the old barbershop tune-the dinner HEADPHONE DESIGNED horn that signals the end of a day's hard work. FOR TODAY'S SOUND. Joplin's version has such a breathtaking lilt WITH LOW DISTORTION that it actually brings tears to my eyes. The ring dance We're Going Around is a Joplin AND LIGHTWEIGHT winner, and the Real Slow Drag that serves as WEARABILITY! the finale is, simply, a masterpiece (interest- ingly, Joplin's libretto gives complete per- formance instructions for this; the steps in- clude dragging, marching, sliding, prancing, dancing, hopping, and skipping as well as my favorite, "the dude walk"). For that music, everything-but everything-is forgiven. THE performance problems were, I think, THE PROFESSIONAL D. more serious in the theater than on the record- 155 Michael Dr., Syosset, N.Y. 11791 ing. I did not like Frank Corsaro's direction or Telephone: (516) 364-1900 Franco Colavecchia's sets and costumes very much; they seemed pseudo -childlike, campy, CIRCLE NO. 56 ON READER SERVICE CARD and even patronizing. (Louis Johnson's cho- reography, however, was a delight.) More to the point in a record review is the fact that 's arrangements and musical Everything you need to know Reg.126 direction are excellent. Schuller has orches- trated the work using the Red Back Book and a turn -of -the -century theater - style about CB is in this new book as models, and he has managed the blend to 25c perfection. As for the operatic quality of the by Radio Shack! singing, the problem is essentially the same as WITH THIS AD * n,11L:\D® rtadt, xn with Porgy; this is operatic music written for trained voices, and, until a more suitable con- C8 TINO-Voi'4, NADI° temporary English theater style is developed, Special Introductory Offer! it is bound to be sung operatically. In fact, with the partial exception of Betty Allen Our just -published 116 -page CB (who, alas, has developed vocal problems), pocket-size book is available now most of these singers manage to keep a niFe at Radio Shack stores at a balance between that old cultural Italianate sound and the simpler requirements suggested "give-away" price of just 250, prior by the subject, the language, and the musical to its listing in our catalog at $1.25. materials. If you're into CB 2 -way radio or The other aspects of the recording-Schul- getting in (as who isn't!) you'll want ler's direction, the orchestral playing, the re- this book to avoid costly errors. cording, and the production (including libretto and articles on various aspects of the work Edited by the folks who started our and production by the key people involved)- are all exemplary. It took only seventy years famous Realistic® CB line in 1959, and a German record company to get this far - it's authoritative and very easy to from -perfect black American opera onto rec- Contents Include read. 9 chapters. Over 100 pictures. ords; now let's have the good sense to accept Written for laymen. None sent by it and enjoy it for what it is.-Eric Salzman Types of radios Antenna facts mail. *Get your copy for 25C by Methods of installing equipment JOPLIN:Treemonisha. Carmen Balthrop (so- bringing this ad to any nearby prano), Treemonisha; Betty Allen (mezzo- How it works Distance Rules participating Radio Shack store or soprano), Monisha; Curtis Rayam (tenor), Re- CB slang Glossary More! dealer TODAY! mus; Willard White (bass), Ned; others; cho- rus and orchestra, Gunther Schuller cond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2707 083 two discs $15.96. Rath. ihaeKI IBA go ET.H9E59WAY IN A TANDY COMPANY 714 CIRCLE NO. 36 ON READER SERVICE CARD MAY1976 117