Add-a-Part

Many a music student or musical amateur has itched to play a part in a fine symphony orchestra or string quartet. To give such amateurs a chance to play in professional company, a Viennese violinist named Fritz Rothschild four years ago invented a new kind of phonograph record. With other able professionals, Rothschild recorded standard classical quartets and sonatas. Each record was made with one part missing. For violinists he made a violinless quartet, for cello players a cello-less one. By playing one of these records, the lone amateur violinist or cellist could dub in his part as best he could, have the fun and profit of playing quartets with three top-notch virtuosos. If he made mistakes or got lost, all he had to do was stop the record. The idea caught on. Last year in the U. S. Gamut Recording Co. issued sololess accompaniments to Schumann's Traeumerei and Massenet's Elegie, complete with printed parts to be filled in by the player.

Meanwhile, on a visit to the U. S., Violinist Rothschild sold the idea, and a number of his old recordings, to Columbia. Columbia repressed some of the old Rothschild discs, made some new ones, last week issued a catalogue of "Add-a-Part" records, including pianoless and violinless sonatas for violin and piano, celloless and violaless string quartets. Columbia officials were bullish on their venture, foresaw Krupaless and Goodmanless hot records, possibly sololess "Sweet Adeline's" for lonely drinkers.

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