MONTHLY LETTER January 1956 THE CHRISTMAS DINNER ...

_ The Library cont'd
Literature. Essays, criticisms, and review - all of a high merit - are to be
found in the University of Toronto Quarterly. The contents of the current issue
include an article on the memoirs of Heine, a comparison of the supernatural in
the writings of Wordsworth and Coleridge, and an article titled "A Common Ancestry:
Literature In Australia And Canada". (Bill Shelden please note). Other
recent issues have contained articles with such titles as "The Teaching Of
Literature" and "Literature and Literary Judgement".
Architecture. It would seem that every subject remotely touching the field of
architecture is dealt with by that great publication titled The Architectural
Review. Recent articles have presented such variety as the design of U.S. Embassy
buildings throughout the world, the styles of English brewing houses, and
the furnishings of churches in Germany. The fields of interior decorating,
industrial and domestic design, and house furnishings all receive first-rate
coverage in this excellent publication.
Music. Recent issues of The Musical Times have contained such contributions as
"European Radio Orchestras", "Plain Words For Church Choirmasters", and "Shaw
As Music Critic". This publication always offers good reviews on books about
music, as well as scholarly notes on gramophone and wireless music. Under this
section-heading attention must also be drawn to the January number of Theatre
Arts, for the issue is a special one devoted to opera, and includes the English
libretto of "Cosi Fan Tutte".
Painting. Coverage in this field is offered by three publications: the British
Studio, the American Art News, and this country's Canadian Art, Recently Studio
has contained articles dealing with the work of Picasso, Piper, and Gore, as well
as surveys such as "Modern Painting in Iraq". Art News has been offering such
titles as "The Suave Passion of Pascin", "The Lautrec Bite", and "Is There A
California School?". Recent copies of Canadian Art have contained articles on
"The First Biennial of Canadian Painting", and "Some Reflections of Art in
Alberta".
Sculpture. The three publications mentioned in the previous section all cover
the field of sculpture. Articles titled "Josephina de Vasconcellos", "The
Brancusi Touch"', and "A Canadian Sculpture in Mexico" have been published recently
in Studio, Art News and Canadian Art respectively.
Miscellaneous. One might readily wager that all the major, minor, and miscellaneous
arts are dealt with by one or more of the nine numbers which comprise a
year's subscription of Connoisseur. Generously illustrated articles of the
highest quality, dealing with antiques and works of art in public and private
collections, make perusal of this fine publication of real interest and enjoyment.
Reference. Of immeasurable importance in the local field of reference is the
publication titled Canadiana. Now being produced monthly by the National Library
in Ottawa, the work contains this modest statement on the cover-page: "Publications
of Canadian interest noted by the National Library"; in actuality, this
periodical lists pertinent data on essentially everything that is published in
' Canada. Another reference periodical of value is British Book News, which is
sub-titled "A Guide To Books Published in The Commonwealth And Empire". This compilation
is published for the British Council by The National Book League, and
each monthly issue contains a selection of recommended books and a special article;
the article in the current copy is titled "Works Of Musical Reference".
3.