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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
TRADE paper made hoary with age,
whose tottering footsteps fall with scarcely
a preceptible imprint on the road-way as they
descend a declining plaine, has thought it
well to quote from a callow fledgeling, that has
endeavored to point a moral to a recent financial
embarrassment. This trade paper, an ancient
hybrid, actually borrows words from a feather-
less bird to explain the cause of a recent
failure in the piano world. The quoted sen-
tences are filled with startling truths, that
could have been evolved only by a giant mind,
or one brimming over with erudition and
years (?) Only think! such scintillations of
thought have escaped the drag-net which this
antique editor hauls to the shore weekly. His
experience has been both vast and varied, and
it would seem to be not necessary that he take
up a primer from which to quote axioms.
United States' Light-House Board are
on the sound, up around New London,
Conn., experimenting- with a fog-whistle; so
says the Herald of Tuesday. Prof. H. A. Hazen
is in charge of the exploring or experimenting
expedition. It seems that this party have in
view '' the work of determining facts and
theories concerning the aberration of sound."
The aberration of sound is quite good, but the
fog-whistle is very much better, and is, no
doubt, necessary to determine the location of
this so-called aberration. When the saline
party come back to our seaport, if they would
just test their whistle right here in the bay,
some of our benighted contemporaries might get
their bearing a little more accurate, and thus
the shroud of dense gloom that seems to en-
velope them like the folds of an ample cloak
around a shrunken body, might be dissipated
enough for them to see land.
jARIOUS reports from sundry sources show
an element at work seeking to destroy
the well grounded belief that the air '' America ''
is in no way American. The claim is made that
1
' God Save the Queen '' was set to the same air,
and was sung by the English when our great-
grandfathers were learning to utter words of one
syllable. At this rate the critics will cut the
platform entirely from under the feet of our
music loving and patriotic Americans, and we
will be forced to hold on by a strap only. Can
any country lay claim to the air of "Yankee
Doodle " ? It is early yet, a claim may be in-
vestigated. This we do know, when the
words:
" My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love."
are sung by a multitude, to the air of " Amer-
ica, " there is a sense of ownership to the words
to say the least, and it matters not whether the
air is a reproduction of a similar English air,
bearing a different name, or whether the air had
its inception in the Ark, and was played by the
musical members of Noah's family to while
away the dull hours of the rainy season.
natural resources of the country are un-
impaired by the panic and the indomitable
energy of the people remains, but it has been
paralyzed by uncertainty as to the future of the
currency.
With the conviction that the Senate will
speedily repeal the purchasing clause in the so-
called Sherman Silver Bill, a more confident
feeling pervades the community, and men are
inspired to take hold of their affairs with renew-
ed courage.
Financial institutions that have been chary
of making loans have relaxed their purse
strings and extended accommodation to mer-
chants. Liberal buying of stocks and bonds set
the Wall street markets booming, and an ex-
pected influx of foreign investors was fore-
shadowed in a decline of the sterling exchange
to a level at which gold might be imported.
There is going to be a mighty good holiday
trade all around. Prepare for it.
whose protection he is craving for the one
moment, and is busily injuring and insulting
the next.
The writer whose brain power was evidently
taxed heavily in creating this grievance, man-
ages, to introduce the eminent bandmaster's
name several times. Mr. Sousa is a gentleman ;
and while he may deprecate the fact that he
cannot control his interests in another country,
with reference to some of his compositions, we
feel certain that he would be the last person to
justify the action of anyone who dared to ignore
the statutes of our country.
ABROAD,
{Continuedfrom page j.)
By-the-way, he has arranged a pianoforte re-
cital for M. Paderewski at St. James* Hall on
the afternoon of October 31st.
MATTERS AT THE GAIETY.
When the " Don Juan " burlesque is done at
the Gaiety, "La Mascotte " will be transplanted
to leave room for it. The question is, where
will Audren's opera be restaged ? All the West- -
end theatres, save two not quite suitable, have
their dates filled for the present. The only way
out of the difficulty lies in Shaftesbury avenue,
and I shall not be surprised if soon you hear
that Mr. George Edwards has made arrange-
ments to take '' La Mascotte '' to that neighbor-
hood. According to existing arrangements,
"Don Juan " will be produced on October 17th.
Among those who will appear in the cast are
Messrs. Arthur Roberts, Robert Pateman, Arthur
Playfair, Edmund Payne, Misses Millie Hylton,
Cissie Loftus, Sylvia Grey, Katie Seymour,
Topsy Sinden, and Louise Montague, an Ameri-
can vocalist.
REGARDING I N T E R N A T I O N A L .
COPYRIGHT.
a recent number of The Dotnmant just
come under our notice, a rather extraor-
dinary paragraph appears attacking one of the
largest publishing houses of the world, and in-
troducing some interesting points relative to
international copyright. The article referred to
is entitled '' Piracy of the High School Cadets,''
and is brim full of curious arguments after the
fashion of " The pot calling the kettle black."
Admitting that the English house in question
reprinted in their military journal Mr. Sousa's
famous composition, we cannot see reason why
MUSIC PUBLISHING.
their action should be termed "discourteous to
Business
in
the music publishing line is un-
the American public, and a violation of his
usually brisk at present. Robt. Cocks & Co.,
rights," inasmuch that the piece in question is
W. Morley & Co., Augener & Co. and Boosey
non-copyright in England, and consequently -& Co. report large sales with all the standard
everybody's property. Therefore, the reprint is publications.
THE PIANO TRADE.
in no wise an illegal production on the other
Business with the piano trade is not over
side of the Atlantic, any more than the many
English works reprinted and advertised in the brisk just at present. We are suffering from a
financial stringency, similar in some respects to
same paper by the publisher—Mr. Harry Cole-
that in the United States. It has effected all
man.
trades, and, as a matter of course, the manu-
Can this gentleman define the difference ?
facturers of pianos have not escaped. So far all
But the interesting item of the attack is to the London firms are holding themselves pretty
follow. On investigation we find that the well together and no business collapse is ex-
pected.
American branch of the English house never
TRADE BRIEFS.
imported a single copy of the publication at
Your London namesake says : '' One of the
issue. As a matter of fact they refused to sell greatest novelties of this season will be found in
a 7 octave organ, made in a piano style case, by
Mr. Coleman a copy on his own order.
Messrs. H. Lehr & Co., of Easton, Pa., U. S
Was this a trap on Mr. Coleman's part?
A., and on this instrument sacr^ed as well as
In order to justify the criticisms made on the
secular music can be played with equal effect
English arrangement, is it not reasonable to and ease. In addition to a considerable stock
suppose that the publisher or his associates on in Hamburg and Liverpool, Messrs. E. Hirsch
the paper, sanctioned, by some means, the im- & Co. are always exhibiting a stock of about
portation of a copy containing the reprint ? By 200 instruments at their show-rooms at 59, 60,
so doing, a violation of the United States law and 61, Hatton Garden."
Here's another item: "The Newman Broth-
was committed by conveying past the customs
ers' organs are, Messrs. Robert Cocks & Co. re-
a parcel containing a reprint of an American port, moving in a very satisfactory manner,
copyright.
numerous influential agencies having been es-
Uncle Sam's Custom's authorities may not tablished throughout the country. Among the
have been aware of this attempt to defy the law, new models for the present season is the chapel
but the importer must have been, and whoever Style No. 76, containing 4 sets of reeds and 11
stops. This is claimed to be a beautiful organ
he was, presuming him to be an American citi- for church, chapel, or school, and its retail price
zen, he can scarcely be numbered with the loyal is 24 guineas. Messrs. Cocks will send catalogue
and law abiding subjects of this great republic, on application."
NIRVANI.