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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
SPECIALTY TALKS.
QUESTIONS PROPOUNDED BY THE "REVIEW" UPON THE LIVE MATTERS OF THE DAY AND
ANSWERED BY LEADING MEN IN THE TRADE.
Interview IX.—George Maxwell.
NDER the above head THE REVIEW
proposes to give weekly the expressed
views of some members of the trade upon
matters which are of live interest. It
should be understood that the answers to
these inquiries will be published in every
instance without editorial criticism. In
other words, every "specialty talk" will
fairly express the sentiment of the individ-
ual under whose name it appears, rather
than the editorial belief of THE REVIEW.
There will be no distortion; no boiling
down. The answers will be published with-
out change or comment, and in every case
the individuality of the one whose opinions
are written will be preserved. We propose
in this way to build one of the most interest-
ing features which a trade paper can offer
to its readers. This week Mr. Maxwell
talks from the music publisher's standpoint.
REVIEW—Is competition in the music
publishing business unusually severe ? Are
prices fairly stationary?
Mr. Maxwell—Competition, in my opin-
ion, is unusually severe. No attempt is
made at a uniform scale of prices, and if I
believe my ears, understand that such is
quite hopeless among the publishers. I
cannot realize the latter statement as a pos-
sible fact, but I am not acquainted person-
ally with all the publishers in this city,
far less those outside.
REVIEW—Does the music publishing
business to-day offer a better field for the
"bright young man" than it did—say-—ten
years ago?
Mr. Maxwell—I have no idea what
chances were offered a young man in this
country ten years ago, but I do think he has
ample opportunity today for proving him-
self a bright fellow of good business prin-
ciples and energy.
:^REVIEW—Are the existing copyright laws
in this country sufficiently fair and compre-
hensive?
Mr. Maxwell—After one or two details
have been amended (these, I believe, are
now under the consideration of the M. P.
A.), the Law of Copyright will, I think,
be a fair and comprehensive one.
REVIEW—The import trade in musical
publications is probably very heavy. Does
the export trade compare at all favorably
with the import?
Mr. Maxwell—I know little or nothing
of the export trade except the scandalous
and unprincipled business still indulged in
by some firms—that of shipping to England
books of reprints of European copyrights.
REVIEW—What impresses you to-day as
being the most vital subject for discussion
in matters relating to the music publishing
business?
Mr. Maxwell—If it were possible to ac-
U
complish—to discuss and arrange a uni-
form retail and wholesale price on music.
REVIEW—The music publishing business
is, we suppose, in common with other mu-
sic trade departments,*in none too flourish-
ing a condition just now. Do you look for
a speedy return to prosperity?
Mr. Maxwell—True, the music publish-
ing business at the present time is decided-
ly quiet, and with the periodical obstacles
due this year, the chances of a big business
in the fall are small. The first five
months of this year were excellent, surpass-
ing my expectations.
REVIEW—Has the large output of so-
called "cheap music" during the last few
musician writing good-class music has a
small chance in America compared with the
so-called composer of a music hall or popu-
lar song.
REVIEW—What is the average length of
life of the so-called "popular" song?
Mr. Maxwell—The so-called popular
song, as known in America, has a short
and merry life of a few months; whereas
the popular song in England takes the form
of a drawing-room or concert song, and of-
ten has a successful run of many years.
REVIEW—Is it necessary that both words
and music of a song should be "taking" in
order to ensure popularity?
Mr. Maxwell—If the words of the pop-
ular songs now being drummed into our
ears at every street corner are referred to,
a perusal of any of these poems would dic-
tate the negative as a reply. The most
successful of our English ballads and songs
are those having the happy combination of
good words and equally good music.
REVIEW—Is there an increasing demand
for classical music in this country?
Mr. Maxwell—The flooded condition of
the market with vocal music of the music
hall type is detrimental towards an in-
creased demand for the better-class com-
positions. I believe there is an increase
in the demand for better-class instru-
mental music.
REVIEW—The preparation of catalogues
in your business must be an important de-
partment, necessitating a good deal of care-
ful labor? Your advertising department
presents, probably, a splendid field for the
up-to-date intelligent advertising man?
Mr. Maxwell—Undoubtedly the advertis-
ing department in one of the most import-
ant. The secret of finding the most profit-
able medium to one particular business is
only known to the man who has made a
special study of it.
Death of Leon Keach.
M
GEORGE MAXWELL.
R. LEON KEACH, well known in
Boston musical circles, died on Aug-
ust 14th.
Mr. Keach was 45 years old, and for a
number of years has figured prominently
among musicians and music writers. For
a long time he has been music reader at the
well-known house of Oliver Ditson & Co.,
and has written and published a number of
pieces of music. Mr. Keach was a leading
pianist, and also was an orchestral conduc-
tor. His strongest point, however, was
his rearranging of classic and modern
music for the pianoforte.
years seriously affected the "legitimate"
sheet music business?
Mr. Maxwell—The tremendous hold
which cheap music has had upon the Amer-
ican market until very recently naturally
means that death to this evil will be slow.
Bui the time is not very far distant when
cheap music vendors and re-printers will
have exhausted the popular non-copyrights
and the legitimate sheet music business
will begin to prosper, alike in the interest
of composer, publisher and musical public.
Lovely Instruments.
REVIEW—Is the supply of musical MSS.,
speaking from a general standpoint, equal
N looking over the field for the business
to the demand? In what special depart-
campaign of this fall, dealers would do
ment of composition does it seem to you well to investigate the merits of the Mal-
is there most room for the aspiring com- colm Love pianos, manufactured at Water-
poser t
loo, N. Y. These instruments have been
Mr. Maxwell—The supply of manuscript steadily advancing in the estimation of the
so far as the term manuscript goes, is far trade and public and to-day take high rank.
ahead of the demand, but of those general- They are well and conscientiously made,
ly classed as above the average there is a and are instruments which make friends
scarcity. For the present, the educated wherever sold.
I