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38
TH
MUSIC
TRADE! REVIEW
conception, or in the end it fails. Any man often too sentimental, in French too far out
of reasonable capacity and much diligence of accord with our ideas to find favor in our
can master the principles of harmony, but to eyes. Those American song writers have
have a spontaneous melodic thought is the been most successful that have kept close to
our own poetry and our ideals, where the
privilege of the few.
The melodic thought is the inspiration of a music has been inspired by our own thoughts
song, and, if it receive adequate harmonic and addressed to us in our own tongue.
setting, of a beautiful song; and unless the They have the melodic charm and the struc-
song have this vital element the moment it tural grasp that makes for the work of per-
is sung it stands revealed in its original bar- manent value. That which they have done
renness, mere notes without a meaning. is not only worthy in itself but an earnest of
Then, too, no matter what musical excellence an art form that is striking deep root, the
a song may contain, it will not prove effect- fruits of which are and will ever be a source
ive, nor will it live, unless it suit the peculiar of pride to us all."
capacity of the voice. On the other hand,
AN EARLIER THEATRICAL SEASON.
much mediocre music has held a rank alto-
gether out of proportion to its intrinsic merits
The theatrical season is opening earlier
merely because it serves to display the beau- this year than usual. The Rialto had only a
ties of this most fascinating of instruments. few weeks of quiet and then rehearsals set in
No song has ever won a place in musical lit- and all was activity again. Weber and
erature except where a melodic thought was Fields have issued calls to rehearsals for
their Music Hall Company, for William Col-
given a full, rich, harmonic setting.
lier's Co. in "Personal," and for "An Eng-
Among our song writers none deserves a lish Daisy," the musical comedy which will
higher place than Arthur Foote, whose songs be produced under their management early
have found a place on the programmes of in September. Edward Harrigan's company
in "Under Cover" is now rehearsing and will
our most distinguished singers, are most ef- have a brief season on the road before set-
fective in public, and equally beautiful if tling down in its little comedy home at the
studied in the studio. Here mastery of form Murray Hill Theatre under the management
and richness of harmonic setting are united of the Liebler Co. The "Hoity Toity" com-
to melody, and the results are a number of pany is rehearsing; so are No. I and No. 2
"Silver Slipper" companies for the road;
lyric gems.
two "Chinese Honeymoon" companies, which
Mr. Hackett mentions two of Foote's will shortly start out on Western and South-
songs—"Irish Folk Song" and "I'm Wearin' ern tours; "The Chaperons," Isidore Wit-
Awa'," which he considers as among the best mark's successful society opera; Chauncey
Olcott in his new play "Terance;" "Mister
examples of American song writing to-day Pipp" in which Charles Grape win will be
—perfect for the manner in which the spirit starred; De Wolf Hopper Company; "The
of the poetic has been embodied in the music. Storks," "The Girl from Dixie," in which
He also speaks in commendatory words of Irene Bentley will be prominently featured;
MacDowell's ''Thy Beaming Eyes" and "The Yankee Consul" and many other musi-
cal comedy and dramatic companies. What-
"The Robin Sings in the Apple Tree," and ever the cause, it is certainly a very agreeable
has the same gracious words to say of Nev- fact to members of the theatrical profession
in's compositions as well as those of Chad- that the working season is beginning earlier
wick, Margaret Lang, Dudley Buck and a each year and the long and expensive vaca-
tions, it is believed, have become a thing of
long list of composers who are writing songs the past.
of which we may all be proud. He says
further:
A SONG THAT WON OUT.
"There is also one characteristic of the
American song writers which holds a prom-
There is probably no business in which
ise of great worth—they choose poems for there is a greater element of uncertainty than
their settings that a man may sing with con- in the publishing business. A book publish-
er's judgment of a good or a bad thing may
viction. One of the strongest objections to be over-ruled by that indefinable something
singing many fine songs of German and which is the pulse of public opinion and
French origin in English is not primarily that which searches out and sets upon a publi-
the translations are bad, nor that a good cation the seal of success or failure irrevoc-
translation is impossible, but that the poetry ably. This .is equally observable in the music
publishing business. A song like "You, You,
in itself is impossible to English speaking You," by E. H. Pendleton, for instance,
people. It sometimes goes well in the orig- which w r as discarded from "The Sultan of
inal, but it will not stand the fierce light of Sulu" because it was not suited to Templer
Anglo-Saxon common sense. That which is Saxe's personality, has nevertheless some-
how obtained a hold on the hearts of the pub-
truly poetic in thought can be translated into lic and is steadily and surely forging ahead
any language without losing its essential to that height of popularity where it is played
vigor; there is, however, much which derives by the hurdy-gurdys and demanded from
its beauty not from strength of thought and orchestras in restaurants. No one can ex-
imagery, but from happy words joining a plain how this song has "caught on;" it has
not been pushed; in fact it received rather
frail beauty which perishes with much han- a set back through being taken out of the
dling. When the verbal beauty is lost, as is ooera, but it is a good thing, and the public
inevitable in translating, and merely the with an unerring judgment has picked it up
thought remains, it is too bold in German, and is pushing it along.
DOCKSTADER'S GREAT PROGRAMME.
Dockstadcr's minstrels, when they ap-
pear in New York, on their annual visit,
this year will eclipse all previous efforts in
the choice of songs, as well as in the set-
tings and atmosphere that
surround
them. Eor example: Cole & Johnson's two
songs, "Moonlight on the Mississippi" and
"Shine On My Evening Star," are rendered
on a realistic "Levee Scene" at night; and
prove strong numbers indeed, when sung
by such artists as Carroll Johnson and Jas.
(r. Bradley. T h e first of the two great
transformation scenes: " T h e Darkey's
Heaven," is an immense watermelon,
wherein Manuel Roniain sings Horwitz &
Bowers' "The Lovelorn Watermelon;" the
climax of which is "The Birth of the Sun-
flower," with the entire company singing
"The Story of the Sunflower," while their
black faces (surrounded by a halo of yellow
petals) makes this a strikingly beautiful
and realistic picture.
The first part opens with the usual circle
of singers with the orchestra in the tiers,
artistically grouped. T h e artists include:
Carroll Johnson, who sings "Moonlight on
the Mississippi" and "Moriarity;" Ered-
erick V. Bowers sings his own composi-
tions "No One But You," "Every Day is
Sunshine When the Heart Beats True,"
and "Give Me the Sunny South;" Manuel
Romain renders "The Story of the Sun-
flower," "I Loved You Once, I Scorn You
Now," and "The Lovelorn Watermelon,"
and Gra F. Weller has a fine number called
"Courage." Lew Dockstader sings: " H e
May Get Over It, But He'll Never Look
the Same," and "Call a Cab and Send Me
Home;" John Early sings, "A Thousand
Leagues Under the Sea," and "The Song of
the Old Camp Kettle," and Jas. C. Bradley
sings, "Bessie, My Brown Eyed Queen,"'
and "Shine On My Evening Star." Harry
Ellis renders the song in the patriotic-
finale of the first part, "The Man W e Will
Always Love," with a tableau vivants
background of "Washington Crossing the
Delaware."
Separate Numbers and Scores
of the following
C o m i c
O p e r a and Musical
: : : C o m • d y S u o c e s s e s : : :
"THE JEWEL 6P ASIA"-By Frederic Ranker, Harry
B. Smith and Ludwig Englander.
"NANCY BROWN"—By Frederic Ranken and Henry
K. Hadley.
"THE nOCKlNO BIRD"—By Sidney Rosenfeld and A.
Baldwin Sloane.
"SALLY IN OUR ALLEY"—By Geo. V. Hobart and
Ludwig Englander.
"THE WILD ROSE"—By Harry B. Smith and Ludwig
Englander.
"THE r.bii.h.db
BLONDE y IN BLACK"—By Harry B. Smith and
. STERN & CO.
34 East 21st Street
CHICAGO
LOKDOS
N E W
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ANOTHER INSTANTANEOUS
INSTRUMENTAL SUCCESS'! ! !
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TO THE TRADE
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