Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1904 Vol. 39 N. 3

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE: MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
In tKe World of Music Publishing
BIG PLANS FOR FALL TRADE.
Publishers Now Hard at Work—Many Novel-
ties in Operatic and Ballad Form Being Pre-
pared—Dealers Strenuously Object to Being
"Used" by Some Publishers, Who Are Cut-
ting the Life Out of Prices.
Copyright Bill, as it emerged from the Grand
Committee, proposed a reasonable remedy for a
known and undoubted wrong. Composers of
songs are at present exposed in this country to
what amounts in practice to unrestricted spolia-
tion. They have no effective, right in their own
property. They devote their skill and talent to
their art. An unscrupulous publisher may seize
upon the composition, run it off the press, and
vend it to any extent at a few coppers the sheet.
Not only does the pirate escape without paying
one farthing of compensation in the shape of roy-
alty to the composers whose brains are pilfered
in this fashion. The sale of the illicit copies
prevents that of the legitimate original, defeats
the artist's hope of being paid for the work by
which he lives, and, as Major Seely testified in
Friday's debate, involves the writers of the best
songs in losses of thousands of pounds. This
is one of the issues which do not need to be ar-
gued. If there is a case for pocket-picking there
may be one for musical piracy, and if Mr. Cald-
well proposes to extend the sphere of his legisla-
tive activity upon logical lines, he should take
steps to encourage other forms of ingenious in-
dustry by providing the artful dodger with se-
curity in his employment. Parliament was pop-
ularly supposed to exist for the redress of griev-
ances. The Chinese system of antiquated routine
still enables a private member of sufficiently
pachydermatous persistence to thwart the sense
of the House and defy the will of the country,
and it has been used by the member for Mid-
Lanark for the eccentric purpose of protecting
fraud. Such action as his ought to be impossible
under the rules of any modern legislative as-
sembly." According to our London contemporary
'Music,' the seizures of pirated copies of well-
known works have been frequent of late, no
fewer than 52,250 illicit prints having been cap-
tured at one sweep last month," and adds: "It
is to be hoped that the meeting at Queen's Hall
(held July 4), will be productive of good results,
otherwise the music profession and trade will
suffer irremediable harm."
Building on future prospects is engaging the
time and attention of all classes and grades of
publishers. The lull which seldom, if ever, fails
to put in. an appearance in the week following
the exhibition of patriotic fervor, was on time
this year, consequently reports that "we are very
busy" is subject to more than the "usual dis-
count and terms." Nevertheless, matters and
things might be worse, for the undercurrent is
not at all weak or vacillating. There is scarcely
a house of any pretensions that is not only
talking of prospective business, but their appe-
tites are already sharpened by unmistakable
signs of trade activity to come before the sum-
mer slips by, and preparations accordingly are
being made.
This feeling is not confined to the producers
of popular airs by any means, as publishers of
standard music are likewise anticipating a brisk
business in the early fall. The work under way
embraces many novelties, to be sure; but the
greater portion is of sterling worth and merit.
In the line of operatic productions, composers of
note and recognized position are either planning
or finishing tasks which promise additional lau-
rels and cash besides to both the writers and the
publishers, not to mention the "unearned incre-
ment" of the dealers.
Influential dealers in the larger cities of dis-
tribution, as well as in more remote places, are
also quoted as preparing for open hostilities
against firms, whether publishers or jobbers, that
are known and discussed as engaged in that
highly delectable business game of "playing both
ends against the middle." The sentiment in the
buying branch against this reprehensible method
is crystalizing, and the wrath of the legitimate
dealer is accumulating against the days "when
the grinding is low," and the foxy publisher and
CASH PRIZE FOR SONG.
his wily ally will be the recipients of all that is
coming to them. It is a long lane, indeed, that Columbus Republican Glee Club Starts a Novel
has no turning, and the dealers in sheet music
Contest.
have a grievance which, when the proper remedy
is applied, will bear hard on publishers who defy
Anxious to secure good songs for use during
established laws of trade and set at naught the the coming campaign, the Republican Glee Club
protests of the sufferers.
of Columbus, O., has hit upon a novel plan. The
club will give a cash prize of $50 for the best
original composition, words and music, of a top-
ENGLAND'S MUSIC COPYRIGHT BILL ical political song for use during the campaign.
In addition to this the club also offers a cash
Has Been Practically Shelved—The Lobby in
Opposition to the Measure Obstructs Its prize for the best new setting of words to any
Passage and It Will Not Go Through This song already published. The prizes will not be
divided, but will be awarded to one person in
Session.
The music copyright bill which has been before
the English Parliament for some time with the
object of remedying the numerous abuses in the
matter of piracy which have undermined the
music trade of England has been practically
shelved or talked dry by a member of Parlia-
ment, Mr. Caldwell, who took pains not only to
occupy valuable time but to utter a number of
inaccuracies which really have injured the meas-
ure and the publishing industry to a very great
extent. Although the discussion nominally was
merely adjourned, the state of Parliamentary
business leaves almost no hope that the obstruct-
ed bill can still be saved.
As the London "Daily Telegraph" pertinently
puts it: "A measure for the redress of an ad-
mitted and iniquitous abuse was lost in a re-
morseless gulf of dull loquacity, its fate being
one of the most flagrant instances known for
many years of the resources of obstructive power
in the hands of a single member. The Musical
POPULAR
RUMMER
O ONGS..
ORDER
AX
ONCE
each case. Full credit will be given to authors
and composers in all the programmes used by the
club. The competition is in the hands of T. F.
Hane, chairman of the Music Committee of the
club.
THE "HOUSE OF HITS" TO THE FRONT.
Wm. H. Seifried, the genial director of orches-
tra at the Marlborough Hotel, New York, con-
tinues to interest his audiences with the selection
from Rosenfeld & Sloane's "Mocking Bird,"
George Rosey's "Pet of the Army" march, and
Clare Rummer's "June" and "Take Yo' Name Off
Ma' Door."
Walter Hawley and Alfred Solman's summer
song success, "Starry Night for a Ramble," has
become the feature of Geo. Primrose's vaudeville
entertainment.
The well-known singing comedian, Jas. H.
Cullen, has added to his extensive repertoire of
songs Waldron and Sloane's "There's a Little
Street in Heaven That They Call Broadway" and
"In the Lives of Famous Men."
Andrew Link's Orchestra regales the patrons
of the Empire Theater, Providence, R. I., with
gems from Dockstader's Minstrels contained in
Jos. W. Stern & Co.'s "Popular Minstrel Medley."
The bandmasters of the U. S. battleship Texas
and the U. S. S. Franklin frequently use "The
Helmet of Navarre" waltzes to cheer the "brave
boys in blue."
Madeline Burdette continues successfully with
Dan. J. Sullivan's "You're as Welcome as the
Flowers in May," John Heinzman's "Jessamine"
and DeKoven's "Dreaming, Dreaming."
WESTERN SUCCESSES FOR NEW YORK.
Arrangements have been completed by George
E. Stoddard, the librettist of the "Isle of Spice"
and "The Royal Chef" for their production in
New York. The former had a successful run both
in Chicago and Boston, and it will have its
premier in the metropolis August 28, with open
dating, a t the Majestic Theater. "The Royal
Chef," which has remained in the Windy City
since its first appearance in April, comes to the
Casino September 5 for an indefinite run.
"The Mogul," a new musical comedy, of which
the book and lyrics are by Mr. Stoddard and
Charles S. Taylor, with Ben M. Jerome respon-
sible for the music, is now receiving the finish-
ing touches. I t will be produced either in Chi-
cago or New York early in the fall. The publish-
ing rights rest with the F. B. Haviland Publish-
ing Co.
SEA FIGHTERS IN DECATUR'S DAYS.
No more brilliant production in the way of
spectacle has been given at Manhattan Beach
Follow the Crowd on a
By
&Manris*Aw
GZRARD,
*9+mMm%m€mjy MORRISON A ARMSTRONG.
Down on the
Merry^ Go - Round
By HAL KENT « LYN UDALL, Compoaora of "Just
On* Girl," and "Juat aa tha Sun."
Kate Kearney
By FAY A OLIVER, wrltara of "Goodnight,
Balovad, Goodnight."
M m Witmark & Sons
NEW
YORK
CHICAGO
LONDON
ILLUMINATED TITLE PAGES FREE
SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE IN QUANTITIES
Do you Handle " WITMARK" PUBLIC A TIONS 7
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
40
THE
than Decatur, 1804, in Pain's openair theater.
There are so many effective episodes and start-
ling events crowded into the presentation that it
is difficult to decide which is the more attractive
or realistic. The blowing up of the Philadelphia
by Decatur is equaled, in the minds of many, by
the bombardment of Tripoli by Preble and his
squadron, led by the famous old warship Consti-
tution. She is still afloat, as a living evidence of
how well the American shipbuilders put together
the wooden walls of the young republic for fight-
ing purposes. The spectacle, as a patriotic re-
minder of the days of one hundred years ago, is
one of the best things of its kind yet seen on any
CLEVER LEO FRIEDMAN.
In presenting herewith a portrait of Leo Fried-
man we are enabling many readers to study the
features of their favorite composer of popular
melodies, who is, however, too modest to have his
picture printed on the title pages of his numerous
publications, ranging in character from sacred
and sentimental songs to descriptive instrumen-
tal numbers, and even "coon" songs. But Mr.
Friedman is a thoroughly educated musician, who
knows how to use syncopation—"wisely and not
too well"—which accounts for the popularity of
his latest Indian "reservation innovation," en-
titled "The Wigwam Dance," among cultivated
musicians as well as the masses. For Mr. Fried-
man studied in Berlin for a number of years,
under such masters as Kullak, Dr. Hans Bischoff
and Dr. Jedliczska—the evidence of whose thor-
ough instruction appears in the harmony and
musicianly development of even his lighter melo-
dies. Of his success in the field of concert songs
there is no better proof than the fact that he has
composed most of Jessie Bartlett Davis' successes
for the past several seasons. Among his hits
may be mentioned, "Coon, Coon, Coon," "Baby
Mine," "Dream On, Sue," "In a Poppy Field,"
"If I Should," "There It's Always Home, Sweet
Home," "Tizan, the Maid of Hindostan," and
"Too Whoo? To You," the latter ones having been
published since he joined the staff of the Wit-
marks, for whom he now writes exclusively.
ENGAGE VICTOR HERBERT.
The Composer to Write All the Music for the
Lew Fields Theater Shows.
Announcement was made Tuesday by Hamlin,
Mitchell & Fields that Victor Herbert had been
engaged to write all the music for the produc-
tions at the Lew M. Fields Theater, which is to
open in West 42d street in November. It also
was announced that Miss Marie Cahill had
signed as a member of the Lew iFelds Co.
Mr. Herbert held conferences this week with
Glen MacDonough, who is writing the book of the
musical production which will open the new
theater. Rehearsals will probably begin early in
September.
The same firm will produce the comedy "Bird
Center," also from the pen of Glen MacDonough,
founded on the cartoons of George McCutcheon,
in the West on or about Aug. 23.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
MUSIC PUBLISHERS' LIVE WIRES.
One of the greatest surprises in connection
with the music publishing business to-day is that
music which is embellished with a magnificent
lithograph cover in colors and containing be-
sides from five to seven pages of music can be
produced and sold at one of the department stores
for ten cents. Our attention was recently called
to the matter by a dealer in a suburb of New
York, who for ten years has made a nice income
from the sale of music in his town and locality.
He now complains that music is sold in the de-
partment stores cheaper than he can buy it from
publishers. This is a remarkable condition of
affairs and certainly not creditable to the pub-
lishers engaged in it—nor is it hopeful for the
future, because a business founded on such an
unsound and illogical basis cannot permanently
thrive. There is certainly "something rotten in
the state of Denmark."
Miss Amy Whaley, who won a reputation as a
prima donna soprano during her concert tours
with the U. S. Marine Band, is filling a series of
engagements with the various Chautauqua as-
semblies throughout the country this summer.
Miss Whaley has just concluded her engagement
of Tama, (la.) Assembly, where, she writes, 3,000
people heard and applauded her rendition of
"Star of My Life," by Ogden Ward and Edward
Warren Corliss; and at Mountain Lake Park,
Md., she will introduce J. A. Daynes' latest sacred
song "The Holj' Temple," which she will sing
also before the Assembly at Northampton, Mass.
"It is a great song for the masses," writes Miss
Whaley to its publishers, the Witmarks.
Now that Dan Emmet is dead we note the
usual questionings as to his being the author of
the music of "Dixie." One writer in last Sun-
day's Sun stated that the tune is an exact copy of
an old English song called "The Dashing
White Sergeant." Now this will not hold as the
resemblance of "Dixie" to the "Dashing White
Sergeant" is very slight. A couple of bars at the
opening of the strain are somewhat alike, but
outside of that there is but little similarity. It
is rather late to take credit from Emmet, who
wrote the words and music in 1859 in New York.
That the tune may have been somewhat alike or
even suggested by some other is possible, but
genius ITas always taken its own where it found
it.
Notwithstanding the advertised "decline" of
ragtime, Thomas Preston Brooke finds it suf-
ficiently popular in music-loving Milwaukee, to
give seven special "rag" programmes during the
season of his band at the Exposition Gardens.
The sixth programme included high-class "rags"
from "Cyrano de Bergerac," by Victor Herbert;
picked-over "rags" from "Twirly Whirly," Fran-
cis; "rags" selected by "Hodge, Podge Co.,"
Bratton, and a tangle of Witmark's latest, in-
cluding "I've Got to Go Now," "Follow the Crowd
on a Sunday," "On the Water Wagon" and "The
Coonville Cullud Band."
Thibet now being very much in the popular
eye, makes very timely the production at the
Illinois Theater, Chicago, of a Thibetan comic
opera entitled, "The Forbidden Land." The book
is by Guy F. Steely and the score by Frederick
Chapin, both Chicagoans, while the production is
under the direction of the Dearborn Theater man-
agement, which produced "The Tenderfoot" and
other popular light operas. The scenes of the
now opera painted from sketches and photo-
graphs by Henry Savage Lander—the only white
man who ever got out of this country alive—are
all laid in the "sacred city" of Lhassa. From all
accounts the opera scored such a success that it
will run all summer. The Witmarks will pub-
lish the score and special selections for the trade.
Hurtig & Seamon opened their new Pier at
Arverne-by-the-Sea with great eclat on the eve
of the Fourth. The feature of the dedication pro-
gramme was the singing of Isidore Witmark's
latest topical waltz song, "Arverne-by-the-Sea,"
by Fred Whitfield, with the assistance of a juve-
nile vocalist in the gallery. After the first re-
frain the audience joined in the chorus and al-
together much enthusiasm was aroused.
Chicago has a new street advertising scheme.
ID order to gather and hold the crowds while he
is displaying advertising slides, the stereopticon
man has adopted the device of sandwiching in
popular songs, which he illustrates while they
are rendered by vocalists or instrumentalists
from a neighboring window. Last week he illus-
trated "Follow the Crowd on a Sunday," with
moving pictures. Fully 2,000 people gather
nightly to enjoy this free al fresco concert.
MME. SCHUMANN=HE1NK'S ARRIVAL.
Will Sail Within Two Weeks to Fill Several
Engagements—The Opera in Which She Is
to Star Mow Ready.
All rumors and reports to the contrary not-
withstanding, Mme. Schumann-Heink sails for
New York within the next fortnight to fulfil her
American engagements, beginning with the
Saengerfest of the Saengerbund of the North-
west, to be given at Exposition Hall, Milwaukee,
on July 28, 29 and 30. There are to be five con-
certs, with male chorus of 2,500; mixed chorus
of 1,000 and 3,000 children; the orchestra of 100
pieces being under the direction of Theodore
Thomas. This engagement will probably mark
the close of her concert work for the season,
since Mme. Schumann-Heink must immediately
begin preparations for her operatic starring tour,
under the management of Fred C. Whitney, in
the new opera written and composed especially
for her by Stanislaus Stange and Julian Ed-
wards. The principal numbers were sent to
Mme. Schumann-Heink in Germany as fast as
Mr. Edwards completed them, and called forth a
highly congratulatory postcard from the prima
donna to the composer. The opera is now com-
plete, except for the title which is still in de-
bate. However, believing that "an opera by any
other name would sound as sweet" the Witmarks
already have the score and principal numbers
in preparation for publication as soon as the title
is decided on.
INTERESTED IN PUBLISHING BUSINESS.
Louis C. Whiton, lawyer, of 252 West 85th
street, New York, has filed a petition in bank-
ruptcy, with liabilities $100,616, of which $48,456
are secured, and nominal assets $115,508, consist-
ing of house and lot at Ozone Park, valued at
$10,000, mortgaged for $7,500; accounts, $21,500;
claims, $20,500; sheet music and plates, $5,000;
stocks, $58,500, and cash in bank, $8. The stocks
include $12,500 Woodhaven Junction Land Co.,
and $45,000 Georgia Land & Development Co.,
hypothecated. Mr. Whiton said that the liabili-
ties were incurred principally as attorney and
treasurer of land companies in Queens County
and on behalf of a client, the International Music
Co. Among the creditors are the Sprague Na-
tional Bank of Brooklyn, $18,200, secured; Wood-
haven Bank, $15,500, secured, and $2,052, judg-
ment; Bank of Jamaica, $1,450, and Mechanics'
National Bank of Brooklyn, $2,000.
SEPARATE NUMBERS AND
SCORES
OK THE FOLLOWING
COMIC OPERA 6 MUSICAL , COMEDY SUCCESSES
OFFICE BOY
MOCKING BIRD
RED FEATHER
NANCY BROWN
ISLE OF SPICE
A MADCAP
Published by
PRINCESS
J O S . W . STERN Sc CO
GIRL FROM DIXIE
WINSOME WINNIE
CHICAGO
34 East 21st Street, New York
LONDON
SAN FRANCISCO

Download Page 39: PDF File | Image

Download Page 40 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.