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42
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
In tHe World of Music Publishing
(XZXX3CX^0O0O0O0O0CXX30O0O0O<
is ripping the trade wide open. The worst of it
TRADE VERY SATISFYING.
is the whole country is catching on, and publish-
ers, who must bow more or less to the prevail-
Reports for the Week Are to the Effect That
ing sentiment, must yield, or lose business. I t
Buyers Are Placing Orders of Gratifying cannot be helped, as much as I and others de-
Size—There is a Push and Go to Business plore it, but what can you do? The fight must
That Augurs Well for a Busy Season—De-
evidently go on to the finish. One man in the
partment Store Prices Again a Subject of
department store line—not a publisher at that—
Consideration.
has openly declared he would control the sheet
music business in New York. Well, he can't do
This week publishers report a state of trade it, for there are too many in the game. There
very satisfying, to express it in moderate terms. was a dead set made against some publishers,
In other words, business is especially good, and but they cannot be injured in their business. It
buyers are placing orders of a size that meet is a fight, by no means fair, I may add, but one
every expectation. There is a push and drive in of those trade scrimmages that must be settled.
the business that every house of reputation has I am free to say I do not see the end yet. The
a share of, and the lookout, as always, is for last week was a paralizer, with two and three-
the goods pushed the most persistently and judi- cent music at retail, and everything at that.
ciously. According to the best informed, that When the publishers get together it will cer-
line is being taken up by the trade proper—not tainly be the millennium."
the hucksters or department store fakirs—which
appeals to them in a straightforward business
HERBERT IS THE FAVORITE
way. No one is to blame for this but publishers
who have outraged almost every busy principle
in their dealings. It seems the methods now in At Atlantic City—His Compositions in Demand
—Remick Opens This Week.
vogue transcend every previous practice, if cur-
rent report may be relied upon. Prices in the
(Special to The Review.)
New York district, which are taken as standard
Atlantic
City, N. J., March 27, 1905.
in many instances, have demoralized the trade
The musical season is now in full swing here,
so much that it has its influence clear to the
coast, and jobbers have the greatest difficulty ex- and the band concerts at the piers are largely at-
tended. Sig. Vessala has a very excellent band
plaining the peculiar conditions prevailing here
at the Steel Pier. It is admirably balanced and
in extenuation of ordinary trade sales.
trained. Among the most popular numbers feat-
Referring to this matter a particularly bright
ured by the bands are many of Victor Herbert's
publisher said to The Review: "Unfortunately
compositions, which always receive most gener-
this matter of department store prices is up ous applause. In fact, it is apparent that Victor
again in its most virulent form, if I may so ex- Herbert is Atlantic City's favorite composer,
press it. As I have once said, there is no telling judging from the way his pieces are played, both
what the outcome may be, but at the present it in hotels and on the piers.
NOW IN THE LEAD.
Chas. K. Harris' Lat e st List of Musical Novelties.
Each ©tnd every one of them »L
qualified success and playing to
capacity business in the largest
thee>.tres &nd cities throughout
the United States and Canada.
v v v
k
JOE WEBER ALL-STAR STOCK COMPANY in
"Higgledy Piggledy' and "The Colege Widow.'
Book and Lyrics by Edgar Smith. Music by
Maurice Levi.
"THE ISLE OF BONG BONG," the La Salle Thea-
tre's (of Chicago) biggest success. Book and
lyrics by Hough & Adams. Music by Joseph E.
Howard. .
"HIS HIGHNESS, THE BEY," en tour. Rook by
Hough & Adams. Music by Joseph E. Howard.
"SERGEANT KITTY." en tour. As produced by
George R. White. Book and lyrics by Robert 11.
Burnside. Music by A. Baldwin Sloane.
"THE RUNAWAYS," as produced by Mr. Sam. S.
Schubert at the Casino Theatre, New York City.
Book and lyrics by Addkson Burkhardt. Music
by Raymond Ilubbell.
"IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMER TIME," musical
comedy. Book and lyrics by Ren Shields. Music
by George Evans.
"THE FUNNY MR. DOOLEY COMPANY," musical
farce; en tour.
Book, lyrics and music by
Frank D. Bryan.
Now in preparation :—Wm. IT. Brady's big musical
production "AROUND CHICAGO." Will play a
summer engagement at McVicker's Theatre, com-
mencing in April. Book and lyrics by Frederick
Ranken. Music by A. Baldwin Sloane.
Now In preparation :—"SIMPLKi SIMON,' musical
farce, by Brown & Wood. Under the manage-
ment of*Nixon & Zimmerman, Philadelphia, Pa.
Any piece of music and all scores to any of the
above-mentioned musical comedies can be ordered
direct from any jobber throughout the United
States, or direct from the Publisher,
CHAS. K. HARRIS,
31 WEST THIRTY-FIRST STREET,
NEW YORK CITY, N. Y.
MEYER COHEN, MGR.
CHICAGO.
SYDNEY
CANADA.
"Affection," by Burris and Smith; "Daisy Dear,"
by Hamell and Wenmish, are the newest things
from P. J. Howley, Inc., who is coming to the
front rapidly again.
The Lillian Russell Opera Co., formed to pro-
duce and manage the musical comedy, "Lady
Teazle," was incorporated recently with a cap-
ital of $10,000. The office of the company is at
Syracuse, and the directors are Lee Shubert and
Joseph W. Jacobs, Lyric Theatre, New York, and
Jacob J. Shubert, Garrick Theatre, Chicago.
Among the many acts that are using Jerome
and Schwartz's new coon song, "Farewell, Mr.
Abner Hemmingway," are Miss Laura Bennett,
Lillie and Rena Washburn, Bonita and her Picks,
Stella Tobin, Ethel Robinson, Elizabeth Murray,
The Two Pucks, Mayme Remington and her
Bungle-boo-loo Boys and others. "Won't You
Fondle Me," that cute little song, by Kendis and
Paley, is gradually growing stronger. Both are
on Jerome H. Remick & Co.'s list.
Thomas B. Harms, founder of the old firm of
T. B. Harms & Co., has started in the publishing
business on his individual account and In his
own name at 39 West 28th street, New York. His
office was opened this week.
IS MUSICAL COMEDY DECLINING?
It is, perhaps, not quite easy to understand
what the various composers and others inter-
viewed by the English daily paper mean by very
light opera, as distinguished from musical com-
edy, which latter is said by some to be doomed,
observes Music, of London. Owen Hall, however,
Jerome H. Remick & Co. will reopen their store
throws some light on the difference. "In musical
on the Boardwalk either Saturday or Monday.
comedy," he says, "we give, with the addition of
Among recent visitors here was Hamilton S.
actuality, all that comic opera did. I mean that
Gordon, the well-known publisher of New York.
whereas in comic opera you get the Mayor of
Bruges in a nondescript costume, we give, say,
the Mayor of Leicester—a real man in place of
REVIEWOQRAPHS.
an imaginary one. Words from the mouth of a
Reports say Edna May is losing her voice, and man we know come with more force and point,
that she is going into straight dramatic work. and so, instead of a French notary, we give you
The question with publishers has always been, an English judge of the high court, and instead
Did she ever have a good singing voice? It was of a grand duchess, a smart lady of fashion, who,
a debatable question, in which B. M. usually got again, speaks up-to-date dialogue with more au-
thority than the stagey grand duchess.
the worst of the argument.
Another abuse, he adds, is the too free intro-
Members of the Rutgers College (New Bruns- duction of songs, mostly American. Managers
wick, N. J.,) Glee Club profess amusement at don't seem to care for originality. Each new-
the report that the official board of the Broad- comer tries to do what the other did, only with
more dresses and more American songs. What
way Methodist Church, of Camden, has objected
to their singing "Under the Anheuser Busch" good result can be expected if managers are care-
at a concert given in the church recently. They less of plot, development, and characterization?
say it is the first time there has been any objec- "I think that a funny farcial comedy with music
tion of this sort made. The song was only part will always be popular, and I am not a t all sure
of a medley sung as an encore. The church has that extravaganza of a modern type won't also
adopted a strong resolution against further succeed."
demonstration of this sort, and it is said will not
Leslie Stuart, composer of some of the biggest
again allow the college glee club to sing in the successes, considered that when a good musical
church.
comedy came along there would be no difficulty
in finding a public to patronize it. "The same
Sam Gross, the whilom publishers' press agent, thing applies to good light opera. Granted the
with his hot-air valve invariably in good work- plot, costume defines the difference between the
ing order, has written a song, "It's the Beer." two." he said. Howard Talbot, composer of
Willis Woodward & Co. are the publishers, and
"A Chinese Honeymoon" and other pieces,
with "Doctor" Teschner and Willis as sponsors, referred to musical comedy as being "as
the piece ought to go. As the latter gentleman re- dead as door nails, for the simple reason
marked in discussing Sam's flight of musical that there's nothing new to do in it. Every idea
genius, "the lobster blushed when i t saw the for introduced numbers has been used up. I will
salad dressing." Then another publication of
set no music unless to a straight plot." "There
W. W. & Co. is James T. Brynn's "You Certainly is a fast-increasing public for light opera, and
Must Be Dreaming," which, reports say, is to be from an artistic point of view that is to be wel-
interpolated in a Broadway production, the hope comed," said Mme. Liza Lehmann, the composer
of every song writer and publisher.
of "Sergeant Brue." "I will say nothing deroga-
tory about musical comedy; on the contrary, I
"Tickle Me," by Ed. Madden and J. B. Mullen; am personally very grateful to it. Light opera