Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE! REVIEW
magnificent disregard for the rules of grammar Mr. Paderewski, throwing himself upon the mercy
NOTHING NEW WRITTEN THESE DAYS and
a special kind of police license.
of that gentleman to enable him to keep faith
"To a literary person, I know, the lyrics of
with his subscribers. He received no answer to
popular songs must seem very crude. The the letter. This was in June. Late in July the
rhymes are often atrocious, the metre halting editor had business which called him to London.
Vincent Bryan, song writer, declares that the and the sentiment bathos. Nevertheless, there is At the completion of his first day's affairs an Eng-
only thing in the writing of music for a popular a distinct art in writing them, an art which the lish friend invited him to attend the opera. The
average poet can never attain and I believe editor consented indifferently, his mind being
song which is unnecessary is a knowledge of
music. He avers further that there are no new would not attain even if he could. He may fixed on business affairs. They went to the opera,
popular melodies composed nowadays. If they are phrase sentences to suit himself; he may use and as they raised the curtain to enter their box
new they will not be popular. In other words, his whatever imagery suggests itself to him, clothed the editor saw Mr. Paderewski sitting alone in
contention is that the songs we are whistling to- in words that best express it. The song writer the box. The pianist, thinking the editor had fol-
day are merely variations of the songs we have cannot. He must use commonplace imagery and lowed him to Europe to get the minuet, and had
always whistled, and, what is more, he brings commonplace words in order that the common- pursued him into his box at the opera, threw up
forward proofs. Stripped of all verbiage, Mr. place people he writes for—they are greatly in his hands and exclaimed, 'Mr. Blank, I'll write
Bryan's recipe for the concoction of a popular the majority, too—may understand what he is that minuet to-morrow. What a people you Amer-
Moreover, the commonplace icans are!' "
song success is as follows: First get copies of writing about.
the old songs that have been popular, then, after words he uses must be such as may be clearly
having removed all traces of conscience and hav- articulated when sung. That is the reason why
RUDOLPH GANZ
ing cultivated the predatory instinct in its high- EO few poets are successes as song writers. They
remain
on
too
high
a
level."
Has Scored a Great Success on His Concert
est development, secure a jimmy and get to work.
Tour This Season.
Perhaps, however, it is best to let him explain it
in his own fashion.
The list of pianists heard in New York this
"Persons who understand and love good mu-
season has been materially strengthened by the
alc," says Mr. Bryan, "are constantly quarreling How the Great Pianist Was Impressed With appearance of Rudolph Ganz, who has been Intro-
with the public taste as evinced in its selection
American Enterprise.
duced with the New York Symphony Orchestra
of the songs it makes popular. They do not seem
and Felix W T eingartner, and who has yet in
Mrs. Mary Gregory Murray, a lecturer and
able to comprehend why an inferior melody will
store a recital at Mendelssohn Hall on March 21,
be avidly seized by the public, whistled and sung writer on musical subjects of this city, tells the and another later jointly with Harold Bauer, and
until it has become a nuisance, and then thrown following story to illustrate the difficulty of get-
aside for some other popular air, while the bet- ting a musician to work when the inspiration
ter class of songs—songs that are musician ly— does not move him.
remain almost unknown, unless some accident
"At the time of Mr. Paderewski s first visit to
should bring them before the public.
America," she said, "the editor and publisher of
"Nevertheless, the reason is exceedingly sim- the best-known of all periodicals devoted exclu-
ple. We are a quick lunch nation. We discour- sively to the interests of women, conceived that
age originality in music because we are too busy it would be a pleasing feature to secure a minuet
to learn songs which have an unfamiliar air. composed by the great pianist exclusively for the
We like to whistle and hum the tunes which we pages of his publication. He secured the promise
hear, and the only ones with which this is pos- of the minuet, paid several thousand dollars in
sible upon a first hearing are those which we un- advance, and then advertised it to appear in the
consciously know. They may be labeled new, October number, nearly a year later.
t u t we have known them for years, even though
"All winter the pianist played in different cities
we do not recognize them in their disguise. Old of the United States, and the editor could get no
friends are the best. King James used to call satisfaction from him in regard to the minuet.
for his old shoes because they did not hurt his Finally he returned from a western trip and ap
feet, and the American public calls for the old peared for a final recital in Philadelphia. The
jingly songs because it takes no trouble to learn editor appeared at the hall just at the close of
them.
the programme, thinking to catch the pianist.
"Edward MacUoweU, unquestionably the great- By tne time he got back to the stage, however,
est American song writer, is almost unknown to the musician had slipped out of a stage entrance
the great piano loving public, while the names of and gone off to keep an early dinner appointment
many men who compose the popular melodies at the residence of one of Philadelphia's most
anil probably would not know a motif if they met prominent citizens. The editor felt constrained
it face to face, are known all over the country. to wait a decent period until dessert should at
Did any one ever hear one of MacDowelTs songs least have been reached. Then he took a cab and
rendercc! on a street piano? No. Did you ever drove to the home of the eminent citizen. Alas!
hear a messenger boy whistling one of his melo- Mr. Paderewski had dined in haste and immedi-
dies? No, and you probably would not know it if ately driven to the station to catch the train for
you 'lid. That is the answer. The public de- New York. The editor leaped into his cab and
RUDOLPH GANZ.
mands the old tunes, and the composers are pursued the man of music to the station. There
composing them for it every day. Believe me, he saw the train just pulling out. He took the appearances with the Kneisel Quartette in New
you do not need to know anything about mus'c next train to New York, but it was a slow one, York and in Brooklyn.
to compose one. Practically all that is needed is and he had to seek Mr. Paderewski's whereabouts
Mr. Ganz is to be ranked among the first by
a good memory. The arranger will do the rest. among various possible hotels. When he a t last right of every equipment, and many points of
"Indeed, it is far more necessary for the man c-ame up with the master of the keys it was to individual and distinct attractiveness. Mr. Ganz
who writes the words of a popular song to have see him on the deck of an ocean liner, just pointed has had a sensational entree into the music
some knowledge of music than the composer. He down the bay.
world of this country, and there is no doubt that
has to have a vague idea of time and of phras-
"The editor threw up his hands and went sadly he is just in the beginning of a most brilliant
ing, so his words will fit; also he must have a to his desk, whence he wrote a moving letter to and enviable career.
In the Way of Popular Songs Says Vincent
Bryan—Originality Discouraged.
HELD PADEREWSKI TO CONTRACT.
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