Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1907 Vol. 44 N. 14

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
REVIEW OF TRADE CONDITIONS.
While Trade Is Not So Brisk on the Surface the
Aggregate Sales Have Gone Beyond Ex-
pectations and the Outlook Is Satisfactory.
Though the month of March is regarded by
publishers, jobbers and dealers as one of the
quietest in the year—possibly next to December
—the reports bear a contrary complexion. To
be sure trade was not so brisk on the surface,
but the aggregate sales have gone beyond ex-
pectations. The past week was the slowest of the
month, for which seasonable reasons existed. The
mails have increased remarkably, and salesmen
on the road are booking nice orders for popular
music, of which the list of satisfactory sellers is
long and interesting. Nearly every house of
standing has several, and possibly more, num-
bers that not only "look good," but have gone
beyond the introductory stage and can be reck-
oned successes in the ordinary acceptance of the
designation. Were these latter not crowded to
the wall by subsequent publications, they would
hold their own for months and keep moving in
the hands of dealers and jobbers.
In the other branch of publishing—folios, edi-
tions and che general run of higher grade music—
sales have held their own in point of volume and
value. Not many more new works will be
brought out before the approach of summer, as
the necessity, for "something new" is a negligible
quantity. For all that, however, the number, im-
portance and variety of song and instrumental
prices, books, compilations, original arrange-
ments of the masters, etc., make a handsome
showing and reflect great credit on the enter-
prise and resourcefulness of American publish,
ers in this class. They speak of business as
very satisfactory, and see no reason why it
should not continue along the same lines for the
remainder of the season.
Of the general outlook a veteran publisher
said to The Review: "Every indication points to
a splendid run of business for several months to
come. March, though rated a slow-going period,
was not so poor after all. Our books make a
good showing, and we hear other houses make
equally favorable reports. Sales are picking up,
and the men out in the trade are turning in
fine orders. Prices remain unchanged. That is
to say, they are not what they should be, and, I
am afraid, the days of yore, when publishing and
selling were on a higher plane for both publisher
Vesta Victoria's New Hit
JOHN!
By
the writers of
"WAITING AT THE CHURCH"
FRANCIS, DAY & HUNTER
15 West 30th Street
NEW YORK
OUR "NEW ISSUE"
F» R O F» O S IXIOISf
Is ol Interest to all dealers—we furnish
you with any quantity of our new
thematic catalogues without charge.
We publish "The Good Old U. S. A,°
"Just a Ltttle Rocking Chair and You,"
"Keep On the Sunny Side," and other
big hits.
Let us get in touch with you—write us.
F. B. HavHand Pub. Co.
125 W. 37th Street, New York
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
and dealer, are gone never to return. No doubt
profits have been shaved unmercifully, and royal-
ties cut, but sales have also increased, and there
is compensation in that fact. Should a failure
occur nowadays it is seldom reported, because
there is nothing left to tell the tale."
notwithstanding the month is considered one of
the slowest in the year.
I. Waldman Teschner, of the Teschner Music
Co., who was on a short selling trip, returned to
New York Tuesday.
Concerning his experience, Gus Edwards says:
"You've got to have lots of patience, of course.
"When I started out I was looked upon as a
Publishing Uncatalogued Music—Vanity of
Would-be Geniuses Satisfied—Changes on bore by some publishers. I excited the envy of
some of the tried and experienced writers who
28th Street—Gus Edwards Experiences—
did their level best to put me in the background.
Some New Winners in the Comic Opera Field
I had plenty of ideas, but no chance to put them
— T h a t Mysterious Music Exchange—The
into execution. However, the only way to make
National Copyright Association—The Rol-
any money in the business is to start out for
licking Summer Song—Other Notes.
yourself and publish your own songs. By pub-
Publishers are not infrequently called upon to lishing your own songs you are sure of getting
print music they would accept under no circum- all that is your due. You see, under prevailing
stances for their catalogue. This phase of the conditions, when sheet music sells at such a low
figure, owing to competition, a publisher cannot
trade has doubtless been taken advantage of
to work that portion of the public who believe afford to pay large royalties on songs."
they are afflicted with the divine afflatus as lyric
writers, or else are firmly of the opinion the
Lowitz's song with the queer title, "Ta Ta,
mantle of Foster or Paul Dresser has fallen on Au Revoir, Chew Chew, I'm Going Away," pub-
their shoulders. At any rate, their gullibility is lished by Willis Woodward & Co., is making
meat and drink to concerns whose operations as headway as a popular number with the profes-
a class are referred to elsewhere in this depart- sion. This week the Bay City Quartette fea-
ment. Of the legitimate business in this line tured it at Proctor's Twenty-third Street Theatre,
every publisher of reputation has music—usu- New York, earning a triple encore.
ally of a popular nature—submitted them what
the "composers" desire issued in regular form
"The Land of Nod," music by Joseph E. How-
either to satisfy the writer's vanity or else "have
ard, who also played the part of "The Man in
some fun" with his friends. There is no attempt
the Moon" in the cast, made its introductory bow
at deception or misleading on the part of the
to the metropolitan public at the New York The-
publisher, who names a price for the work, which
is duly executed, and that ends the transaction. atre Monday evening. The best part of the en-
tertainment was generally regarded as "an oper-
atic outburst," for which Victor Herbert sup-
As an illustration one of the old-time publish- plied the music. Notwithstanding the overshad-
ers said to The Review: "One time I had a chap owing presence of Mr. Herbert's splendid con-
call on me with a piece of music, not for me to tribution to comic opera, several songs of "The
criticise or accept on any basis for my business, Land of Nod," which had a long run in Chicago,
but he wanted a thousand copies to distribute will last, for they were received with every
among his friends and acquaintances, and so demonstration of favor, among them being "The
would have the gratification of seeing his name Same Old Moon" and "You Look Good to
on the title page. I named a price, that was paid Father." The publishing rights rest with Chas.
on the spot, and I delivered the goods, which K. Harris.
closed the transaction. Another—I only mention
a few out of many—sent me such an execrable
The "mystery" of Falter Bros.' Music Exchange
composition, of which he wanted 100 copies. I t
was really so bad that to discourage and head deepens. The publishers whose music is listed
off the writer, I actually charged him an out- by this concern declare they have no dealings
rageous price. As a matter of fact, he simply with the combine, and have tried their best to
wanted five copies, but he paid the figure I locate them. One publisher said he ascertained
quoted originally, and went away apparently that in addition to the published address, West
happy. Every publishing house has this expe-
rience."
"THE MAN.ON THE STREET."
VICTOR KREMER CO.
Folger, Wood & Co. had barely swung their
sign to the breeze on West 28th street, New York,
when a shift occurred, and now it reads H. J.
Wood Co. The kaleidoscopic changes in certain
strata music publishing are bewildering from
their swiftness and unexpectedness.
While the Publishers' Distributing Co., 51 West
28th St., New York, is the youngest jobbing firm,
still they have been uniformly successful from the
start. Their sales for March ran into -big figures,
CHICAGO
59 Dearborn St.
NEW YORK
1431 Broadway
PUBLISHERS
"Under the Tropical Moon," "Won't You
Let Me Put My Arms Around You,"
"Cinderella," Inst. and Song. "Not Be-
cause Your Hair Is Curly," " W i l l the
Angels Let Me Play," "Paddy," "Can You
Keep a Secret," "Vanity Fair," " I Never
Can Forget You Dear," Kremer's Mandolin
Folio, No. 1, etc., etc.
¥ IA/IT D F A l FRSJ s h° u 'd subscribe to M. Witmark & Sons vocal and instru-
*"•* " *"• •-'••-"'•"-••-•••^•'J mental " N e w Issues" so as to keep their patrons and them-
selves in touch with the latest successes. Five cents the copy is all that is charged. Fill
in and forward attached blank.
M. WITMARK & SONS, 144 W. 37th St., New York.
Hereby agree to take one each of your "NEW" Vocal and Instru-
mental Publications as soon as issued at 5 CENTS PER COPY. This to begin
with your next shipment of same and to continue until notified to the contrary.
Name
Street Number
Town or City
Reference (New York if possible)
Note—The "New Issues" are sent out monthly and no less than the COMPLETE SET
can be subscribed for.
Those with whom we have no business relations will please send reference with first order.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
155th street, New York, they were also on 159th
street—both miles from the publishing center.
Still another number reported was 11G1 Broad-
way, but, on inquiry by The Review, no one knew
them there. The evident concealment of their
whereabouts hardly comports with the following
extract from a crudely written letter sent the
trade, under date of February 27, likely their
second appeal: "Henceforth no department or
ten-cent store or any jobber whatsoever can buy
music at wholesale at any cheaper rate than we
can supply the numbers of our Music Exchange."
These be brave words, but, according to au-
thoritative sources of information, only wind. In
other words, they can't deliver the goods. Mon-
day the inspector's department of the New York
post office stated no complaint had been filed
against Falter Bros, for misusing the mails.
The National Copyright Association held its
last regular conference and luncheon Tuesday
week at the Hotel Navarre. Possibly the attend-
ants may resolve themselves into a local music
board of trade, and take up other matters than
the copyright bill. It is expected the heavy work
on the bill will be postponed until the fall, when
the association will resume their weekly meet-
ings.
N. Flagler, for five or six years with the John
Church Co., traveling out of Cincinnati, O., has
severed his connection with that house and
joined the forces of G. Schirmer, New York. He
will probably cover his old territory.
After a trip of two months, Geo. W. Furniss,
with department A of the Oliver Ditson Co.,
Boston, Mass., reached home last week. He vis-
ited the principal cities of the West, Northwest,
and oil the Pacific coast, coming back by way of
Southern California, Texas and the South. Mr.
Furniss this time beat all his previous records
on sales, reporting a splendid condition of trade,
both as to feeling and prices, in the Far West.
The Witmark house, noted for its novel songs
and successes, have recently published a rollick-
ing jolly song, which did not have to wait to be-
come popular. It "took" the first time it was
heard, and it looks as if it would be the greatest
of all summer songs. "Roll Along" is the great
skating song, catchy enough to start an audience
singing it after once hearing it. The composers
of "Roll Along" are men well known to the
musical world, Harry B. Smith as a writer of
some of the greatest comic opera successes that
any librettist has attained, and Max Hoffman,
who has won such great success in "The Parisian
Model."
FOOLING THE PUBLIC.
People Are Led to Believe There Is a Gold Mine
in
Song
Writing—How the Scheme Is
Worked Described Interestingly by a Writer
in the Herald.
Several times in the recent past The Review
has taken occasion to comment upon the meth-
ods of the kind of "publishers" who advertise in
the magazines, in this wise: "Write the words
for a song and we will write the music and pre-
sent to big New York publishers. Your poem
may be worth thousands; we pay royalty, pub-
lish and popularize; a 'hit' will make you rich,"
etc. The foregoing is a fair sample of what con-
cerns in the same line are doing, people who are
unknown to the recognized publishing houses of
the country, and flourishing principally in Chi-
cago and New York.
Of this "game" the New York Herald of Sun-
day has the following to say, under the caption
of "The Wiles of the Mail Order Man," viz.:
"In these days of 'bunko' and 'graft' a man
should look before he buys. That he does not is
clearly shown by the thousands of fakes which
we hear of and read of daily. The cleverness of
the mail order man is wonderful. There is al-
ways a way to avoid the law. As soon as one
fake is exposed and a law made to cover it fifty
fakes suggested by that law spring up.
"Recently the law became aware of the fact
that there were hundreds of small music publish-
ing companies doing business entirely on their
nerve. Their method was to advertise for song
poems, showing the enormous profits made from
popular songs. As the song manuscripts flowed
in they either had music written for them or
'borrowed' music already written, and sent a
letter of acceptance to the person who had sent
in the song poem. The letter stated that a pre-
liminary cost of from $10 to $30 would be neces-
sary for making the plates. In most instances
the money was sent. The plates were made
cheaply, the publishing house sent a professional
copy to the author and there the matter dropped.
No effort at marketing the production was made.
The law is gradually getting after these pub-
lishers, but there are many of these wildcat in-
stitutions still flourishing."
For Introduction
TO THE TRADE
Rollinson's
Modern School Violin.
This Method presents more
varied and valuable features
than any other in general
groundwork.
Retail price
$1.00.
Introduction Price until June 1st, 35 Cents.
Rollinson's
Modern School Flute.
This work is available for
either the Boehm or ordinary
Systems, and like the Violin
Method mentioned above, is
progressive and systematic,
and includes Orchestral Stud-
ies. Both works present many
pleasing studies in duet form,
for Teacher and Pupil. Retail
price $1.00.
Introduction Price until June 1st, 35 Cents.
Sunday School Hymn Book.
New and Revised Edition with Pianoforte
Accompaniment.
By Sisters of Notre Dame.with
Imprimatur of the Arch-
bishop of Boston. The book
is handsomely bound in
Cloth. Retail price 75 Cents.
For Introduction until July 1st, 85 Cents.
A New Number of the
Famous Half Dollar Series.
Favorite Reels, Jigs, Horn-
pipes, &c, for Violin and
Piano. This Collection con-
tains sixty-one of the best
dances, many of which are
harmonized for the first time.
Retail price 50 Cents.
For Introduction until Junt 1st, 20 Cents.
Charles I. Davis, Cleveland, O., has just opened
a new music department in the emporium of
the Williams & Rodgers Co., of that city. All his
music departments are doing very well, and his
publications are meeting with a large demand, a
few of which are "Western Life," "Dream Time"
and "Sam's Laugh."
At the recent sale of rare books and manu-
scripts in London B. F. Stevens, an American,
bought a number of very valuable volumes, in-
cluding an autograph manuscript of Burn's
"Scots, Wha Hae," said to be an original copy,
for which he paid $1,775.
45
HENRY BLOSSOM.
Henry Blossom is one of the favored authors
who has the pleasure of seeing each new work
a greater success than his last, if that were pos-
sible. In "The Red Mill" New York never wit-
A STAR MUSICAL SUCCESS.
nessed a greater triumph than this musical play
Strange and De Koven's new fantastic musical has achieved. The cast of "The Red Mill" may
play, "The Snowman," is quite the biggest suc- well congratulate themselves that they are pro-
cess that the composer and his publishers have vided with such a musical hit. They have the
ever produced, according to the critical who have certain knowledge that never yet has an audience
witnessed the performance. The gem of the been dissatisfied with what it has received, but
show is "I Want You for My All-Time Girl," that only high praise is given.
sung by Harry Farleigh, while "Love On a Sum-
Mr. Blossom's latest song, "If I Only Knew You
mer's Day," is quite the daintiest, prettiest, Loved Me," has proved a pleasurable addition to
catchiest little ballad "written in many a day. the performance, and that it was duly appre-
The finale of the first and second acts is perhaps ciated, was made manifest at its first rendition.
the most effective bit of writing, from a musical M. Witmark & Sons are the publishers of all of
standpoint. All the principal numbers are. pub- Mr. Blossom's musical productions.
lished, and a beautiful score is now in work and
promised by Jos. W. Stern & Co. in about a fort-
Scott J. Appleton has opened a new music store
night.
in Winchendon, Mass.
Commonplaces of Vocal Art.
By Louis Arthur Russell. A
valuable little volume which
treats of the philosophy of the
voice and of voice use, and
offers suggestions as to the
best method of practice for
the development of the speak-
ing voice and the voice in
singing. Retail price $ 1.00.
For Introduction until June 1st, 40 Cents.
Every progressive and up-to-date Music Store
should have these books in stock.
They will be extensively advertised and will
have large sales.
Don'l fall to take advantage ol this Introduction Offer. Re-
member, transportation is free on all Introduction orders
OLIVER DITSON CO., Boston.
INTRODUCTION OFFER COUPON.
Oliver Ditson Company, Boston, Mass.
Gentlemen:
Please send at introduction prices:
. . . . Rollinson's Modern School Violin, at 35c.
"
"
"
Flute, at 35c.
. . . . Sunday School Hymn Book, Piano Accom-
paniment, at 35c.
. . . . Commonplaces of Vocal Art (Louis Arthur
Russell), at 40c.
. . . . Favorite Reels, Jigs & Hornpipes, &c, Violin
and Piano, at 20c.
Name
Street
Town
State
(Music Trade Review.)

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