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42
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
class of cut-rate store, or for that matter, cut-
rate publishers. The man who argues that he
can sell his own product at any price he thinks
fit, to the detriment of the trade as a whole, can
be compared to the man who speaks slightingly
of his own immediate family in an endeavor to
whitewash himself. The French have an excel-
EDWARD LYMAN BILL • Editor and Proprietor lent proverb which sounds somewhat crude when
translated into cold English, but it is decidedly
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
apropos under present conditions, and which
J. HAYDEN-CLARENDON, Editor
reads, "It is the dirty bird that fouls its own
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue. New York
nest." But we are deviating from the point at
issue. Facing conditions squarely, the legitimate
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United States and
Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada, $3.50; all other coun-
retailer
must now look for the most part to the
tries, $4.00.
musical comedy as well as to the "high-class"
Telephones—Numbers 4677 and 4678 G r a m e r c y
music for his revenue, and for this reason only
Connecting all Departments
The Review has given so much space to the re-
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 5, 1908 viewing of musical productions. It is safe to
say that "popular" music is gradually becoming
"10-cent music." If the retailer plays his cards
COMMENTS B Y - „ properly then, the 10-cent stores will merely be
the distributers of a class of music which he will
refuse to stock, the 10-cent stores being entirely
welcome to the music that the publisher can
afford to put out to retail at 10 cents. By this
An interview with Julius Witmark, of M. Wit- the writer does not mean that all what is termed
mark & Sons, which appeared in this section last "popular" music is to be tabooed. Far from it.
week, must have opened the eyes of the retail When the legitimate retailer sees that a publisher
trade to the patent fact that the songs exploited is making an honest fight in his interests, then,
in musical comedies are daily becoming a great by all means, stock this publisher's "popular"
factor in their business. In the days gone by, output, for the retailer has no 10-cent store com-
the "popular" song of the hour was regarded as petition to fear. It is well to remember that
the song to "push," but 10-cent stores and other any product is worth only what it will bring.
On the Up Grade.
cut-rate institutions have long since taken this
The retailer is familiar with the many beauti-
class of song to their bosom and made it their
very own. Therefore, the legitimate dealer has ful operatic scores, which adorn the catalogs of
fallen back—and successfully fallen back, be it such firms as Witmark and Charles K. Harris.
said—on the dainty salable number from the Jerome H. Remick has now seriously taken to the
comic opera or musical comedy, for happily the musical comedy field. Like his confreres, he is
price of this class of music has up to now, at sparing no expense to get the very best writers
around him, for it is an axiom in the music
least, kept at a profitable figure.
publishing world that whatever Remick does—
Conditions Must be Faced, Squarely.
be it for good or bad—he does well, and with a
In this section are usually found criticisms of
the musical comedies produced in New York dur- whole-heartedness which is entirely admirable.
ing the week. The Review has not been slow to Present indications are that Remick will demand
see the trend of conditions, and therefore, against and get top-notch prices for his comic opera
the advice of those who claimed that a trade music, for the very excellent reason that he has
paper which took a critical standpoint was court- proved in the past his ability to get the best of
ing disaster, has nevertheless given critical opin- everything when he goes about it. The music
ions solely for the purpose of helping the retailer of "A Broken Idol," for instance, to the writer's
to decide what music to order at a time when knowledge, is already greatly in demand. What
prices were lowest. It is well known, too, that his new DeKoven operas will do is, of course,
The Review has no use for 10-cent or any other problematical, but nevertheless, by signing
DeKoven the fact is proved that he is aiming
high. And from the writer's knowledge of
Jerome H. Remick, what he aims at he usually
hits.
The Newest Opera Score.
The interest which publishers are showing in
the exploitation of comic operas only goes to
show the importance which they place in their
selling qualities, and is a move toward the only
salvation of the music trade—the keeping up of
prices. Only this week Charles K. Harris sent
the writer the music of Victor Herbert's new
opera, "Algeria," and a more beautiful and ar-
tistic score could hardly be conceived. It is
gratifying to see that the advice given by The
Review in its issue of July 11 last, regarding con-
densing the scores to a reasonable size, has been
carefully followed. The large and complicated
ensembles necessitating the printing of a number
of voice parts, which are utterly useless to the
amateur pianist, have been entirely eliminated.
The result is that the volume can be played from
cover to cover without the necessity of flounder-
ing dismally in a quagmire of some half-dozen
of these voice parts, which are neither necessary,
useful nor ornamental.
THE MERRY WIDOW'S SECOND YEAR.
The Genial Lady Descends from Her Aerial
Pose to the Theater Prooer.
The second year of "The Merry Widow" in
America was ushered in auspiciously on Monday
night, descending from the Aerial Gardens to the
New Amsterdam Theater proper, where an en-
tirely new production was awaiting this ever-
green Viennese opera.
Owing to the premiere of "Algeria" the writer
was unable to witness the 365th performance,
but previously he had the privilege of seeing a
dress rehearsal in which Georgia Caine played
the title role. That there have been some excel-
lent "Merry Widows" is undisputed, but Miss
Caine is so far the superior to them all, in
deviltry (an apropos word just now, by the way),
prettiness, chic, and last but not least, vocally,
that comparison is impossible. This delightful
little actress is a "Widow" after our own heart,
and will do much to create for the Lehar opera
a new era of prosperity.
Speaking of "The Merry Widow," the Or-
pheum's company of singers from Vienna pre-
M'KINIIYIO'MUSIC
OUR LATEST ENGLISH
BALLAD SUCCESS
YES! WE ARE STILL ISSUING NEW FOLIOS
THE LATEST IS
"ROSE IN THE BUD"
FROM THE
Music by
DOROTHY FORSTER
Four Keys, B&, C, D&, E*>
CHAPPELL & CO., Ltd.
37 West 17th Street, New York
"The Most Popular Selections
Most Popular Operas"
(Arranged for Piano)
"THE MOST COMPLETE OPERATIC
FOLIO EVER PUBLISHED"
Write for Special Introductory Rates
Hinds, Noble & Eldrcdgc, £
AMALGAMATION
We beg to announce to the trade that the catalogs of the old established houses
T. B. HARMS CO. a n d FRANCIS, DAY & HUNTER
have been amalgamated and will in future be controlled by the T. B . HARMS & FRANCIS DAY CO.
We beg to thank the trade for past favors and trust to be honored with a continuance of your
esteemed support.
The new company has also established connections with the famous German firms of N. SIMROCK,
a n d BOTE & BOCK, of B e r l i n , to carry a full line of their publications. New price list on application.
T. B. HARMS & FRANCIS DAY CO.
1431-1433 BROADWAY
NEW
YORK
Costs You 3 Cents
Writs To-Day for Samples and Spocial Offer
McKINLEY MUSIC GO.
158 Harrison St., Chicago
WM. McKINLEY, Pros.
74 5th Ave., N. Y.
OME TIME AGO WE
TOLD YOU
"Just Someoive"
WOULD BE THE BIG
SELLER! THIS PROPH-
ECY HAS COME TRUE.
IF THE DEMAND HAS
NOT REACHED YOU,
IT WILL! ORDER NOW
AND BE PREPARED.
M. WITMARK
SONS
144 West 37th St.. NEW YORK CITY