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MUSIC TRADE
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VOL. L. N o . 23.
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave., New York, June 4, 1910
with Charles Horwitz and Frederick. V. Bowers
for one hundred songs to be written by them, a
separate catalog to be maintained for these.
Music Publisher Announces Three Deals Which
Five of the songs are now on hand and others
Can Only Mean Wide Extension of Business
will be submitted from time to time, no particu-
Lines—Rapid Growth of Business in Face of
lar period being stipulated in the agreement. Mr.
Trade Complexities Should Interest Others of
Harris says he entered into this agreement be-
the Craft.
.
cause of his appreciation of the increased demand
Announcement of three important deals made for a higher grade of popular songs, with well
this week by Chas. K. Harris brings to the sur- written lyrics and an improved order of melody.
face a fact even more interesting to the music Whether the selection of writers is a wise one re-
publishing world than that of the deals them- mains to be seen, but it is well known that
selves. It is that that publisher has been quietly Messrs. Horwitz and Bowers gave abundant proof
consummating certain plans for a vast widening of ability in the past, some of their songs of
of the scope of his business policy. In brief, as sentiment having had astonishingly wide sale.
far as one can judge from the additional facts Among these were: "Always," "Because," "Wait"
which he has just offered the public, Mr. Harris and "In Naples Fair." Some years ago they
has extended his lines this year so that they now published their own songs, then sold their catalog
include an educational catalog, a group of high to M. Witmark & Sons, entering later into a
class numbers in the full meaning of the term, a contract with another publishing firm.
series of new songs to be written by famous
As Mr. Harris came to New York only some
writers, an extension of the publication of seven years ago, although a publisher for
musical productions and a continuance of the eighteen years, it is evident that credit for a
publication of the popular songs and ballads for tremendous growth in business and wide exten-
which this house has long been known. The sion of plans is to be given if only as a mere
summary presents a startling advance made in matter of record. The Review extends it after
a few years from a field which once included for independent examination of the facts at hand.
Mr. Harris only the publishing of popular ballads And the expansion certainly means much in view
written by himself. Music text books and grand of the present perplexing complications of music
opera are about all that is lacking, it would seem, publishing. Not the least of the striking indica-
to place the house of Harris where its operations tion coming from the house of Harris is the
would run the entire gamut of music publishing, augury of what may be accomplished in the next
from conservatism to radicalism.
few years in the light of what has been developed
in the past.
One of the deals referred to above is that
whereby Mr. Harris has acquired the catalog of
the Temple Music Co., of West One Hundred and
RACHEL LOWE SINGS NOVELTIES.
Twenty-fifth street. This company in a quiet way
published a splendid catalog of good music, both Clever British Entertainer Uses Witmark Num-
vocal and instrumental, and built up a clientele
bers, Among Which Are "The Lucky Duck"
that endured for years. Among the writers who
and "My Boy Bill."
contributed to the company's catalog and whose
numbers are now acquired by Mr. Harris were:
Although a child prodigy in her early youth,
Homer N. Bartlett, N. Clifford Page, Caro Roma, Miss Rachel Lowe, one of the most popular sing-
Henry Widmer, Nathan Osborne, Arthur Trevel- ers of novelty songs in all England, is a rare
yan, George Rosey and various others. The example of those public entertainers who have
catalog also includes lighter numbers by Harry retained their cleverness in after life. A com-
Von Tilzer, Raymond A. Browne and other plete biography of Miss Lowe, who is singing
writers of popular songs. One of the songs had a several numbers published by M. Witmark &
wide vogue and was sung by prominent singers Sons, would make most interesting reading, but
throughout the country—"Three Little Chest- only a brief glimpse of her career is possible
nuts," the music of which was written by N. here.
Clifford Page. One of Caro Roma's songs, of a
From the children's chorus of a pantomime
dozen or more of her compositions included in Miss Lowe quickly pushed her way to the higher
the catalog, is "Don't You Mind It Honey." The dignity of "speaking parts," which she played
list is too long for further mention. This deal with several of England's leading actors. Subse-
was carried through by Meyer Cohen, manager quently, after a varied experience in India as a
for Chas. K. Harris.
specialty performer, and in England with several
The second deal was a contract made with provincial musical comedy companies, and in
Atelier Bedois for one hundred teaching pieces pantomime, Miss Lowe finally blossomed out as
for the piano, with an option for a second hun- a singer of novelty songs, upon which her pres-
dred. These will include schottisches, gavottes, ent claim to public attention and support is
waltzes, two-steps, three-steps, barn dances, based. Her song "The Lucky Duck," a quaint
marches and so on. On this contract twenty-four conceit which was written to the melody of How-
of the compositions of Mr. Bedois have already ard Whitney's instrumental piece of the same
been delivered to Mr. Harris.
title, and in which Miss Lowe introduced her
The third announcement, although of less im- trained duck "Hoppy," was for a time the "talk"
portance, will nevertheless arouse general in- of London, and was pronounced by press and
terest, as the song writers concerned were public the most original effort on the music hall
formerly among the most successful in the pop- stage. At the present moment Miss Lowe is scor-
ular line. Mr. Harris has made an agreement ing with John W. Bratton's peculiar number en-
CHAS. K. HARRIS BROADENS POLICY.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$».00 PER YEAR.
titled "My Boy Bill," and a song depicting a new
phase of the servant question, entitled "Slow
But Sure."
PUCCINI'S NEW OPERA TO BE GIVEN.
"The Girl of the Golden West" Will Be Pro-
duced by the Metropolitan Forces Next Sea-
son—High Praise Extended the Score.
The one great innovation feature of the next
season of grand opera in this city will undoubt-
edly be the production at the Metropolitan Opera
House of Puccini's latest work, founded on the
play, "The Girl of the Golden West." This is
heralded as the most masterly work of Italy's
greatest living composer, although probably only
few persons have had the privilege of hearing
parts of the score. A letter received at the Metro-
politan offices from Gatti-Casazza, the general di-
rector of that company's productions, removes
what doubt existed as to whether the new opera
would be produced by the Metropolitan. The let-
ter states that Gatti-Casazza has received the
score from Puccini and has turned it over to
Toscanini, and that preparations for the produc-
tion are now under way. The principal roles
will be entrusted to Caruso, Destinn, and prob-
ably Scotti.
A member of the Metropolitan staff, now
abroad, who has heard the music of the first and
second acts of "The Girl of the Golden West,"
says that it is of wonderful beauty and in char-
acter quite different from anything else that Puc-
cini has written. It is declared to be as typically
descriptive of the California Sierras and the Far
West of former years as the music of "Madame
Butterfly" is of Japan. As George Maxwell, of
Boosey & Co., the music publishers, is Puccini's
personal agent in the United States, he will, of
course, be directly concerned in the new produc-
tion as he has been in those of "Tosca," "La
Boheme," "Madame Butterfly" and others of Puc-
cini's works.
BENKER WITH J. E. FRANK CO.
(Special to The Review.)
Minneapolis, Minn., June 1, 1910.
Fred Benker, formerly head of the sheet music
departments of Arthur R. Schmidt, and the C.
W. Thompson Co., of Boston, has been made
manager of the sheet music department of the
J. E. Frank Co., Minneapolis, which opened for
business on May 1, with lines of pianos, sheet
music and small instruments, including talking
machines.
R. D. Fuchs, representing the A. H. Goetting
Co., Chioago, called on the sheet music dealers
and managers of the Twin Cities last week.
MUSICAL COMEDY BASED ON FARCE.
The farce, "There and Back," is to form the
basis of a new musical comedy scheduled for pro-
duction at the Cort Theater, Chicago, next season.
Arthur Pryor, the band leader, is to be the com-
poser; Vincent Bryan, well -known as a song
writer, is to provide the lyrics, and Leo Dietrich-
stein, the playwright, is to be the librettist.