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THE
MUSIC
TRADE! REVIEW
save the composer of "Dolly Gray," we fear that thing. Wedless to say, she is an American. Her
Brother Morse would have accused that other of
voice is contralto, but that doesn't matter a great
encroaching on his private ground. The popular deal.
Award of $10,000 for Best Work Is Deferred for
field is really suffering from lack of nourishment
"Anna gives first an idea of how some Amer-
a Year—One Composer Writes Letter of
which such a hit as "Dolly Gray" would afford, icans sing a coon song, and there is much quaint
Protest Against Extending the Time.
however, and if any such sustenance shall come dragging over the vowels. Then she sings the
One of the composers competing for the $10,000 from "Betty Brown" the choice of this style of 'Yiddisha Rag,' which is a broken-time melody with
prize offered by the Metropolitan Opera Co. for song will be cause for congratulation both to a rare lilt and swing—quite an infectious affair,
which makes you laugh and" invites you to keep
the best opera composed by a native of the United Messrs. Morse and Cook and to the public.
time. Finally, she throws herself upon a couch
States has written the following letter of com-
and spreads herself among the rays of beaming
plaint to The Sun:
PASSION NOTE COLORS "YSOBEL'
Light. She invites some one not in view to hyp-
"On behalf of those who have hurried their
works and have lost many a night's sleep in order Mascagni's Music for New Opera, Including hyp-hypnotize her. It is then that you wish you
were in the mesmerizing line of business, if only
Another Masterly Intermezzo, Praised by
to have their operas ready within the specified
to oblige Anna, who seems really in need of some
George C. Tyler—Love Story Pervades Book
time, I should like to utter a protest against ex-
obliging professor's passes. It is quite a queerly
Which Author of "La Boheme" Has Written.
tending the time another year. It seems hardly
funny effort, unlike any song yet heard on the
fair to those who have not only done work that
would have been much better could they have had
George C. Tyler, manager for the firm of Lieb- music hall stage here, and sung with a mastery of
a longer time in which to finish it, but who have ler & Co., theatrical producers, made some inter- travesty possessed by few."
already incurred the expense of having their scores esting statements on his recent return from abroad
copied, which is no trifling one, and composers are, regarding the new Mascagni opera, "Ysobel," in
AS TO MODERN SONG WRITING.
as a rule, not overburdened with this world's goods. which Bessie Abott will sing the title role. Except
"Naturally, they do not feel like losing either for "The Girl of the Golden West," by Puccini, Young Mozart de Steyn desired to shine
As a writer of popular songs,
the time or the money; consequently their operas and "Paoletta," by Floridia, this will be the first
will suffer in comparison with those that have had time that a grand opera of such importance will So he cribbed right and left from composers of heft,
With never a blush for his wrongs.
two years expended upon them instead of one. have had its premiere in the. United States. The
It would seem in an equable contest that it is not book of "Ysobel" was written by Luigi Illica, who
fair to change the conditions under which the con- has won a place at the head of Italian librettists He copied six bars from a chant to the stars
testants have been working."
That came down from Gregorian days;
as the author of the books of "La Boheme,"
The competitor suggests that the competition be "Cavalleria Rusticana," "Tosca," and "Madame Then he added a bit from a primitive hit
And he straightway became a great craze.
Butterfly." Mr. Tyler says the opera is rapidly
delayed six months instead of a year.
"When Mr. Gatti-Casazza decided to postpone Hearing completion at Illica's villa in Castellar-
the closing of the competition," said Otto H. Kahn, quato, where the librettist and composer arc now lie borrowed the best of Wagner the blest,
And of Gounod and Mendelssohn, too;
commenting on the letter, ''he consulted an attor- working together.
ney, who advised him that he had the right to do
"The opera is daily unfolding its beauty," says I'oito was clay in his hands, while Bizet
Was made with six themes to "come through."
so. Until the postponement was thought of there Mr. Tyler. "The famous Mascagni passion note
had been very few works submitted. After cer- pervades the whole work, and Mr. Tllica has de-
tain composers had assured Mr. Gatti-Casazza that veloped a love story every bit as holding as 'Romeo So Composer de Steyn has thrived on the line
they would compete in case the time were extended and Juliet.' 'Ysobel' is in three acts, the story
That he's wrung froin the past as a loan;
to allow them to compose an opera, it seemed that of Lady Godiva set to music. The second act Hut this is the worst of his borrowing thirst—
ihe greatest good of the greatest number should shows a balcony overlooking the principal street
He imagines each song is his own!
be consulted, and the postponement was an- of the city. The audience has seen Ysobel start on
—ARTHUR CHAPMAN, in The Sun.
nounced."
•her ride, which is to save the people, and the ride
Mr. Kahn declined to say how many scores had itself is then indicated in a masterly intermezzo, in
PLAYING LIKE SPEEDING PIANOLA.
been submitted, but it has been reported that only which are depicted the ringing of the bells and
The Chicago Daily Journal speaks as follows of
twelve had been received a few months ago. Natu- the tram]) of the horses' hoofs on the cobblestones.
rally, any move on the part of the committee that Kveryone has closed his house, and not a soul Mike Bernard, the well-known ragtime pianist,
who is playing the fascinating Witmark number
tends to increase the number of works submitted looks out at the solitary rider. At the climax of
does not find favor with the composers who have the intermezzo the tenor bursts forth on the bal- "Temptation Rag": "Bernard gives a piano-playing
already submitted their works.
cony, and, leaning far over, covers Ysobel with exhibition that looks like an acrobatic sideshow
and sounds like a speeding pianola. Bernard plays
The reward is one that is well worth trying for. masses of roses."
the 'Temptation Rag' and Paderewski's masterpiece
In addition to a cash prize of $10,000, the Metro-
with the same elemental motive of force."
politan Opera Co. promises to produce the work
ANNA CHANDLER LIKED IN LONDON.
and pay royalties for its use.
HARRY 0. SUTT0N AT THE PALISADES.
American Singer Pleases and Surprises the Eng-
lish by Methods Familiar on This Side—
MORSE 'TUTTING OVER 1 ' A GOOD ONE.
Harry O. Sutton, manager of M. Witmark &
Uses Harry Von Tilzer's Songs.
Sons' professional department, who, by the way,
Just to start the season well, the Theodore
is a clever and cultivated musician, is taking a
Morse Music Co. are quietly "putting over" a song
Anna Chandler, a vaudeville singer well known
breathing spell over on the Palisades these hot
which has all the earmarks of a distinct hit. And in this country, is now touring England and is at-
days. His many friends in and who frequent the
not so quietly either, for the professional depart- tracting considerable attention by singing some
Witmark Building miss him greatly and will gladly
ment of that firm is almost swamped just now, American songs which are familiar to Americans,
•welcome him back.
we can say from personal knowledge, by a steady but which have proved something of a sensation
stream of professionals who want the new song among the British. An English critic, writing of
NO MIXTURES IN ORCHESTRA.
for their acts. The number is called "Good-bye, her first appearance in London, has this to say, not
Betty Brown," and is a march song with an irre- knowing, of course, that the songs he refers to—
Edwin H. Lemare has an interesting article in
sistible swing to the chorus. As in the cases of
"Southern Rose," "Yiddisha Rag," and "Hip-hip the New Music Review, in which, among other
so many other songs in the popular field to-day, Hypnotize Me"—are three of Harry Von Tilzer's things, he controverts the assertion, so often made,
the new number has a refrain from a world- most popular numbers:
that there are "no mixtures in the orchestra." As
famous song embodied in the chorus. In this case
"There was no trumpeter in advance of Anna a matter of fact, he declares, "the orchestra is full
it is "Swanee River," and as far as musical clever- Chandler. She came unheralded. This may have of mixtures. The upper partials of the various
ness is concerned in the interpolation of the few been due to modesty, or it may have been an over- instruments are so prominent that when the entire
bars used, the song is all that could be desired sight. Anyhow, she's here, and I expect she will orchestra is playing we have a far greater num-
by those to whom the fashion appeals. If "Good- stay a while. If the ability to entertain is a quali- ber of overtones than we have in the organ by
bye, Betty Brown" had been written by any one fication, she is to be reckoned on as a regular means of the mixtures. Eliminate the upper notes
of the flutes, oboes, clarinets, and violins (the lat-
ter often playing high chords closely resembling
the mixture) ; do away with the picolo, and what a
FOUR BIG SELLERS BY WM. MARX
dull and dreary orchestra we should have. There
" I ' m Awfully Glad I Met You."
would be no more life or brilliancy than there is
"Don'l Forgcl Thai We Were Playmates"
in the 'muddy' and 'growly' sixteen and eighteen-
" I Want a Girl From Yankee Doodle
feet organs of the present day."
" When The Evening Turns To Gray "
GRAND OPERA CONTEST POSTPONED.
HAVILAND'S HITS!
" Where The Brazos River Flows "
" A Peaceful Country Home"
WM. MARX, Music Publisher
251 Ida A v c , Wichita, Kan.
Sample copies free to Dealers interested
Town."
" Under The Irish Moon."
"Monkey Doodle Dandy." (JungleSong)
Our new-issue proposition is of interest to every dealer.
Send for it.
THE F. B. HAVILAND PUBLISHING CO.
1 2 6 West 37th Street, Now York.
PHILIPP TO GIVE NEW MUSICAL PLAY.
Adolph Philipp will open his season with a new
Parisian musical play by Paul Herve, with music
by Jean Briquet (the author and composer of
"Alma, W r o Wohnst Du?"), called "Therese, Sei
Nicht Boese."