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128
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Conducted by B. B. Wilson
COMMENTS B Y -
ARE ALL COMPOSERS IMITATORS?
"THE QUAKER GIRL" FOR CHICAGO.
Following Certain Schools Means That the Gen-
eral Ideas Will Necessarily Be the Same,
Says Reginald de Koven.
Successful English Musical Comedy Opens in
That City for a Run.
"The Quaker Girl," the English musical comedy
Reginald de Koven recently offered the following success, which has had a long run at the Park
According to a theatrical publication, which neg- explanation as to why there was a similarity be-
Theater, New York, and which really brought
lects to give the source of its information, the
tween the works of different composers, and re-
legitimate publishers of popular music now face marked: "If you should tell a writer that his style
the problem of competing with the great ten-cent is like Macaulay's he would probably feel flattered,
store syndicates as the result of the tendency of
but if you were to tell a composer that his style
sheet music departments of various large stores to reminded you of Sullivan he would feel aggrieved."
feature popular music on frequent occasions on He adds:
prices ranging from three to five cents. It is "I, for my part, claim that all composers are
gravely hinted that the ten-cent store syndicate imitative, in the sense that they write music in the
will, if the three and five cent prices continue to niarner and style of some musical school. Pla-
prevail, start in the music publishing business on giarism consists in appropriating the matter—not
their own account and thereby furnish all the in following the manner and methods of other
prints used in the stores of the syndicates through-
composers. Wagner, perhaps unconsciously, re-
out the country.
produced the strain of 'The Last Rose of Summer'
Humor in the Situation.
in 'Elsa's' balcony song in "Lohengrin,' and Arthur
Perhaps the threats of the dime gathering trusts Sullivan frequently helped himself to and improved
might on the face of it move some people to be- on folksongs, hymns and melodies of every de-
lieve that they were really in earnest. But anyone scription."
in touch with the music publishing trade itself will
appreciate the humor of the situation, however
"THAT GUY MENDELSSOHN."
much he may condemn the low prices. As the mat-
Small Time Artists Afraid the Composer Would
ter stands at present the ten-cent stores get their
Want to Charge for Orchestrations of His
music at a rate which under normal conditions in-
Spring Song.
sures them a profit of close to 100 per cent, or even
more on the amount of money invested. Having
The following excellent story from Variety
the privilege of most purchasers, they can study
the market, ascertain what are liable to become hits should be appreciated in local publishing circles as
and place their orders accordingly with fair prac- being decidedly true to nature:
"The orchestra in a 'small time' theater the
tice of securing really salable numbers for their
other
day through necessity had to play emergency
counters. They are not faced, as are the pub-
lishers, with the problem of selecting manuscripts music for a 'two-act' and selected Mendelssohn's
'Spring Song.' As the act came off, a man standing
that promise to develop into successes only to learn
in the wings said: 'That fitted pretty good into
later, when it is too late, that the publications rep-
your act. Why don't you use it right along?'
resent a dead loss. The ten-cent store man who
'What song is it?' asked the girl of the turn. 'It's
gets into the music publishing game will very
Mendelssohn's,' he replied. T don't know that guy,'
quickly learn that, when he takes the chances in
Lionel Monckton.
said the girl, 'and he might want to charge us for
selecting new songs, bears the expense of their
an orchestration. I can get 'em at Ted Snyder's about a resurrection of th:it play-house, which is
publication and exploitation and looks after the for nothing.' "
somewhat outside of the central White Light dis-
other details, he is getting a real bargain in music
trict, opened in Chicago on Monday of this week.
that he can purchase at from five to seven cents a
"The Quaker Girl,' 1 which came to America after
TO
PUBLISH
WAGNER'S
EARLY
OPERAS.
copy.
gaining
an enviable reputation in London, is by
Where the Average Dealer Fits In.
Breitkopf and Hartel are about to publish the James J. Tanner, who wrote the book, and Lionel
While the ten-cent stores are howling, however,
earlier operas of Wagner, faithfully in accordance Monckton, who composed the music, and it is the
it is interesting to study the position of the regular
with the original scores. Included are "Die Hoch- musical effects that have had much to do with its
music dealer, the man who must depend upon the
zeit," "Die Feen" and "Das Liebesverbot." Hither- success. "A Quaker Girl," "A Runaway Match,"
sales of music for his livelihood. When the popu-
to the full scores of these works have never been "Just as Father Used to Do," "A Dancing Les-
lar music is sold at so low a rate the legitimate
issued, and, indeed, only "Die Feen" of the three son" and "Go Away, I'm a Married Man," are
dealer is practically forced, for his own protec-
operas has been seen upon the modern stage; it among the numbers that have won special atten-
tion, to carry a larger stock of, and push harder,
was sung in 1888 at Munich. The third, called in tion in New York.
the line of classical, semi-classical, production and
English "The Novice of Palermo," is described as
Chappell & Co. publish the music.
folio music, the sort referred to as standard. With
a "Great Comic Opera," and is in two acts. Its
standard music the dealer has, up to the present
libretto is based upon "Measure for Measure"; the
Not a Hit that will die but a seller that will live
time, been able to maintain prices at a fair average
.opera was produced at Madgeburg seventy-six
and has not been faced with the cut-price problem.
years ago. "Die Hochzeit" is a mere fragment,
consisting of an introduction, a chorus and a septet.
A CENTENARY SOUVENIR.
The autograph copy of the score is only thirty-six
Chappell & Co. Issue Handsome Booklet in
pages long.
I WILL LOVE YOU WHEN
THESILVERTHREADS ARE
SHINING AMONG THE GOLD
Commemoration of Its Hundredth
versary in the English Metropolis.
Anni-
Chappell & Co., Ltd., the world-famous music
publishers of London, Eng., and with branches in
New York and Toronto, who recently celebrated
the centenary of the establishment of the business
in 1811, have issued a very elaborate book in com-
memoration of the event. The history of the
house is told in a thoroughly concise and interest-
ing manner, the various events in connection with
its development and growth being handled in chrono-
logical order. The book, owing to its valuable
character, is not intended for general distribution,
but is reserved for the friends of the company.
It is interesting to note that the number assigned
to the American branches of Chappell & Co. were
quickly seized upon by the many friends of the
house located in this country.
SOLOISTS FOR BACH FESTIVAL.
Soloists for the Bach Festival, to be held in
Packer Memorial Church, Lehigh University, on
May 31 and June 1, are announced by Dr. J. Fred.
Wolle, conductor of the Bach Choir, as follows:
Soprano, Mrs. Mary Hissem de Moss; contralto,
Mrs, Gertrude May Stein-Bailey; tenor, Nicholas
Douty, and bass, Frank Croxton. The orchestral
parts will be played by members of the Philadel-
phia Orchestra. Mrs. Bailey and Mr. Douty have
sung at all six of the previous festivals in Bethle-
hem; Mrs. de Moss appeared at the last four. Mr.
Croxton is a bass who was soloist on recent tours
of the Pittsburgh Festival Orchestra and the Vic-
tor Herbert Orchestra. During the past winter the
Bach Choir of 200 vocies has been working hard
under the direction of Dr. Wolfe.
ROGER LEWIS
F. HENRI KLICKMAN
Frank K.Root 0 Co.
CHICAGO
MIWTORK
Published by McKlnley Xuftio Co.