Music Trade Review

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THE
4G
RAGTIME HURTS CLASSICS.
German Music Publishers Declare the National
Taste Is Deteriorating,
(Special to The Review.)
Berlin, June 29, 1912.
The German Music Publishers' Association is out
with an official statement to the effect that between
American coon songs and Viennese operettas
Germany's traditional and vaunted taste for good
music is rapidly being lost.
The association says the situation has become
so flagrant that pieces like "'Alexander's Rag Time
Band" and "By the Light of the Silvery Moon"
and waltz melodies from "The Chocolate Soldier"
and "The Count of Luxembourg" are making the
Fatherland forget that Wagner, Beethoven, Cho-
pin, Brahms or Liszt ever lived.
The music publishers, according to a dispatch
to the New York Times from Berlin, says that
they have no complaint to make from the stand-
point of profits, as the sale of the so-called "popu-
lar music" is rising by leaps and bounds but they
feel that it is their duty to call the nation's atten-
tion to the fact that the public's artistic taste is de-
teriorating to a corresponding degree.
ceived band parts for 'When I Carved Your Name
on the Tree.' I am using it as a cornet solo with
tremendous success, as it is certainly a beautiful
number. Wishing you all kinds of good luck,
(signed) sincerely yours, Wm. E. Slafer, Brighton
Beach Hotel, New York."
AMUSED OVER ANTHEM CONTEST.
Correspondent Makes Disrespectful Reference
to Congressional Chorus.
(Special to The Review.)
Chicago, 111., June 29, 1912.
A National anthem contest has been abandoned
after failure to receive what was considered a
proper substitute for the "Star-Spangled Banner."
One letter on the subject was received from E. C.
Kennedy, of Washington, as follows:
"I am much amused by your circular on patriotic
songs. They are accidents, and cannot be made
to order. They do not depend upon musical merit
for success. Your efforts to make 'The Star-
Spangled Banner' singable will also fail. You
ought to have heard the House of Representatives
trying to sing it."
SCORE IN FRIARS' FROLIC.
Jerome & Schwartz Had Nine Numbers in the
Show with Geo. M. Cohan Singing "I Love to
Hear an Irish Band Upon St. Patrick's Day."
One of the prominent features regarding the
Friars' Frolic was the fact that George M. Cohan,
who has never been known to sing a song that
was not his own, broke that rule for the first time
veTotaflNlRiSHBfl
OPONST.PflTRICKSPfly
PSALM TO TUNE OF BABY'S WAIL.
INCORPORATE^ KEITH CO.
A Corporation for Each of Eight Theaters Pur-
chased from Williams.
Sound That Proves Annoying to Many People
Furnishes Inspiration to Curate.
Setting one of the penitential Psalms to the
"'music" made by infants who cry during baptismal
Eight theatrical companies, all having the same
services is the astonishing and novel achievement
objects in view and each having a capital of $500,-
of the Rev. Noel Bonavia-Hunt, senior curate of
000, were incorporated in Albany, N. Y., on Mon-
St. Matthew's Church at Willesden, England.
day. Although the directors are different in several
During the six years the Rev. Bonavia-Hunt has
companies, the same interests are represented in
all. Some of the directors are A. Paul Keith, Ed- officiated at the baptismal font at St. Matthew's
ward F. Albee, Philip F. Nash, S. K. Modgdon, he has made a careful study of the crying of
John J. Murdock and Edward V. Darling. The infants, and he learned to regard their distressing
names of the companies are the Bronx, the Green- wails from the standpoint of a musician, with the
remarkable results of setting "By the Waters of
point, Colonial, Gotham, Orpheum, Alhambra, Cres-
cent and Bushwick. All are classed as operating Babylon" to the music of infant wailing.
"My inspiration was derived entirely from hear-
companies.
This is the formal incorporation of the com- ing babies cry at the baptismal services in our
pany that purchased the Percy Williams theaters church," he declared.
"I was so impressed with the musical qualities
in New York a month ago.
of the cries that I considered they ought to be
recorded in some way. I also wished to write a
A COMPLIMENTARY LETTER.
chant which was original. Now, I claim that this
Bandmaster W. E. Slafer, conductor of the fa- composition is original and at the same time mu-
sical and not grotesque. It represents more or
mous Brighton Beach Band, wrote Edgar Selden,
less the meaning of the words to which it is set,
of the Edgar Selden Music Publishing & Produc-
'By the Waters of Babylon we sat down and wept:
tion Co., under date of June 28, as follows: "Re-
when we remembered thec, O Zion.' The lamenta-
tion is illustrated musically by the wailing of babies
MILLIOIM COPY HIT
and the general cry of human beings.
"Musically, the cries of people of all ages differ
very little. Boys cry louder than girls. All crying
Also New Hit*
can be reduced to musical notes."
by singing that wonder song "I Love to Hear an
Irish Band Upon St. Patrick's Day."
The mere fact that Mr. Cohan selected this song
proves its intrinsic merit, and the fact that it was
the feature hit of the frolic proves that the people
like it just as well as Mr. Cohan did at the first.
It is interesting to note that the Jerome &
Schwartz Publishing Co. had nine numbers in the
show, and dealers should get a line on the names
of the songs which appear in the Jerome &
Schwartz advertisement in this issue.
Even in mid-ocean Jerome & Schwartz's numbers
are being sung. Miss Emma Carus on her recent
trip to London sang "That Coon Town Quartet" to
great applause on board the steamer at a concert.
Carroll Johnson, the well-known minstrel, who
sails for England the latter part of this month, has
selected "In Banjo Land" and "I Love to Hear an
Irish Band" for his feature numbers over on the
other side. He will also dance to a medley of
Jerome & Schwartz's numbers.
Down By The Old Millsfream
New WHEN WE WERE SWEETHEARTS New
New
UNDER THE OLD OAK TREE New
New
WAY DOWN SOUTH
New
New
RAG RAG RAG
New
New
THAT SUBWAY RAG
New
New
FRANKIE AND iOHNNY
New
TELL TAYLOR, MUSIC PUBLISHER
NEW YORK
CHICAGO
BUY YOUR
MAISIC
BOSTON
FROM
Publishers
WALTER JACOBS
107 Tremont St.
BOSTON. MASS.
Publisher of
"Kits 0f Spring." "Sonu Day When Dr tarns Conn Trut."
And Some Others World Famous
OLIVER
DITSON
COMPANY
BOSTON
NEW YORK
Anticipate and Supply Every Requirement of Mnsic Dealer*
WHITE-SMITH MUSIC PUB. CO.
PUBLISHERS, PRINTERS & ENGRAVERS OF MUSK
"- la Offices: 8S-64 St*nh<
i: New
~
~
Heard
Everywhere!
A REMARKABLE'DISCOVERY!
A musical director recently appearing in Boston
claims to have made the discovery that whereas a
diatonic musical scale consisted of seven tones,
and the rainbow of seven colors, there was there-
fore some affinity between each corresponding tone
and color; for example, between C and red, D
and orange, E and yellow, F and green, G and
blue, A and indigo, B and violet. This is doubtless
why the oboe, in sounding A for the orchestra to
tune, causes distress to some.
This same director says he has also discovered
that the "melancholy" character of the opening
measures of "The Lost Chord" is attributable to
the fact that the first thirteen notes are blue, since
they occur in G.
Just what effect this tremendous discovery will
have in the musical world it is difficult to prophesy.
HELP!
"Why did you persist in calling your visit to
this country last season a farewell tour?" asked
the manager, coldly. "It was in no sense a fare-
well."
"Yes, it was," replied the famous prima donna.
"I fared very well."
PIROUETTE
By HERMAN FINCK
Composer of the celebrated
"In the Shadows"
Your customers will be asking for H
ORDER UP IMMEDIATELY AND
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