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THE
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MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
SCOTCH ORIGINATED RAG TIME.
BATTAILLE AS_A COMPOSER.
McCORMACK SlNQj^WlTMARK SONG.
Responsibility for First Syncopated Melodies
Rests with Old-time Scotchmen, Claims H. E.
Krehbiel, the Famous Critic, and Offers
Statements of Authorities.
Writing Music for His Latest Comedy "Poliche"
to Be Produced at the Comedie Francaise.
Famous Irish Tenor Wins Success in Australia
with "Mother Machree."
M. Henry Battaille, the talented French drama-
tist, is writing the music for "Poliche," his com-
edy that was produced at the Comedie Francaise.
It would not be the first time that this able play-
wright had tried his hand at music, as he has al-
ready written a prelude to his "Songs d'un soir
d'amour." In fact, M. Battaille is only follow-
ing the example of several well-known poets and
dramatists who have shown themselves musically
gifted. Maurice Rollinat wrote several composi-
tions, and Villiers de l'lsle d'Adam set to music
"La Mort des Amants," by Baudelaire. Jean
Richepin is an excellent musician, and there are
several vaudevilists who have written the inci-
dental music for their farces.
A cable received from Allan & Co., M. Witmark
& Sons' representatives in Australia, reports that
John McCormack, the famous tenor, is singing
"Mother Machree" at all his concerts and scoring
heavily with it. The Australian press enthuses
over the musical worth of this poetic Irish ballad,
and states that a McCormack recital would be in-
complete without it.
"Mother Machree" was written by Rida Johnson
Young, the music by Chauncey Olcott and Ernest
R. Ball, and originally sung by Olcott in his ro-
mantic play "Barry of Baliymore" Mr. McCor-
mack immediately recognized the beauty and sim-
plicity of the song so in sympathy with his beauti-
ful voice and method, and has made it a feature
of his program for some time past.
Various musical authorities and writers in gen-
eral, in discussions regarding the origin of ragtime,
have credited it to about every race or creed^ from
the time of the ancient Egyptians, through 'Dark-
est Africa, and finally to the negro settlements of
the South.
H. E. Krehbiel, the well-known music critic of
the New York Tribune, declares as a result of his
researches in Afro-American folk-song that we
owe the affliction of "ragtime"' not to our negro
neighbors but to the Scottish ancestors of %ome
of us.
Tn evidence of this he points out that "ragtime"
is not really new. This device of syncopation, to
use the musician's technical term for it, was in
favor with many of the Italian composers of the
eighteenth century. It was noted by London music
critics of that period long before any attention
had been given by musicians to the weird chan'.s
of the enslaved negro and was ascribed to Scot-
tish influence.
Thus Dr. Burney, in his account of the Italian
opera in London in 1748, terms it the "Scotch
catch" or Scot's snap," blames Cocchi, Perez and
Jomelli, the composers of the opera "Vologeso,"
for too free use of it, and says: "There was at
this time too much of the Scotch catch, or cutting
short of the first two notes of a melody."
This rhythmical device is also found in the
popular music of Hungary. It is, however, con-
sistent with the genius of the Magyar language,
which distinguishes short and long syllables much
more rigidly than any other speech of modern
Europe, and whose prosody does not permit that
long syllables shall be sung short, or vice versa.
Mr. Krehbiel believes that syncopation of "snap"
of negro melodies may be a relic of their aborigi-
nal dance tunes, brought with them from Africa.
When we remember the large Scottish, or "Scotch-
Irish emigration to America in the eighteenth
century and the fact that most of these immigrants
settled in the Carolinas and Georgia, it seems
quite as probable that the imitative African bor-
rowed the rhythm from them.
At present the weight of the evidence is that the
fabrication of strathspeys and other Scottish dance
tunes started the "ragtime muse" on her career,
now in its zenith of triumph.
A constant grouch and business success never
will combine.
SPREADING LIKE WILD FIRE
That sweet, charming, melodious
march-ballad
"When It's Springtime in
Virginia
WILLIAM BOOSEYJN NEW YORK.
William 'Boosey, managing director of Chappell
& Co., Ltd., London, arrived in New York on th»
"Lusitania" Thursday for a short stay in this
country, during which he will see the American
productions of "The Marriage Market," Ivan
Caryll's "The Little Cafe" and other productions
for which his house published the music. Mr.
Boosey will also spend some time looking over
affairs at the New York and Toronto, Canada,
tranches of his company, of which Walter T.
Eastman is manager.
LATEST DOfUlJAN OPERA.
EARL CARROLL'S_LATEST "STUNT."
Earl Carroll, besides jotting off the lyrics for
various and sundry operettas and musical com-
edies, finds time to place the big numbers in the
Feist catalog with prominent singers. His latest
stunt is to persuade Jose Collins, who already
sings "Isle D'Amour," to use "Peg o' My Heart"
in the Zlegfeld Follies. That's what may well be
called "putting a song over."
BUYS OUT NEWMAN CATALOG.
The catalog of Harry L. Newman, the Chicago
publisher, has been purchased by the Waterson,
Berlin & Snyder Co., New York, and Mr. New-
man has joined the forces of the latter company
in an important capacity.
The latest Don Juan opera is by the Italian com-
poser. Franco Alfani. It has nothing in common
with Mozart's masterwork except Don Juan him-
self. Tired of the life he is leading, he seeks
RICHARD STRAUSS' LATEST.
refuge in a ruined castle in Corsica. A younjy
Having composed for his last opera some waltzes
woman, suspecting him of being the assassin of
one of her relatives, gathers a mob of peasants quite in the manner of Johann Strauss, Richard
and enters the castle. She discovers her mistake, Strauss has now undertaken to write the music
for a pantomimic dance arranged by Nijinsky for
promptly falls in love with the professional lady-
killer, and the two escape while the peasants are the Russian dancers who have become so popular
in London. "Potiphar's Wife" is the name of the
burning what remains of the castle.
ballet. Strauss, who is a great admirer of these
Russians, has already written half of the music;
SHOWS START NEW SEASONS,
but his mind is said to be "overflowing with ideas"
"The Sunshine Girl" closes its successful season —which, if true, is new.
at the Knickerbocker Theater to-night and goes
to Boston, where it will begin a season in that city
DEATH OF ROBERT A. GAUL.
on Monday. "Oh, Oh, Delphine," another success,
Robert Alfred Gaul, author of the oratorio
opened its new season at the Grand Opera House,
"Hezekiah" and cantatas "Ruth" and "The Holy
New York, this week. The music of both produc-
City," is dead in London. He was born in Nor-
tions is published by Chappell & Co., Ltd.
wich, England, in 1837, and was graduated from
Cambridge University in 1863. Mr. Gaul was a
RATHER A JWJOUS VIEW.
teacher and orchestra conductor up to a short
Never was music so hopelessly monotonous of- time before his death.
fered to a gullible public. The want of character
in the melodies, the mechanical way they are de-
veloped, the continual fussiness of the orchestra-
tion, the unbroken sameness of his favorite kinds
of orchestral tints all go to achieve a mixture
which for creating the sense of ennui can hardly
be beaten by the dullest of our old provincial
oratories." Such is the opinion of Richard Strauss
expressed by one of the leading English critics,
John F. Runciman; and Mr. Runciman hits the
You or I, Love? «-.-»
nail right on the head.
Don't fail to order these Songs
My Dixie Rose
Who shall Wear them
Gasoline
By
J. Brandon Walsh
and
Only one Story the
Ernie Erdman
WALTER JACOBS
167 Tremont St.,
Hundreds of vaudeville acts are using
it, so you are sure to have a demand.
Stock up!
M. W1TMARK & SONS
Wittnark Bldg., 144-146 West 37th St.
NEW YORK CITY
Chlcaio
Sao Franciico
London
Paris
Melbourne
BOSTON. MASS
Publi.ker of
'Kiss of Spring," "Sotru Dmy Wktn Drtama C m* Tnn."
And Some Othert World Famous.
OLIVER
DITSON
COMPANY
BOSTON
NCW YORK
Anticipate and Supply Ever? Rcquirwncat t Mask Dealer•
WHITE-SMITH MUSK PUI. CQ
PUBLISHERS. PRINTERS ft ENGRAVES* OF M U 1 K
Brwwfc H
Roses Tell
'Mid the Purple Tint-
ed Hills of Tennessee
You Can't Repay the
Debt You Owe your Mother
Meet Me in the Twilight
MCKINLEY MUSIC CO.
CHiCAGO
NEW YORK
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