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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
NEW STORY J3ASED ON SONG.
WRITING RAGTIME TO ORDER.
Author and Composer of "Two Eyes of Grey"
Responsible for Romantic Story Being Pub-
lished by London Paper, Based on and with
the Same Title as That Song.
Irving Berlin Gives Representative of London
Newspaper Interesting Demonstration of the
Manner in Which He Dashes Off Hits in
Record Time.
Novels based on current events, on successful
plays and on other subjects of general interest are
naturally quite common, but a romantic story
frankly based on a successful song is somewhat of
a rarity and consequently of much interest. The
Daily Express, of London, England, is at present
running in serial form a romantic story of "Two
Eyes of Grey," founded by Miss Daisy McGeogh,
the well-known composer, on her famous song of
the same name.
In its generous announcements of the new story
the Express said, regarding the popularity of the
song :
" 'Two Eyes of Grey' is one of the most suc-
cessful ballads ever written. Two million copies
of the song have already been sold, and apparently it
has not yet reached the height if its popularity. In
the concert halls, in restaurants and drawing rooms
from one end of England to another it is played
and sung. The success of 'The Rosary'—Mrs.
Florence Barclay's famous book—the central idea
of which was the influence exercised over its hero
by Ethelbert Nevin's song, 'The Rosary,' will be
remembered. We believe that the same happy re-
sult will be in store for 'Two Eyes of Grey,' and
in this case the author of the story is also the
author and the composer of the song itself." Chap-
pell & Co., Ltd., are the publishers of "Two Eyes
of Grey."
With the ragtime craze at its height in England,
the recent arrival of Irving Berlin, the successful
song writer and exponent of that form of melody,
created about as much interest as would a visit
from the head of one of the reigning houses on the
Continent.
Following the stories from New York regarding
Mr. Berlin's ability to dash off a song and sell it
for a couple thousand dollars, all in a few minutes,
a representative of the Daily Express, of London,
called on him for a practical demonstration, and
from it wrote the following story:
"Upon receiving the request for a song to order,
Mr. Berlin said:
" 'Usually, I get my rhythm and melody com-
plete before I give them to the "arranger." This
is a pretty hard test, but I'll try.'
"He did. He walked about four miles doing it,
in the course of two hours. He was never still a
moment.
"At the finish a new ragtime had grown before
its listeners, all complete, from the introduction
and vamp to the final chord of the chorus. After-
wards he made up the words.
"This is how he did it. The 'arranger' sat at
the piano, pencil and paper ready. Irving Berlin
started a one-step up and down the room, snap-
ping his fingers and jerking his shoulders as he
went. He did this for some time. It was the di-
vine afflatus on marionette wires.
NEW OPERA SCORES IN LONDON.
"Suddenly he stopped, leaned over the 'arranger,'
The stamp of approval was placed upon the new and 'La-ta-ta-ta-tatata,' he began. 'That's the
four-act grand opera, "La du Barry," which was opening line.'
"The 'arranger' wrote down the precious notes
produced last week at Covent Garden, London,
'by an enthusiastic audience, and the young com- and played them.
"'Fine,' said Irving Berlin; and off he went
poser, Ezio Camussi, of Florence, was compelled
to appear before the curtain and respond to the again, up and down, to and fro, dancing a one-step
to imaginary tunes rollicking through his mind.
thundering applause.
"'Play it again,' he said, with a snap of his
Camussi is probably the youngest composer
fingers. A minute passed. Irving Berlin clapped
whose work was ever accepted at the Royal Covent
Garden Opera House. He is only thirty years old. his hands to his ears and changed the direction of
He was a protege of Massenet and completed this his walk. It came slowly, but when it did come
there was a burst of half a dozen bars.
opera when twenty-one.
"So, gradually, the ragtime is built up.
Among the American impresarios who competed
" 'Play it once more. I want to get back to the
for the right of first production of this musical
novelty in New York were Arthur Hammerstein, key,' he says, after a half-hour's ineffectual ium-
representing his father; Henry Russell, of Boston, tum-tums.'
"Finally, the chorus, the most difficult of all.
and representatives of the Metropolitan Opera
It has to be catchy, it has to trip and slide, and
Company of Philadelphia. It is the general belief
that Hammerstein outwitted his rivals by entering stop, and drop from key to key and be lifted back
again. It has to 'go.'
a bid with the Italian publishers of the work.
"With a rush the thing is finished. It has been
fitted together like a puzzle, intricate little pieces
TO
TO
TO
ot melody running haphazard nowhere and fading
abruptly as other strains follow, with just a sem-
blance of the motif to keep it together."
HAVE, HOLD, LOVE
Ernest R. Ball's Latest Ballad Success
The title page itself if dis-
played should make it sell.
It is a beautiful picture of
Mr. E. H. Sothern
MUSCAGNI'SJNEW OPERA.
Pietro Mascagni's new opera, "Parisina,'' writ-
tqn by D'Annunzio, is nearly ready. It consists of
1,450 verses, divided into four acts. Its full title
ii. as follows: "Parisina, a lyric tragedy "by Gabri-
ele d'Annunzio, intonated by Pietro Mascagni. '
and
Miss Julia Marlowe
as
"ROMEO and JULIET"
We do not hesitate to recommend this song
most highly, and, according to present indications,
fee] certain that it will prove even a greater seller
than Mr. Ball's famous successes, "Till the Sands
of the Desert Grow Cold," "Love Me and the
World Is Mine," " I n the Garden of My Heait,"
"My Dear," "My Heart Has Learned to Love
You," "Now, Do Not Say Good-bye," "Who
Knows?" Etc., Etc.
M. WITMARK & SONS
Witmark BIdg., 144-146 West 37th St.
NEW YORK CITY
Chicago
San F r u d i e a
London
Parii
Melbonrn
BUY YOUR MUSIC FROM
BOSTON
Publishers
WALTER JACOBS
167 Tremont St.,
BOSTON. MASS
Publisher of
"Kiss of Sprine." "Sottit Day When Dreams Com* True."
And Some Others World Famous.
OLIVER
DITSON
COMPANY
BOSTON
NEW YORK
Anticipate and Supply Every Requirement of Music Dealers
WHITE-SMITH MUSIC PUB. CO.
PUBLISHERS, PRINTERS ft ENGRAVERS OF MUSIC
Maim Offices: «8-64 Stanhope S t . Boston
Branch Hom»e»: New York and Oiipago
THIRD ROBBERYJN MUSIC STORE.
Broadway
tion to
Holiday
ness for
Music Store Proves Strong Attrac-
Cracksmen Who Take Advantage of
to Make Latest Haul—Show Fond-
Fountain Pens and Safety Razors.
Robbing J. H. Remick & Co.'s song shop at 134:5
Broadway has become quite a fad with a
certain group of cracksmen. On July 3, for the
third time in three months, burglars entered the
store and cleaned out the stock of cameras and
fountain pens to the extent of $350. On their last
visit the burglars drilled the safe and removed its
contents.
The latest robbery was discovered on Friday
when the manager, Ben Falher, passing the store,
which was closed for the holiday, discovered that
something was wrong and reported the crime to
the police.
WHY THE SINGERS COMPLAIN.
Composers Ofttimes Write for Particular Sing-
ers Instead of for the General Run—Some
Examples of Music That Present Difficulties
to Singers.
That composers have not scorned writing airs
to suit the style of particular singers, thus, as
Francis Rogers remarks, "storing up for the usual
voices of subsequent generations much travail and
sorrow," Mendelssohn crowded "Hear Ye, Israel"
with high F sharps, in order to give Jenny Lind,
whom he adored, a chance to display the particular
beauty of her voice in that region, with the re-
sult that that air has been a sore trial to most
sopranos ever since. Faure, the famous French
baritone, also had a particularly facile and mellow
high F sharp, and many parts were written spe-
cially to give him a chance to exhibit it to the
gaping multitude. "But in most baritone voices
this F sharp is the very limit of the upper range,
and, although it may have both power and bril-
liance, it seldom possesses either mellowness or
facility; consequently all the roles written for
Faure (Meyerbeer's 'Dinorah,' for instance) are
particularly trying for the ordinary baritone. Again
the F in alt written into 'I Puritani' for Rubini is
simply unsingable for all modern tenors, and in
performance, has to be omitted altogether."
WAGNER'S LIFE_FOR MOVIES.
The life of Wagner, portrayed on motion pic-
ture films, which has been shown with much suc-
cess in European countries, has been secured for
presentation in the United States by a prominent
firm of theatrical producers. The pictures will be
seen at a theater on Broadway within the next
few weeks.
Don't fail to order these Songs
My Dixie Rose
Who shall Wear them
You or I, Love?
Gasoline
My Old Girl
My Caroline
Only one Story the
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