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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
62
Conducted by B. B. Wilson
CRITICISM AS APPLIED TO POPULAR MUSIC.
Excellent as Far as It Goes, but It Is Impossible to Analyze Public Taste in Songs—Creditable
Numbers Often Fail While "Trash" Wins Out—Hard to Please Fickle Public.
A couple of theatrical papers arc at present de-
voting considerable space in their columns to s.ri-
ous reviews of new popular music, reviews in
which the music and lyrics are analyzed with more
or less care and ability with a view to affording
the performer a general idea of the worth of the
number. Musical criticism, of course, holds a
strong place in the world of art and letters, and
is well worth while, but the question rises as to
just what value it possesses as applied to popular
tmusic.
Taking a dozen of the popular successes of the
day, songs that have already found favor with the
public and are selling well, how many of them
will measure up to any set standard of excellence,
either as to music or lyrics? The music may
violate all the rules set down by a school of proper
music composition and yet possess a melody that
in parts shows originality and the indefinable "hit"
quality. The lyrics may be crude, and to be frank,
the great majority of them are, but they contribute
to the success of the piece either through their
suggestiveness or through the fact that they fit in
well with the melody without causing any great
amount of thought in their singing. It is safe to
say that if the critics were to produce, or have
produced, music that would stand analysis by the
leading professors of music and measure up to all
demands of grammar and poetic form, the percen-
tage of "hits" would be much smaller than is
now the case.
If the song that was perfect in every particular
and filled every demand was the one that would
be sure of success the greater part of the publish-
er's troubles would vanish into thin air. It would
be much simpler to employ a board of censors and
abide by their decision than, as is now the case,
try to forecast the 'desires of the public and trust
to "put over" at least one song out of a half-
dozen or so.
Criticism, no matter how well meant, is. less to
be desired than that intuition that can give ad-
vance information regarding the fickle favor of-the
public. As far as the criticisms go, several of
the songs highly praised soon after publication,
have fallen flat later, while numbers unfavorably
commented upon as being deficient in both words
and music, have turned out to be strong sellers.
In the matter of popular music, it is the space
devoted to telling of results that are worth while
and not that given to prophecies or individual
opinions.
TO KEEP MUSIC OFF RECORDS.
THE NEW OPERAS ABROAD.
Chappell &
Co. Secure Undertaking from
Thomas A. Edison, Ltd., in England, to Re-
frain from Using Music of "The Girl on the
Film" on Records.
Dr. Henry K. Hadley Arrives in America After
Several Months Spent in the Musical Centers
Abroad—The New Parisian Ballets.
(Special to The Review.)
LONION, ENG., July IT!.—In an action brought
by Chappell & Co., Ltd., against Thomas A. Edi-
son, Ltd., recently, the latter, without prejudice to
any questions, gave an undertaking until judgment
or further orders, to refrain from copying the
music or any part of it composed hy Albert Sir-
may for the musical play known as "The Girl on
the Film" without the plaintiff's consent, and from
using any music excepting copies issued or sup-
plied by the plaintiffs.
The action was brought under the present copy-
right act, and the manner in which the protest of
the publishers was heeded goes far to prove the
protective qualities of the measure.
DEATH OF J.J^JWILLIAMSON.
Australian Theatrical Manager, American by
Birth, Had Long and Interesting Career.
The recent death in Paris of J. C. Williamson
brings to an end the career of a theatrical man-
ager of international prominence who, through the
medium of an influential company, controlled a
number of the leading theaters in Australia. Mr.
Williamson was an American, having been born
in Mercer, Pa., in 1845. He took up the stage as
a career in America when only seventeen years
old, and after appearing in a number of prominent
productions in the United States and Canada went
to Australia in 1874, where he appeared before the
footlights for several years and then took up the
managing end of the business, producing many
successful musical plays besides dramatic works.
NEW LIGHT OPERA FOR RILEY.
Thomas W. Riley, the prominent producer, who
returned from Europe last week, announced that
he had brought over "a light opera in three acts
called "Kino Koenigin," by Jean Gilbert. He said
that the operetta, which is at present having a
successful run at the Adelphi Theater in London,
would open here some time in November.
Dr. Henry K. Hadley, the American composer
and conductor, was among the arrivals from
Europe last week. He had been abroad several
months, most of the time in London and Paris,
where he heard most of the new musical produc-
tions of the higher order.
"I heard the new operas 'Boris Godounoff' and
'Khovanchina,' by Moussorgsky, both of the pro-
ductions being magnificently staged and beauti-
fully given," he said. "Chaliapine was featured in
both of them and lived up to his great reputation.
"I also saw four new ballets, one of them 'Lc
Sacre des Printemps/ by Stavinsky, which is a
mad, impossible composition, and brought forth
ridicule from the Paris audience. By far the best
of the four was 'Daphne and Chloe,' by Ravel,
who. in my opinion, is the most interesting of
modern French musicians."
IN NEW FEIST BUILDING.
Leo F"eist, Inc., removed its general offices and
is now becoming settled at the Feist Building, 2ci-">
West Fortieth street,. New York. This location
is between Seventh and Eighth avenues. It gives
the house a tremendous amount of additional
room.
THREE NEW OPERAS FOR K. & E.
Klaw & Erlanger announce that they have se-
cured the exclusive rights to "The Gay Hussars,"'
"The Gypsy Chief" and "The Little Kings," the
latest three productions for which Emmerich Kal-
man has composed the music.
NEW ONE'ACT OPERETTA.
A new Viennese operetta in one act has been
announced for production in vaudeville over the
Orpheum and Keith circuits next season. The
title of the piece is "Der Feirgende Rittmeister"
("The Flying Cavalry Officer"), which will be
changed to "Baron Reythling" on this side.
DENIED RESTRAINING ORDER.
Judge Hand Refuses to Issue Injunction Against
Jos. W. Stern & Co. to Prevent Them from
Taking Further Action Against Arthur Sol-
man, Carl Laemmle Music Co. et al. in " I ' l l
Change the Thorns to Roses" Case.
Last week Judge Hand in the United States Dis-
trict Court denied the application of the Carl
Laemmle Music Co. for an injunction restraining
Joseph W. Stern & Co., music publishers, from
prosecuting damage suits in the Supreme Court
against Messrs. Laemmle and Solman and Philip
D. and Robert H. Cochrane and the Carl Laemmle
Music Co. to recover $10,000.
The proceedings in the Federal Court are the
outgrowth of lengthy litigation in the Supreme
Court over title to the song, entitled "I'll Change
the Thorns to Roses," which was originated, com-
posed and written by Alfred Solman, Arthur J.
Lamb and H. Howard Cheney in the winter of
1909-10. In the early part of 1910 the music house
of Laemmle, which was soon after succeeded by
the Carl Laemmle Music Co., acquired exclusive
rights to publish the song from Solman, it is al-
leged, and secured a copyright the following day.
SUGGEST IMPROVED RAGTIME.
Music Teachers of Minnesota Believe That
There Is Much in Ragtime That Can Be Used
for Building Up a Higher Grade of Music.
(Special to The Review.)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., July 21.—That ragtime may
yet become the real American music, and that there
is hope for its reformation, was the consensus of
opinion of many of the members of the Minnesota
Music Teachers' Association, which met here.
The subject of ragtime has not yet come up for
'discussion in the meetings, but twenty of the
teachers present at the convention were inter-
viewed to-day, and were almost unanimous in
holding that ragtime is susceptible of improvement.
"Ragtime contains one prime requisite of music
rhythm," Mrs. Agnes Fryberger, of Minneapolis,
said. "It has long been associated with vulgar
words, but there is no reason why this cannot be
altered. Syncopation is recognized hy musicians.
The rhythm is what makes ragtime appeal to the
uneducated musical ear, and accounts for its pop-
ularity."
RECENT DITSON_PUBLICATION.
The Oliver Ditson Co., of Boston, Mass., has
just issued "M. Carcassi's Method for the
Guitar" in English and Spanish text, which is
edited by G. C. Santisteban. It is a standard
work most illuminative and convincing. The edi-
tions, suppressions, changes of fingering and de-
partures from the original order of exercises are
all innovations that have suggested themselves to
Mr. Santisteban in his many years experience as
teacher and player. He has also made a number
of annotations which together with the illustra-
tions found in the text will facilitate the handling
of the ' work and make its comprehension ex-
tremely easy. Dealers who are handling methods
for the various instruments will find this volume
an exceedingly interesting and reliable one.
FELIX FEIST WITHJCINEMACOLOR.
Well-known Song Writer Now Prominent
Motion Picture Field.
in
Felix Feist, formerly head of the professional
department of the ho-use of Leo Feist, author of
"Senora," "Can't You See I'm Lonely" and a num-
ber of other^ prominent successes, is at present
touring the Southwest in the interests of Kinema-
color, the motion pictures in natural colors. Mr.
Feist will open an office in Kansas City.