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48
THE
PATENTS MEANS TO STUDY MUSIC.
Percy F. Cowing, of New York, the Inventor of
a New System for Simplifying the Arrange-
ment and Study of Musical Compositions.
(Special to The Review.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, August 5.—Percy F. Cow-
ing, of New York, has just been granted patent
No. 1,068,509 for a means for the study of musical
compositions which includes improvements in per-
forated rolls, such as are employed in player-
pianos, etc., discs and cylinders, such as employed
in phonographs, etc., or any other means for me-
chanically controlling the reproduction of musical
tones when employed in a self-playing or me-
chanical musical instrument.
In accordance with the present invention a mu-
sical composition, for instance, is broken up into
certain sections or motifs, descriptive parts, etc.
These sections, after eliminating any unnecessary
accompaniments, are recorded on the record of the
mechanical musical instrument. The various sec-
tions are then indexed to correspond with the de-
scription produced on the roll itself or in an accom-
panying pamphlet or "book. By this arrangement
a person may have described and illustrated to him
the various parts of a musical composition so that
he may obtain a thorough idea of the work so
illustrated. By putting certain passages of music
on the record of a self-playing instrument as
herein disclosed many things may be brought out
which would be difficult were the whole composi-
tion on the record. In the same way, music or
sections of music of the same nature may be com-
pared, or of an opposite class may be contrasted.
In fact, the invention may be employed for many
purposes of instruction, explanation, comparison,
contrasting, etc., where in the ordinary way a lec-
turer or teacher would ; be necessary.
MODEL ENGLISHJ5AND PROGRAM.
English bands are considered second to none.
There is a special institution, Kneller Hall, for
the training of bandmasters and instrumentalists.
At a recent garden party the official head of the
institution rendered a program which is interesting
as showing-the attention paid to English music. It
included Sullivan's "Macbeth" overture, Balfour
Gardiner's "Shepherd Fennel's Dance," Coleridge
Taylor's Characteristic Waltzes, the March from
Sir Edward Elgar's "Crown of India," a selection
from Edward German's "Tom Jones," Sir Alex-
ander Mackenzie's "Rhapsodie Ecossaise," and
Herbert E. Haines' "Woodland Serenade."
"I am troubled with a peculiar humming in my
ears when I retire."
"Probably it's the sheet music."
Another Ballad by Ernest R. Ball
I'll Change The Shadows
To Sunshine
Lyric by
George Graff, Jr.
Writers of "Till
the Sands of the
D e s e r t Grow
Cold," "Goodbye.
My Love, Good-
bye," " H e r e ' s
Love and Suc-
cess to You," "Let Us Have Peace," "Call-
ing of the Sea," "When Irish Eyes Are
Smiling," "Lost Melody," "Where Is the
Love of Yesterday?" etc.
The demand for this beautiful song is
growing steadily.
M. WITMARK & SONS
Witmark Bldg., 144-146 West 37th St.
NEW YORK CITY
Chieafo
San Francisco
London
Paris
Mdbon
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
CHANCE TO REFORM PUBLIC MUSIC.
SCHUBERT, THE MODEST MUSICIAN.
Sacred music as a reaction from ragtime is a
proposition which may invite the attention of
those reformers who incline to "fads and fancies."
It may be of interest to know that the manager of
one of the steamship lines running from Rock
Island to St. Paul received a letter from a sturdy
band of young men which opens up possibilities
and ideas. The steamship line, however, has not,
thus far, invited the young men to come ahead
with their instruments of reform. The letter here-
with is worth reading by our blase Easterners:
"DEAR AGENT-—Knowing that you run excursions
from Rock Island to St. Paul, we thought as how
we would like to make the trip, providing it
wouldn't cost us anything. There are six of us,
and we are all church members and model young
men. Our plan is this: If you will guarantee to
take us from Rock Island to St. Paul, we will give
a series of religious lectures on your boat and also
conduct services three times a day. We are all
musicians, but we can't play anything but sacred
music. We will open in the morning with services
before breakfast, and after the morning meal one
of us will give a lecture. In the afternoon we will
conduct a bible class and in the evening hold a
sacred song service. How does this appeal to you?
Enclosed you will find our pictures if you want to
run them in the town papers."
Sir George Grove once wrote that Schubert was
the only modest musician that ever lived. While
this is not strictly true, it cannot be denied that
Schubert (like Grieg in our generation) would
have got along better had he been more inclined
to at least "admit" his superlative genius without
trying to prove it. At a recent auction sale in
Berlin one of the most coveted articles was a letter
from Schubert to his brother, Ferdinand, relating
to his quartets. To-day it is admitted by all com-
petent judges that the Schubert quartets are in
Lhe very front line of chamber music, unsurpassed
by anyone. But here is what Schubert wrote when
he heard that his quartets were being produced by
Ferdinand: "It would be better for you to give
your attention to other quartets than mine, for
they are of no value, except in so far as they may
please you, who like everything I have written."
For this letter the Berlin auctioneer got 1,500
marks, or nearly $400; which is probably more
than Schubert got for all the chamber music he
ever composed—and he was most prolific.
NEW MASSENET COMPOSITION.
One of Massenet's last compositions, not yet
printed, had its first hearing the other day in Paris.
It is a "melodic poem" entitled "Loti's Visions,"
text by Edmond Noel. It was sung by four artists
of the Grand Opera, Gall and Arbell, Dubois and
Dulos, and it pleased the audience so much that it
had to be repeated. The critics pronounced it one
of the happiest of Massenet's melodic inspirations.
YOU FIND THEJNATIONAL AIR.
"You say they have music in all the restaurants
in Italy?"
"Well, not exactly, but you find the national air
of Italy in all the restaurants there."
"What's that?"
"Garlic and onions."
HOW TO BjriN FASHION.
If you are a composer and want to be in fashion
you must write a violin concerto for Fritz Kreis-
ler. Elgar began it, Weingartner followed suit in.l
Paderewski is the third. He and Kreisler played
together at Ragatz every evening for a fortnight
last summer.
EXCHANGING COMPLIMENTS.
The Popular Song Writer—You vaudeville per-
formers don't seem to have the intelligence of a
rabbit.
The Illustrated Song Singer—Can you wonder?
After memorizing a few dozen of your songs a
performer naturally gets foolish.
The largest theater in the world is the opera
house in Paris. It covers three acres of grounds,
its cubic mass is 4,287,000 feet and it cost
$2r.,000,00U.
HAMMERSTEIN BON MOTS.
It will be a pity if Oscar Hammerstein does not
take time enough from building opera houses to
write his autobiography. There are few figures in
the world to-day as picturesque, few whose lives
have held so much of the romance of big and
unusual things. For Oscar to speak is for him to
utter an epigram or to draw a smile from his
hearer.
"What will be the opening bill at your new
opera house?" inquired a reporter the other day.
"I don't know," answered the impresario, "but it
will be new. It may be called 'Debts.' I will be
the composer; 1 will write the notes."
Which, is only a sample of how he always talks.
His son, William Hammerstein, has inherited
his father's penchant for pleasant repartee. The
same reporter remarked that his father's chances
for winning the suit the Metropolitan had brought
seemed good. Mr. Hammerstein, who would be
content if his father confined his grand opera ac-
tivities to training Don, the talking dog, or the
acrobatic seals at the Victoria, replied:
"Even if father does win the suit there's the
possibility that the public will enjoin him from
giving opera."
A WISE ANDJUST JUDGE.
A New York City magistrate decided last week
that a restaurant band composed of seven stringed
instruments, a bagpipe, a pair of clappers cannot
possibly produce music. The neighbors who made
the complaint are joyous, while the proprietor who
has such novel taste in instruments is downcast.
Don't fail to order these Songs
My Dixie Rose
Who shall Wear them
You or I, Love?
Gasoline
My Caroline
one
Story the
one 2>tory
tne
WALTER JACOBS
167 Tremont St.,
BOSTON, MASS
Publisher of
"Kiss of Spring," "Sam* Day When Dreamt Com* True."
And Some Others World Famous.
OLIVER DITSON COMPANY
BOSTON
NEW YORK
Anticipate and Supply Everjr Requirement «f Muaic Dealers
WHITE-SMITH MUSIC PUB. CO.
PUBLISHERS. PRINTERS ft ENGRAVERS OF MUSIC
Maia Offices: M-*4 Stanhope S t . Boston
Branch HoHS^aj New Yojfr and Chicago
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
NEW YORK
MCKINLEY MUSIC CO.
CHICAGO
'