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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Conducted by B. B. Wilson
A NEW DANGER THAT MENACES MUSIC PUBLISHERS.
"MAIDS OF ATHENS" FOR NEW YORK.
Game Tried by a Music Roll Concern That Should Serve to Put the Members of the Trade on
Their Guard—Grows Out of Practice of Sending Out Lead Sheets Before Copyrighting
Music—What the Government Says About Common Law Protection.
New Operetta, with Music by Franz Lehar, to
Open at
New Amsterdam
Theater on
March 16—New Waltz a Feature of Score.
Owing to recent developments it would appear
that the only safe way for the ordinary publisher
to afford full protection to his music is for him
to copyright not only the printed copies of his
music, but the manuscript before it is published as
well, for at least one music roll company has gone
on a still hunt for "sleepers" and has apparently
caught one, as follows:
A prominent New York publisher recently no-
ticed in the bulletin of new rolls issued by a West-
ern concern that one of his successful numbers was
listed, despite the fact that the music roll company
had neglected to secure permission or a contract
releasing the number for mechanical reproduction.
A letter to the music roll company brought the
reply that it had secured orchestrations of the
number in question, and investigation proved that
there was no record in Washington showing that it
had been copyrighted. The publisher, as is the case
with many others, makes it a practice, or rather made,
it a practice, to get out the usual lead sheets and
orchestrations for the convenience of the profes-
sionals and orchestra leaders and registering the
music under the copyright law only when the com-
pleted copies were put on the market, thus saving
;t second registering fee. The music roll concern
apparently did not hesitate to take advantage of
the fact to "slip one over" on the publisher.
If present plans develop, the music roll house
may find things 'becoming a trifle disagreeable, for
despite the fact that the music may not be regis-
tered in the Library of Congress, Section 2 of the
copyright law expressly provides:
'That nothing in this act shall be construed to
annul or limit the right of the author ot proprietor
of an unpublished work, at common law or in
equity, to prevent the copying, publication or use
of such unpublished work without his consent, and
to obtain damages therefor."
With lead sheets simply copies of the original
manuscript it would appear that the common law
should protect the publisher from having his work
copied before it is formally published and copy-
righted. At least one publisher declares he will
find out why not by taking legal steps to that
end.
"Maids of Athens," the new operetta, with book
adapted from the work of Victor Leon by Carolyn
Wells and with music (by Franz Lehar, and which
was produced for the first time in this country by
Henry W. Savage at Atlantic City last week, will
be presented to New Yorkers at the New Amster-
dam Theater on Monday, March 10, after a week
in Washington. At the Atlantic City premiere the
new piece was particularly well received, the music,
and especially the clever waltz number, "When the
Heart Is Young," being highly praised by the
critics.
The cast of the operetta is headed by two come-
dians hitherto unknown to the American stage.
They are Bert Gilbert and W. S. Peroy, the former
an Englishman and the latter an Australian. The
score of "Maids of Athens' is published by Chap-
pell & Co., Ltd.
SETTLED IN NEW QUARTERS.
when he was located at 107 Tremont street. In
addition, he has large storerooms on Albany street.
From a small beginning fifteen years ago, when
his entire force consisted of himself, through hard
work, Mr. Jacobs has built one of the largest music
and musical journal publishing businesses in the
country, having nearly fifty people on his staff,
with several acres of floor space. This, in brief,
shows the development of Walter Jacobs, and his
success points the way to those who wish to
achieve distinction in this field.
In addition to publishing a large amount of
music for all instruments, as the music publishing
trade knows, Mr. Jacobs also publishes "The Ca-
denza" and "Jacobs' Orchestra Monthly."
Walter Jacobs Now Occupying Twice the Area
of Old Premises—Has Won Phenomenal Suc-
cess by Hard and Persistent Work.
(Special to The Review.)
BOSTON, MASS., March 9.—Walter Jacobs, music
publisher, is now practically settled in his new
quarters at 8 Bosworth street. Here Mr. Jacobs
TO REORGANIZE PUBLISHING HOUSE.
George W. Meyer Music Co. to Be Known in
Future as Morris Richmond Music Co.—No
Change in Business Policy.
Walter Jacobs.
occupies the fourth and sixth floors of the build-
ing, with more than twice the area that he had
BERT WILLIAMS'
OTHER GOOD
SELLERS
" B o b b i n ' Up and
Down"
"Dear Old Girl"
" Salvation Nell"
" Who's Going to Love
You When I'm Gone"
"When You Haven't a
Beautiful Girl"
"You're the Haven of
My Heart"
"In t h e Land of
Plankity Plank "
" My Dearie Waltz"
(Ma Cherie)
"When You Sang the
Rosary To Me"
•;Hatrack in the Hall"
" Until You Said Good-
Bye"
Order either from
us or your
-
jobber
Dealers write us for our novelties in Sheet Music and
Orchestra and Band numbers.
THEODORE MORSE MUSIC CO., Jfi
Following the retiremer •. of George W. Meyer
from the George W. Meyer Music Co., I4j West
Forty-fifth street, the company is now being reor-
ganized as the Morris Richmond Music Co., with
Morris Richmond the active factor in the new
company, as he was in the old. The business of
the company, which is particularly active at the
present time, will not be affected in any particular
by the reorganization except in the change of
name. Several additions have been made to both
the professional and sales staffs of the company
recently.
LIBRETTO TOTHE RESCUE.
How even an opera libretto may have its uses is
shown by Bernard Shaw, who relates this incident:
"Once I was in Milan with a party of English
friends, dining at a railway restaurant. Our waiter
spake no language other than his own. When the
moment came to pay and rush for our train we
were unable to make him understand that we
wanted not one bill, but twenty-four separate ones.
My friends insisted that I must know Italian—I
racked my memory for chips from the language of
Dante, in vain. All of a sudden a line from 'The
Huguenots' flashed to my brain: 'Ognuno per se;
per sutto il del' (every man for himself and heaven
for all), I declaimed with triumphant success. The
army of waiters was doubled up with laughter,
and my fame as an Italian scholar has been on
the increase ever since."
JOINS SHEET MUSIC DEPARTMENT.
(Special to The Review.)
TORONTO, ONT., March 9.—Lou Seckinger, well-
known in the sheet music trade in Canada, has re-
turned from the States, where he has been located
for some time past, and has joined the staff of
the sheet music department of the Nordheimer
Piano and Music Co., in this city.
"The Red Canary," a new musical comedy, now
in rehearsal, will be seen at the Lyric Theater,
New York, at an early date.
LIONEL BAXTER'S
European Waltz Sensation
VALSE JUNE
(HESITATION OR BOSTON)
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OR MORE
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W T Don't Overlook This Chance
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NOTE—Sample Copy, "Valse June," sent
to recognized music dealers upon receipt
of Five cents in postage stamps.
Exclusive Rights for United
States and Canada Owned by
SAM FOX PUB. CO.
340-344 The Arcade, Cleveland, 0.
(Mention Music Trade Review)