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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
60
MUSIC LEAGUE ORGANIZED.
New League Formed for the Purpose of Fur-
thering the Interests of Young Artists Who
Have Talent but Are Without Means or Pat-
ronage—Will Endeavor to Eliminate Present
Sensationalism in Music.
A new association called the Music League of
America has been incorporated for the furtherance
of young artists who. have the talent but who are
not able to place themselves under the management
of the large bureaus and managerial care.
Behind this organization are the names of Mrs.
If. O. Havemeyer, president; Mrs. Willard D.
Straight and Mrs. Otto H. Kahn, first and second
vice-presidents; Mrs. Linzee Blagden, third vice-
president, with Messrs. D. Hennen Morris and
Alvin Krech, respectively, secretary and treasurer.
Some of the important promises made by the
Music League to those under its protection and
exploitation are that they shall have the oppor-
tunities to demonstrate their fitness to serve the
profession and to be paid properly therefor; to
secure engagements for those who. deserve them;
to attempt to dissuade those of limited talents
from trying to entef this particular field, and to
try to cultivate the highest standards among the
audiences.
The organization further states that it will try to
eliminate sensationalism in music; but'inasmuch
as sensationalism is not defined, it would be diffi-
cult to know whether they will dissuade the per-
formance of a Schienberg composition, a "Caruso
night" at the opera or a joint recital by Mischa
Elman and Josef Hofmann.
Chorus" from "Faust" should hearten up an influ-
enza victim considerably and make him forget
his aches and pains in a desire to beat time to the
martial music. As he progresses toward health an
occasional dash of Brahms works wonders.
HOW DOES A SONG_BECOME POPULAR
Hermann Lohr, the Famous Composer, in Re-
cent Interview, Airs His Views of the Matter
—The Success That Has Attended "Little
Grey Home in the West."
How does a song become popular? And what
constitutes a popular song?
Some songs will hit the public taste instantly,
but their success is .ephemeral and they quickly
give place to another. Others go quietly along,
gradually winning their way to popular favor and
increasing their sales until one day it is realized
that they are good.
Such a song is "Where My Caravan Has.
Rested," written by Hermann Lohr, who is
also the composer of the "Little Grey Home in
the West," a song which has proven a phenomenal
success both in Great Britain and America.
There is a marked difference in the way these
two songs became popular. While "Caravan"
crept into favor gradually, "Grey Home" capti-
vated the public instantly and to-day it is certainly
the best selling song on the market. The Conti-
nent is buying it largely—a rare tribute to an
English song—while the Colonies are clamoring
for a song which brings the homeland so near as
does "The Little Grey Home."
But "Where My Caravan Has Rested," though
written almost as many months ago as "Grey
Home" was written weeks, has only just crept into
VIRTUES OFJHUSIC CURE.
public favor.
Works by Schubert, Brahms, and Scarlatti the
And yet the composer confessed to a "Daily
Best for Patients.
Sketch" representative that he had no particular
intentions when he wrote the music. To him it
A dispatch from London to the New York was just a song, though he admitted the words
Times says that music cure for invalids is again made a stronger appeal than most song lyrics do.
a subject of discussion by doctors, who find that
The Romany Mysticism.
in cases of lethargic convalescence it gives the
"Perhaps," he said, "it was because of my
patient a decided fillip.
Hungarian ancestry"—Mr. Lohr's grandfather was
There is a woman musician in London who for a Hungarian—"that I tried to catch the Romany
some time past has made a specialty of playing the atmosphere, the Romany weirdness and romanti-
piano to invalids, generally in pursuance of med- cism, and to express them in the song.
ical orders. The favorite piece for convalescents
"I like 'Caravan' better than any song I have
is Schubert's Impromptu in G major, and Brahms ever written. I had the most pleasure in writing
and Scarlatti seem to have an excellent effect.
it and it is the one which, strangely enough, most
Brahms's music is considered healthy, and Scar- people have written me about.
latti's, according to the doctors, has a "happy
"I have received many letters from different
note."
kinds of people all over the world thanking me
Ethel Rayson, who is an authority on "poetry for it, and their thanks are for reasons which I
interpreted by music," had opportunities in Ger- must confess I cannot myself thoroughly under-
many and elsewhere of judging the effect of some stand—it is some sad, underlying sentiment which
composers' work on certain individuals, and be- makes its appeal.
lieves the music cure has a future, and that pills
"It was in 1908—so long ago as that—when
and potions may become of less importance.
'Caravan' was written. It was not an instanta-
"Take the case of a convalescent patient regain- neous success, for it is not a song to appeal to
ing strength and hope in an environment far from everybody, and I cannot explain why it has sud-
home," she said. "Then observe the effect of
denly become so successful. Very often a song
'Home, Sweet Home.' Probably her progress will remain practically unknown for a year or two
toward health will be arrested momentarily. Let and then its qualities make it popular."
the patient hear 'Coming Thro' the Rye,' how-
ever. Her eyes will sparkle, a glow will spread
"THE RED CANARYMYELL RECEIVED.
over her cheeks, and she will look forward to
New Musical Summer Show Presented on Mon-
being up and about within a very short while."
day Night at the Lyric Theater.
Donizetti is said to be a specific for the dold-
rums, and Tschaikowsky a solace during a spell
"The Red Canary," a new musical comedy with
of toothache, while Schubert may allay the pangs an interesting cast, was presented in New York at
of mal de mer.
the Lyric Theater Monday night, and was cordially
For influenza Miss Rayson sings the praises of
received. The play is by Will B. Johnstone and
popular operatic airs. She says the "Soldiers' William Le Baron and the music is by Harold
Orlob. The production is made under the direction
of John Cort.
We Are the Publishers o: the Waltz Song
Like most o.f the summer plays, there was but
Success
little plot, and what plot there was centered around
the idea that certain colors influence the emotions.
From Ivan Caryll's New Musical Comedy
Through the color arrangement in four different
Success
rooms the principals concerned in the plot managed
to make many mixups and complications in the
"The Little Cafe"
love affairs of the other members in the cast.
There was an unusually large chorus, which sang
C H A P P E L L & CO., L t d .
Mr. Orlob's ensembles acceptably. Most of the
41 East 34th St., - NEW YORK
music in the first act called for rapid tempo, but
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in the second act there were several tuneful num-
bers and some interesting specialties.
The musical numbers include "The Call of Love,"
"Buy, Buy, Buy," "Diaphanous Diana," "I'm So
Weary," "Come to Paris," "Good-bye to Blue,"
"The Color Mixing Scene," "The Garden of Birds,"
"The Cabaret Siren" and a half dozen or more of
equal attractiveness. The score is published by
M. Witmark & Sons.
COSTUMES FOR COMPOSING.
Peculiarities of Famous Composers in Wearing
Costumes Suitable to the Character of the
Music Upon Which They Were Working.
Of the score of greatest composers perhaps none
was more eccentric than that founder of the mod-
ern German operatic school, Richard Wagner.
"The caller who was unaware of one of his pecu-
liarities might suffer a mild shock," says W. F.
Gates in "Anecdotes o.f Great Musicians," "for on
entering the room where his visitor was seated
Wagner would throw the door wide open before
him, as if it were fit that his approach should be
heralded like that of a king, and he would stand
for a moment on the threshold, a curious mediaeval
figure in a frame.
"The mystified visitor, rising from his seat,
would behold a man clad in a costume of velvet
and satin, like those of the early Tudor period,
and wearing a bonnet, such as are seen in portraits
of Henry VI. and his three successors. Buffon
used to put on lace ruffles and cuffs when he wrote,
and Wagner had his composing costume—that of
a meistersinger—or rather several costumes, for
he would vary his attire according to his moods.
Among the manuscripts recently sold in Berlin
was that of a funeral march, composed by Wagner
in 18-11, while he filled the position of kapellmeister
at Dresden, for the occasion when Weber's re-
mains were brought from London, where he had
died on June 5, 1826. Wagner himself says:
"The procession was to occur in the evening and
there were to be flaming torches. I promised to.
furnish a funeral march, and I utilized two motifs
from 'Kuryanthe 1 I began with the 'Vision,' of the
overture, and later used 'Here Near the Spring,'
which 1 did not change except to transpose the
key. A reprise of the first motif clo.sed the march.
"I had orchestrated this piece for twenty-four
carefully chosen wind instruments, which I had
taken care to employ in their softest tones. I re-
placed the terrifying tremolo of violas, in the pass-
age taken from the o.verture, by twenty muted
drums, rolled pianissimo. I obtained from the
whole, when we had an ensemble rehearsal in the
theater, so seizing an impression and an effect so
moving that Mme. Schroeder-Dcvrient, the friend
of Weber, who was present, was seized with emo-
tion such as none of my other works has awakened."
The Beautiful Novelty Song Sensation
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