Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
VSIC r VBLI5MIN©
Conducted by B. B. Wilson
CONDITIONSJN_THE TRADE.
Rumors of Impending Disaster to Various Pub-
lishing Houses Lead to Consideration of
Actual Situation—Where Watchful Waiting
Costs Money—Some Fads That Hurt.
Every once or so often comes a flood of rumors
regarding the probable failure of one or several
music publishing houses of more or less promi-
nence, which rumors, in the majority of cases,
seldom develop into the fact class. Lack of suc-
cessful songs or excessive expenditures for the
purpose of developing songs into hits are offered
as the basis for the rumors, and in recent cases
it is probably that the reports are a trifle more
worthy of attention than for some time past.
Several concerns have failed to develop hits or
even fairly successful sellers during the past few
months and for these the summer will be long
and hard, for operating costs serve to. deplete
capital and reserve regardless of whether or not
there is anything coming in.
The average sale of songs, with the exception
of the big successes, is little, if any, larger than
the average 'sales of some years ago, despite the
prices to both the dealer and the public have been
cut fifty per cent, or more. In addition to this
fact, the number of publishers in competition has
increased greatly, and the methods of exploiting
songs much more expensive than formerly, with
the result that the publisher needs good songs an 1
plenty of them to keep things going. When the
songs don't materialize trouble does. Then, too,
a half dozen big hits made regardless of expense
and with money going out at the professional end
faster than it can come in at the sales end, is also
a prolific cause of trouble.
The heavy increase in interest in the motion
picture shows, especially of the cheaper sort, the
dance craze and the mechanical instruments have
all contributed to reduce the demand for sheet
music. When the craze for motion pictures and
dancing subsides better times are to be hoped for.
$100^ IN PRIZES
GIVEN AWAY
FIRST PRIZE $50 THIRD PRIZE $15
SECOND PRIZE $25 FOURTH PRIZE $10
The Above Cash Prizes are to be Given for the First,
i Second, Third and Fourth
MOST ATTRACTIVE AND ORIGINAL
WINDOW DISPLAYS
(if the Greatest of all Hesitation Waltzes,
"VALSE JUNE"
By LIONEL BAXTER
Contest Closes June 20th, 1914
Prizes to \>v Awarded oir
June 30th, 1914
]>y Three Competent Judges.
SELECTION OF THE WINNING DISPLAYS
To be Made Only from
"PHOTOGRAPHS"
Furnished by those entering this contest
CONTEST OPEN TO ALL MUSIC
DEALERS, 5 AND 1 0 c STORES
AND
DEPARTMENT
STORES
nd "Photographs" on or before June 20th, to
SAM FOX PUB. CO-
340-344 The Arcade, CLEVELAND
10 MILLION
PEOPLE
will read
about our
10 BIG HITS
in the
SATURDAY
EVENING
POST
of May 23d
Be Prepared
M U S I C L O V E R S ! Great Songs
— Successful Dancing Numbers
Try These Big Successes on Your Piano :
TWO WONDERFUL BALLADS:
Alice of Old Vincennes
My Diane of the Green Van
(I Love You)
(As Good aa the book)
H S K , »ffirtj]
!*^5i8Wii|ir i\i
" Hesitation Waltz" by Klickman. Most Popular "Hesitation" Today
to supply the
demand this
ad will create
Place orders
now for 10 big
sellers listed
on ad here
reproduced
McKINLEY
MUSIC CO.
Other Song Successes
Great Dance Numbers
"Just Like The Rose You Gave."
"Sing Me The Rosary."
"If I Could Only Call You Mine."
"Dream Waltz", introducing Barcarolle from
"Tales of Hoffman." _
"Thanks For the Lobster", Tango.
j]One Wonderful Night". Waltz (Hesitation).
"In Search of A Husband", Tango.
Any Woolworth, Kresge, Kre89, McCrory, or any 10 cent store, or any department store
or music dealer can supply above "hits". If your dealer cannot supply you, send us 12
cents for any one piece, 55 cents for any 5 pieces. $1.05 for the 10 pieces on this list.
Chicago:
1501-1513 E. 55th St.
York
Fifth Avenue
McKinley Music Co. 80 New
DEATH OF F^H. HELMICK.
NEW DITSON PUBLICATIONS.
Former Head of G.obe Music Co. a Suicide
After Succession of Business Reverses.
Three Interesting Volumes Just Issued Which
Are of Exceeding Merit.
.Frederick H. HelmicK, formerly proprietor oi
the Gioue Music Co., of 119J Broadway, killed
himself with gas last week at his home in this
city. Mr. Helmick, who was seventy-tnree years
old, came to this city from Cincinnati twenty years
ago with capital he had acquired as a manuiac-
turer of pianos.
His music publishing' business prospered until
the death of his wife two years ago. Mr. Helmick,
grieving, became careless. Last January his cred-
itors forced him to give up his holdings in the
publishing company, and two weeks ago he lost
even the nominal status of an employe.
Mr. Helmick had a laboratory in his home and
dabbled with chemical solutions which he believed
would affect the tone of wooden musical instru-
ments impregnated with them.
The latest addition to the "Musicians' Library,"
that wonderful compilation of high-class music
published by the Oliver Ditson Co., Boston, Mass.,
is "Anthology of German Piano Music," edited by
Mo.ritz Moszkowski.
Volume .1, the publication under discussion,
treats of the early composers such as Froberger,
Pachelbel, Kuhnau, Mattheson, Muffat, Handel,
Johann S. Bach, Graun, W. F. Bach, Krebs, Philipp
E. Bach, Kirnberger, Haydn, Hassler, Mozart and
Beethoven. The extracts from the works of these
composers form the nucleus of a library in itself.
Mo.ritz Moszkowski's introductory is written in
German and English, and the volume is produced
in that finished and capable style for which the
Ditson house is famous.
Another Ditson publication is "Twelve Short
Poems for Violin and Piano," by Cecil Burleigh.
MEMORIALJTO A HYMN.
These musical poems are admirably scored and
Daughters of 1812 to
Honor
"The
Star-
form a delightful contribution fo.r home study and
Spangled Banner."
entertainment. Indeed, some of them are of suf-
ficient merit to be suitable for encore pieces in
(Special to The Review.)
concert.
NEW HAVEN, CONN., May 4.—A memorial to
The Ditson house has just issued a rather odd
"The Star-Spangled Banner," to be established by
but
exceedingly interesting volume entitled "Sixty
the Daughters of 1812 and to be presented to the
Musical Games and Recreations for Little Mu-
nation on the 100th anniversary of the writing of
the hymn, was provided for in a resolution adopted sicians," which is written by Laura Rountree
Smith in a manner that will afford pleasure to
to-day by the Associate Council of the society in
tho.se
who desire to present the facts of music to
national sessio.ii here. Mrs. B. L. Whitney, of Detroit,
offered the resolution, which was based upon the children in a manner that will hold their attention
official announcement that the New York Chapter and at the same time educate and interest them.
For classroom work and pupil recitations this
would assume the obligations of the Daughters to
contribute $10,000 for a room in the proposed volume will be found almost indispensable. It
George Washington Memorial Building in Wash- can be recommended most heartily for its value in
ington, leaving the Daughters free to divert to stimulating a greater love and knowledge of music
other purposes the contributions already made by among ambitious youngsters.
State chapters to the memorial room.
Mrs. Whitney said the contributions to date
SONG SUIT DISMISSED BY COURT.
amounted to only $510, that the proposed me-
(Special to The Review.)
morial would cost $800, and that the remainder
TRENTON, N. J., May 4.—The suit for infringe-
could be raised by a 50 per cent, per capita tax
on members in States which had not already con- ment on the coypright of the popular song, "Till
the Sands of the Desert Grow Cold," brought
tributed.
by M. Witmark & Sons, music publishers of New
Percy Wenrich, long prominent as a song writer, York, against the Standard Music Roll Co., of
has joined the large Feist staff in that capacity and Orange, N. J., was dismissed last week in an
his future numbers will be handled by the Feist opinion filed in the United States Court here by
house.
Judge Edward G. Bradford.