Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
50
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
ly a million copies were sold before his death
NEWEST "HALF DOLLAR" VOLUME
in 1864. At recitals one does not hear these
Book
of "Songs With Violin" Just Issued by
Songs of Stephen A. Foster Declared to Be the delightful songs, because their accompaniments
Oliver Ditson Co.
Best Example of Typical American Composi- are so simple; but there can be no doubt that
if a singer should revive some of the less-
tions Despite Arguments to the Contrary
The latest addition to the successful Half
known of Foster's songs, his or her audiences Dollar Music Series issued by the Oliver Dit-
What is American music? The question of would appreciate and warmly applaud them.
son Co., is a volume of "Songs With Violin,"
nationality is a more difficult one in music than
A few years ago a fierce battle raged around carefully edited and arranged. The violin parts
in any other art. Handel was born in Ger- the name of Foster. His songs, all the parties of the separate songs are bound together in
many, but he spent the last forty-seven years admitted, are popular, but can they be called an extra folder and inserted in the volume, for
of his life in England, where he came under folk-songs? It is, of course, all a matter of the convenience of those reading the book,
the influence of its greatest composer, Henry definition, The chief German authority, Dr. which in itself is the most acceptable addition
Purcell, and otherwise absorbed so much of the Rieman, in his "Musik-Lexicon," describes a of the series.
musical—and religious—spirit of the Britons Volkslied comprehensively as "a song which
that he may be classed as an English composer. originated among the people, the author's and CUSTOMS DECISION ON MUSIC BOOKS
Two other Germans, Gluck and Meyerbeer, composer's name being no longer known; or one
In a recent decision sustaining a protest of
helped to build up French opera in the genuine which has passed into popular favor; or, finally,
French style. Beethoven was ethnologically a one which has been composed purposely in a the Societa Libraria Italiana of this city, the
Belgian, but his grandfather made his home popular manner, and is simple and easily un- Board of General Appraisers holds that books
in Bonn, and the great composer, from his child- derstood, harmonically as well as melodically." which contain in addition to the notes of the
hood, lived in a Teutonic atmosphere which Others, including Dr. F'riedlander and several music a considerable amount of text printed
resulted in making his works unmistakably prominent American critics, hold that the name in a language other than English, the printed
German, or Austrian. Grieg's paternal ances- folk-song can be properly applied only to songs text constituting a very significant and import-
tors were Scotch, and there are some, includ- the authors of which are unknown. The nar- ant feature of the work, are properly classifi-
ing the Grieg specialist, Percy Grainger, who rowness and absurdity of this view can be able as "books printed wholly or chiefly in lan-
hold that there is more of the Scotch spirit in glaringly exposed by a simple question. Sup- guages other than English," and as such free
of duty under paragraph 426 of the act of 1913,
his music than of the Norwegian.
pose some delver among old manuscripts cas- as claimed by the importers, rather than duti-
Coming to America, how shall we classify, ually discovered the names of the creators of able at the rate of 15 per cent, ad valorem un-
say, Walter Damrosch? says Henry T. Finsk, a dozen melodies which everybody now clas- der paragraph 329 as "music in books or
in the New York Evening Post. He was born sifies as folk-songs; would they, therefore, sud- sheets," as classified by the Collector.
at Breslau, but came to America as a boy and denly cease to be such? Foster's songs are,
has done all his work here. His compositions from every point of view, real folk-music; they
The Ohio State Piano Co. is a new concern
are American folk-songs.
are commonplace, and there is in them no more
at 819 West Federal street, Youngstown, O.
trace of Americanism than there would be if
he had remained in Prussia. It is otherwise
with Victor Herbert. He was born in Ire-
land, and for some years practiced music in
Stuttgart; yet his numerous compositions are
neither Irish as a rule, nor German, but un-
mistakably American. Indeed, Mr. Herbert, in
his forty operettas, or comic operas, helped
MAKERS OF
to build up a real American "school of music,"
to use a conventional expression. The most
thoroughly American of all composers, how-
ever, are Stephen Foster and Edward Mac-
W EW YORK
7O5-717
Whitlock
Dowell, who were born in this country.
Stephen Foster has been for decades the
Have been before
most popular of all composers in America. No
other songs are sung so often at social gath-
t
he trade f o r a
erings as his "My Old Kentucky Home," "Nel-
third of a century
lie Gray," "Massa's in de Cold, Cold Ground,"
"Willie, We Have Missed You," and, particu- B A U S P I A N O C O . , I n c . Factory, Southern Boulevard and Cypress Ave.. NEWYORK
larly, "The Old Folks at Home," of which near-
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