Music Trade Review

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MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
8
SUMMER DAYS.
Lazy, languid summer days,
Virile love with Flora plays,
Nature all is smiling;
Odors sweet the glad air fill,
Joyous sounds the being thrill,
All our cares beguiling.
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Field and copse and bowery glen
Clothe themselves with green, as when
Touched with magic finger;
Dewdrops kiss the buds and flowers,
Fairies hide in leafy bovvers,
Psyche in woodland lingers.
Droning, moaning bugs and bees,
In and out, among the trees,
With the blossoms dally;
Where the thirsty cattle quaff,
Purling rills and brooklets laugh,
Through'the mead and valley,
Now the vibrant, joyous air
Teems with music everywhere;
Saucy wild birds, singing,
Wake anew the love of life,
Ardent passion, feeling rife
Into being bringing.
Lazy, languid summer days,
Charming all our wayward ways,
Sins and ills abating,
Like an influence from above.
While all nature teaches love,
Why should man be hating?
J. W. Chapin, in The Progress.
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T H E present war has brought forth in-
* numerable song writers. Hundreds
of ambitious writers have set thrilling
music to patriotic verse, hoping thereby
to win fame and incidentally fortune, but
thus far can we point to one single war
song which has created more than a ripple
upon the popular current?
It has been stated that out of this war
would come a new national melody, but
we rather incline to the belief that the old
songs will not be supplanted by the new.
There is down deep in the heart of every
American a love for '' The Star Spangled
Banner," which I believe will never be
supplanted by any of the modern produc-
tions. It is with us a childhood love, a
part of our very selves.
The present excitement has only, to
our minds, emphasized that " The
Star Spangled Banner" is the hymn
of the Nation. Visit any public place of
amusement when the National airs of all
nations are in the numbers, and see how
quickly the audience is swayed with un-
bounded enthusiasm when " T h e Star
Spangled Banner " is played.
A point which is somewhat peculiar in this
connection, is that the words are not famil-
iar to a majority of our citizens, and may
not be easily recalled, but the bold, in-
spiring melody creates a perfect whirlwind
of enthusiasm. Key wrote the verses the
morning after the defense of Ft. Henry
where he was an officer. The music was
adapted from an old English drinking song.
Key's immortal lyric will last as long as
the Nation. Public impulse finds it the
medium best suited to its expression.
Through the effort of patriotic citizens,
a monument will now be erected to the
memory of Francis Scott Key, the man to
whom America owes a lasting debt of
gratitude.
On June 14th in Mount Olivet Cemetery,
Frederick, Md., a cornerstone was laid of
the monument to Key. It will be built
over the plot of ground where rest the
remains of the great American. The un-
veiling will occur some time the latter part
of next month. It is proposed to make it
a notable event, and the President of the
United States has signified his willingness
to be present upon that occasion.
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
Perhaps McKinley, stirred by the place,
the surroundings, the memories, the
thrilling music, may deliver an oration
which will rank as a classic.
Certainly Lincoln at Gettysburg had no
more soul stirring environments than
McKinley will have when he stands on the
grassy knoll, overlooking the beautiful
Maryland hills, where in eternal slumber
lies the author of '' The Star Spangled
Banner."
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O ^ O HAS seen the birth of a new
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and vigorous claimant for pub-
lic patronage in the piano trade. I refer
to the Everett grand piano. Music trade
history does not afford a similar illustra-
tion whereby an instrument, upon its first
appearance, elicited such warm praise from
musicians and experts as has the Everett
grand. A noble instrument truly, and one
that will be in the thickest of the artistic
fights during the future seasons.
We may not wonder at the superb Ever-
ett creation when we know the intelligent
forces which were instrumental in creating
it. Brains, supplemented by ample capi-
tal, can accomplish a great deal in these
history-making days.
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OOSENTHAL, the great pianist, who
*^ will tour the United States next fall,
when interviewed recently in London,
said:
'' Audiences in general are very much
inclined to regard a pianist's energy as
technic, rather than force of expression,
and mere cantilene for soul—in other
words, pianissimo for soul, and fortissimo
for technic—forgetting that he is not
always free in the matter of nuance.
There is a heroic way in music, as well as
a lyrical way. Technic in pianissimo is
difficult, but easier than a good sounding
fortissimo." In reference to Rubinstein
and Liszt, he said: " I was more impres-
sed with Rubinstein than Liszt, though
the latter was in some respects incompar-
able. Perhaps it was because the tempera-
ment of Rubinstein was more like my
own." As to his preference in the matter
of compositions, he has a fondness for
Schumann's concerto. "Liszt's concerto
in E flat is very dashing, but it is paradoxi-
cal, and I do not rank it very high. I
much prefer Chopin's in E minor, because
this composer, to my mind, has the max-
imum of energy compressed in a nut-shell.
In the highest sense he thought out and
made his form. I also admire his sonatas.
My estimate of Chopin increases year by
year. His gentler qualities caught me in
the first instance, but I have since com-
prehended his artistic power and intel-
lectuality. Chopin produced nothing that
was lacking in finish."
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'"THE Sohmer piano was largely in evi-
* dence at the recent Music Teachers'
Convention at the Waldorf-Astoria.
"What a noble instrument! " remarked a
lady sitting near me while the Sohmer
piano was being played upon by one of the
artists. " Yes," her friend remarked, " I
think the Sohmer instrument is just love-
OPEAKING of trusts, The Journal, of
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New York, had a big scare heading
last Tuesday, "Trusts May Shake Off
Comic Songs." Among other things it had
to say the following:
The Rialto is painfully excited over the
intelligence that a ' popular song trust' has
been organized by the leading publish-
ers of this class of music throughout the
country, and that henceforth any actor
daring to sing any songs issuing from any
houses but those in the trust will be im-
mediately blacklisted and forced to go out
of business.
The same fate is in store for any com-
poser who has the nerve to publish through
any but trust houses. If he dares to pat-
ronize one of the smaller publishers he
also will be put on the black list, and all
his future endeavors to gain name and
fame frustrated.
It is said that the publishing houses
already in the trust are Howley, Haviland
& Co., Stern & Co., Witmark & Co., of
West Twenty-eighth street; F. A. Mills
and T. B. Harms. Others, it is asserted,
will soon follow, and the smaller publisher
will be pushed to the wall.
There have been mutterings of this
storm for some time past, but these only
assumed ominous proportions yesterday.
"Do I believe there's a trust of this