Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
44
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
the circuit, going to Philadelphia on the 14th for
a fortnight, coming into New York about April
1; "The Girl Behind the Counter," by Harold
Talbot, and "The Daisy Maids," by Paul A. Ru-
bens and Frank B. Tours, are now in preparation
and will be produced this spring. "Experience"
and "Love's Last Word," a high-class ballad,
are both selling splendidly, according to the
report of Manager Eastman, who is reviewing
the outlook for his firm with great equanimity.
"Arrah Wanna." James B. Donovan and Rena
Arnold write that "Arrah Wanna" is the hit
song of their act. The Bradfords are featuring
the following songs from the F. B. Haviland
Publishing Co.: "Lovin' Time," "Arrah Wanna,"
"It's Great to Be a Soldier Man" and "Maybe
Some Time." Many requests from the best per-
formers in the business have been received for
Drislane's and Morse's big song hits—"Maybe
Some Time," "Arrah Wanna" and "Nobody's
Little Girl."
DE ANGELES DISCUSSES SONG.
How a Topical Song Ofttimes Makes a Play a
Success.
In a recent interview Jefferson de Angelis, now
filling the title role in "The Girl and the Gover-
nor," said: "I think the ideal musical play of
the future is not one composed of a string of
specialties and vaudeville acts; not one loaded
up with irrelevant songs; not one where a lot of
chorus girls in tights are danced in and off with-
out rhyme or reason. The song should be part
of the play. The chorus should be legitimate
characters of the play."
"Can a topical song make a musical play a
success?" "No, it is only an advertisement. I
suppose that song that I sang in 'Fantana,' 'Tam-
many,' was as popular as any song that has
been sung for many years. And it got so that I
was absolutely ashamed to sing it. I tried my
best to cut it out and sing something else. But
the audience would not let me. They insisted on
'Tammany.' And 'Tammany' advertised the show
so well that while we thought seriously of clos-
ing it up after two weeks, the advertisement
that 'Tammany' gave undoubtedly kept the at-
traction here for our run of forty-four weeks."
"You must remember that this song of 'Tam-
many' had nothing whatever to do with the play.
It was not in the original production at all. In
Chicago without it we had a very successful en-
gagement for a very long time. When we came
to New York at first they did not want us. Then
I sang 'Tammany' and it was better than a hun-
dred thousand three sheets. Everybody was
whistling it and singing it. And that led others
to come to the theatre and see that the show
was really a good one. No one song, however,
can make a bad show a success; but it can do a
great deal to advertise a good show."
A SPLENDID EASTER SONG.
Although a resident of the Middle West, Al-
fred G. Robyn is well known through his musical
compositions wherever light opera, high class
concerts and musical church services are given.
Mr. Robyn is a man of many gifts, and while
successful as a writer of music in the light hu-
morous vein, he has an original and high con-
ception of the music required for religious fes-
tivals and occasions. Hence his cantata, "The
Ascension," is of an unusual order. It contains
twelve numbers, and is a delightful composition,
rich and varied in melody, harmony and in the
treatment of the theme of Eastertide. The mu-
sic indeed particularly fits the well-chosen words,
and contain the joyous note and triumphant
strain which Easter itself suggests. Music of
this class has always appealed strongly to Mr.
Robyn, and in it he has been singularly success-
ful, as is evidenced by the list of anthems, hymns
and musical numbers for special occasions which
bear his name.
In "The Ascension" the music glows with the
sympathy, congeniality and spontaneity which
are so characteristic of Mr. Robyn, and it is one
of the most delightful compositions that can be
selected for an Easter service. The solos are ar-
ranged for soprano and bass, and the choruses
are full and musical, yet not at all difficult. Mr.
Robyn has the faculty of putting into his com-
positions the mystic touch which all recognize
whether enjoying his light operas, his songs or
his music of a sacred character, and that is one
of his secrets of success. It will be difficult to
select a more meritorious Easter work than
"The Ascension," or one which will be more
pleasing. M. Witmark & Sons are the publishers
of all of Mr. Robyn's work.
MORSE AND DRISLANE'S SONG HITS.
PATENT ON A NAME.
Tom Moore continues to sing "Arrah Wanna"
with great success. Eloise Anderson is featuring
"Arrah Wanna" and "Maybe Some Time." Sadie
O'Neill is meeting with great success singing
Few persons are aware that the name of Melba
has been secured by letters patent in the United
States. When the diva first visited this country
everybody was Melba mad, with the result that
REMOVAL NOTICE
T. 8 . HARMS COMPANY
Are at their New Quarters
No. 1431-33 BROADWAY, NEW YORK
everything was called Melba. One day Mme.
Melba went into a shop and it occurred to her to
ask the proprietor whether he did not think he
should have asked for permission before using
the name.
"No," he replied calmly, "Melba's name is not
her own. I am as much entitled to use it as she
is." The idea did not commend itself to the
great singer's lawyers. They therefore advised
that letters patent should be applied for, and
to-day no one can use the name of Melba for any
article without first obtaining permission from
its rightful owner.
ANALYZING POPULAR SONGS.
The Character of Songs Change Just Like the
Fashions—Some Recent importations That
Are Destined to Prove Popular.
"Popular songs are cut less pathetic this winter
than last, and a little more on the lightsome than
in former years. The music one hears nowadays
or now-a-nights at the vaudeville theaters, music
halls, concert gardens and rathskellers has lost
its somber, wailing 'I loved her, but she went
away' air for a more optimistic, even if a more
cynical or humorous, tone," observes a philosoph-
ical writer in the New York Herald, who makes
it his business to study the popular song mar-
ket, his remarks being interspersed with copious
extracts from the numbers that appeal either to
his sense of cynicism or his humor.
"There does not seem to be a single 'mother'
song so called, popular to-day, and by the same
token 'father' has been dropped as one deserving
of ephemeral sympathy only. Instead there have
appeared the forerunners of a new vogue, and
that is the Italian dialect song. Music men say
they do not know whether it is because the read-
ing public has taken a.fancy to the dialect, as
evidenced by the number of verses appearing
everywhere, or whether it is because the Italian
population is increasing. At all events, the two
songs of this class are now known as 'hot sell-
ers.'
Of these two, 'My Mariuccia' is one, al-
though M. Witmark & Sons 'Good-a-bye, John,'
seems to have the lead.
" 'My Mariuccia' is one of those songs which
have at intervals a musical pause long enough
to permit whistles being given by the audience
or stamps of their feet or resounding raps on a
table with a glass or stein.
"After the two novelty songs, which give prom-
ise of having many successors within the next
few months, come some of the old timers. Of
course, the good old adverb song is still popular
—the 'when the/ 'how the,' 'where the' song, so
dear to the home and fireside. 'When the Flow-
ers Bloom in Spring Time, Molly Dear,' is one of
the adverb hits, as they are called. As usual, this
one is a promise of marriage conditioned on the
flowers blooming in the spring, which, according
to the New York cases, does not bind the promis-
ing party. It is therefore more popular in New
York City.
"The heart throb ballad sets forth 'While the
Old Mill Wheel Is Turning.' This is nothing
but melancholy, except in the music. The song
is not exactly new, but it holds a place in the
affections of persons who like to think how sad
they are. It tells of the love of a young man for
a girl, of course, and also tells how the young
man is called to the city. Before he goes he
tells his sweetheart that he will never forget her
'while the old mill wheel is turning.' He goes
away from there, and one day just as they sub-
stitute steam for the wheel, or something like
that, she gets a telegram that he passed away
in the city.
" 'When the Evening Breeze is Sighing Home,
Sweet Home,' is another adverbial proposition
that, in the technique of the Rialto, is 'beaten to
a whisper' by tenors of minstrel shows, and the
sentimental-looking men who come forth and
take a high note at the conclusion of every song.
It comes from Jos. W. Stern & Co. 'After They
Gather the Hay,' which is put forth by the same
firm, is a pastoral set to music, the plot of which
is slightly vague. There has evidently been a