Music Trade Review
Issue: 1917 Vol. 65 N. 13 - Page 10
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10
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
MUSICALLY SPEAKING
{Continued from page 9)
just in order that one hundred additional chairs
might be placed in the room and that much
more money be available for the poor prison-
ers. A deputation of the latter had free seats
in the gallery. Handel had given his services
free, and so had the chief singers, Mrs. Colley
Cibber, wife of the great actor, Mrs. Avolio,
Mr. Dubourg and others. The enthusiasm of
the audience increased almost to madness as
the successive glories of Handel's genius were
unfolded to their enraptured hearing. Ladies
wept and almost swooned, gentlemen of fashion
stamped and shouted, hysterically. One clergy-
man, mingling theological assurance with a de-
liciously national tendency to unconscious
humor, cried out to Mrs. Cibber, at the close of
one of her airs, "Woman, for this thy sins be
forgiven thee"; which must have both amused
and irritated that extremely virtuous lady.
In a word, the success was stupendous; and
it is quite gratifying to know that the poor
debtors profited to the extent of over £400.
Since that day Handel's "Messiah" has been
the one musical work which all the English-
speaking world has known, has fervently loved,
and has made its every own.
An Anglo-Saxon
Yet Handel, seemingly so English in spirit
and genius, was in fact a Saxon and to the end
of his life spoke with a marked accent. But in
truth he was as much Anglo-Saxon; and his
music speaks out that fine sturdy spirit of in-
dependence which, a century before that April
day in Dublin, had flamed out in the Great
Rebellion of 1642, had by legal process tried
and convicted a king for capital crimes in 1649,
and forty years later, when Handel was already
four years old, had forced the flight of the tyran-
nical James and seated William and Mary in
his place.
Handel is justly claimed by the
Anglo-Saxon world; and no more compelling
musical voice than his has yet spoken to that
world.
A Player-Piano Lock
It is an unfortunate fact that very little of
Handel's glorious music has been recorded for
the benefit of player-pianists. The catalogs
of the best publishers reveal a meager display.
The variations on an original theme, known gen-
erally by the name of "The Harmonious Black-
smith," head the list. These are taken from a
book of pieces for the harpsichord which is to
be found among Handel's lighter works. It
must be remembered then he was the greatest
organist and harpsichordist of his day, and his
virtuoso performances on the keyboard were
for long wholly unsurpassed.
Many small
pieces for the harpsichord, as well as some fine
concertos and fantasias for the organ, were
composed by him. It is too bad that there are
not more arranged for us player-pianists. "The
Harmonious Blacksmith" variations are simple
and quaint to modern ears, but charming to the
last degree.
We are more sophisticated in
these days; but that is not altogether a matter
for congratulation.
The famous Largo is in reality an air from one
of Handel's forgotten Italian-style operas. Its
solemn beat seems, to our ears, to indicate the
measured tread of a sacred procession; but it
was written for purely secular uses. It has
been arranged for organ, piano, orchestra great
and orchestra small, for violin with orchestra
and for violin with piano, for 'cello with or-
chestra and for 'cello with piano. Modern
words have been set to it. It has been played
by every instrument in the world save the
mandolin, one is inclined to think. There are
some good arrangements of it for the player-
piano and all should possess at least one of
these.
The glorious "Messiah" is represented in roll
catalogs by the Hallelujah chorus, and by the
lovely aria "He Shall Feed His Flock." In
the 65-note days one remembers that there were
many more good things. The Q R S catalog
of those days held the Overture with its grave
introduction and line fugue, the first recitative,
"Comfort Ye, My People," followed by the fine
air "Every Valley," the grand chorus "Lift Up
Your Heads, O! Ye Gates," and the splendid
bass solo, "Why Do the Nations so Furiously
Rage Together?" And there were others. Is
it not too bad that we have them no longer?
In addition to the above, there are some ac-
companiment rolls in the Aeolian catalog for
arias from the "Messiah." The famous Dead
March from the Oratorio "Saul" is still much
played and can also be had for player-piano. It
remain's a favorite for military bands on solemn
occasions.
The quantity of music for organ which Handel
left and which is still delightedly played by or-
ganists has not a single representative, so far
as the writer knows, in all the music roll cat-
alogs. Yet one of the best fields for player-
piano transcription is found in these wonder-
ful old organ works, as well as in those of the
mighty Bach and the polished Mendelssohn.
What a pity the publishers do not sometimes
give us a little more of them!
On Good Friday, April 13, 1759, the anniver-
sary date of the first performance seventeen
years before of the "Messiah," good Father
Handel, who had conducted a performance of
his greatest work seven days previously, quietly
passed away. It had been his wish to rest in
Westminster Abbey among the eminent men
whose services arc thus honored and their mem-
ory kept green by the people whom good
George Frederic Handel had learned to love,
with whom he had for so many years made his
home, and who had learned to love and honor
him in turn. That wish was gratified. Handel
sleeps in Britain's Pantheon; but his spirit is
still blessedly among us.
FEATURING THE APOLLO
The Knight-Campbell Music Co., of Denver,
Colo., is demonstrating the Apollo player-piano
at its store each afternoon from 2 to 5 o'clock.
The demonstrations are being well attended and
are attracting much attention.
Several sales
have been made as a direct result of the dem-
onstrations.
We Satisfy, But Are Never
Satisfied, With Our Player
For seven years the Schulz System of player construction has pleased,
astonished, satisfied an ever increasing number of piano dealers
throughout the land.
But we ourselves have never allowed our success to make us self-
satisfied. Eternal improvement is the price of permanent success.
And eternal improvement is the watchword of those who produce
the wonderful
M. Schulz Company
Player-Piano
We know our technical principles to be right; but we know that
these principles can be developed continually. So we continue to
improve; not by revolution but by evolution.
Schulz Player - Pianos
Selling Them Is
are
Easy; because they are not du-
plicated in every piano store
on the row.
Profitable; because they can be
sold at a moderate price against
any competition, with a good
margin to spare.
Satisfying; because purchasers
find them to be as represented
and dealers find they stay sold
without complaint from any-
one.
Lightest Pumpers
Most Reliable
Simplest
Most Efficient
Tightest
Most Responsive
Let us send you the Schulz Player Book. It tells you facts you need
to know. Tuners and Repairmen send for our Practical Guide; best
player instruction book ever published. Both free for the asking.
M. SCHULZ COMPANY
General Offices
711 Milwaukee Ave.
CHICAGO
3 Factories in
CHICAGO
Southern Wholesale Branch
1530 Candler Bldg.
ATLANTA, GA.
10
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
MUSICALLY SPEAKING
{Continued from page 9)
just in order that one hundred additional chairs
might be placed in the room and that much
more money be available for the poor prison-
ers. A deputation of the latter had free seats
in the gallery. Handel had given his services
free, and so had the chief singers, Mrs. Colley
Cibber, wife of the great actor, Mrs. Avolio,
Mr. Dubourg and others. The enthusiasm of
the audience increased almost to madness as
the successive glories of Handel's genius were
unfolded to their enraptured hearing. Ladies
wept and almost swooned, gentlemen of fashion
stamped and shouted, hysterically. One clergy-
man, mingling theological assurance with a de-
liciously national tendency to unconscious
humor, cried out to Mrs. Cibber, at the close of
one of her airs, "Woman, for this thy sins be
forgiven thee"; which must have both amused
and irritated that extremely virtuous lady.
In a word, the success was stupendous; and
it is quite gratifying to know that the poor
debtors profited to the extent of over £400.
Since that day Handel's "Messiah" has been
the one musical work which all the English-
speaking world has known, has fervently loved,
and has made its every own.
An Anglo-Saxon
Yet Handel, seemingly so English in spirit
and genius, was in fact a Saxon and to the end
of his life spoke with a marked accent. But in
truth he was as much Anglo-Saxon; and his
music speaks out that fine sturdy spirit of in-
dependence which, a century before that April
day in Dublin, had flamed out in the Great
Rebellion of 1642, had by legal process tried
and convicted a king for capital crimes in 1649,
and forty years later, when Handel was already
four years old, had forced the flight of the tyran-
nical James and seated William and Mary in
his place.
Handel is justly claimed by the
Anglo-Saxon world; and no more compelling
musical voice than his has yet spoken to that
world.
A Player-Piano Lock
It is an unfortunate fact that very little of
Handel's glorious music has been recorded for
the benefit of player-pianists. The catalogs
of the best publishers reveal a meager display.
The variations on an original theme, known gen-
erally by the name of "The Harmonious Black-
smith," head the list. These are taken from a
book of pieces for the harpsichord which is to
be found among Handel's lighter works. It
must be remembered then he was the greatest
organist and harpsichordist of his day, and his
virtuoso performances on the keyboard were
for long wholly unsurpassed.
Many small
pieces for the harpsichord, as well as some fine
concertos and fantasias for the organ, were
composed by him. It is too bad that there are
not more arranged for us player-pianists. "The
Harmonious Blacksmith" variations are simple
and quaint to modern ears, but charming to the
last degree.
We are more sophisticated in
these days; but that is not altogether a matter
for congratulation.
The famous Largo is in reality an air from one
of Handel's forgotten Italian-style operas. Its
solemn beat seems, to our ears, to indicate the
measured tread of a sacred procession; but it
was written for purely secular uses. It has
been arranged for organ, piano, orchestra great
and orchestra small, for violin with orchestra
and for violin with piano, for 'cello with or-
chestra and for 'cello with piano. Modern
words have been set to it. It has been played
by every instrument in the world save the
mandolin, one is inclined to think. There are
some good arrangements of it for the player-
piano and all should possess at least one of
these.
The glorious "Messiah" is represented in roll
catalogs by the Hallelujah chorus, and by the
lovely aria "He Shall Feed His Flock." In
the 65-note days one remembers that there were
many more good things. The Q R S catalog
of those days held the Overture with its grave
introduction and line fugue, the first recitative,
"Comfort Ye, My People," followed by the fine
air "Every Valley," the grand chorus "Lift Up
Your Heads, O! Ye Gates," and the splendid
bass solo, "Why Do the Nations so Furiously
Rage Together?" And there were others. Is
it not too bad that we have them no longer?
In addition to the above, there are some ac-
companiment rolls in the Aeolian catalog for
arias from the "Messiah." The famous Dead
March from the Oratorio "Saul" is still much
played and can also be had for player-piano. It
remain's a favorite for military bands on solemn
occasions.
The quantity of music for organ which Handel
left and which is still delightedly played by or-
ganists has not a single representative, so far
as the writer knows, in all the music roll cat-
alogs. Yet one of the best fields for player-
piano transcription is found in these wonder-
ful old organ works, as well as in those of the
mighty Bach and the polished Mendelssohn.
What a pity the publishers do not sometimes
give us a little more of them!
On Good Friday, April 13, 1759, the anniver-
sary date of the first performance seventeen
years before of the "Messiah," good Father
Handel, who had conducted a performance of
his greatest work seven days previously, quietly
passed away. It had been his wish to rest in
Westminster Abbey among the eminent men
whose services arc thus honored and their mem-
ory kept green by the people whom good
George Frederic Handel had learned to love,
with whom he had for so many years made his
home, and who had learned to love and honor
him in turn. That wish was gratified. Handel
sleeps in Britain's Pantheon; but his spirit is
still blessedly among us.
FEATURING THE APOLLO
The Knight-Campbell Music Co., of Denver,
Colo., is demonstrating the Apollo player-piano
at its store each afternoon from 2 to 5 o'clock.
The demonstrations are being well attended and
are attracting much attention.
Several sales
have been made as a direct result of the dem-
onstrations.
We Satisfy, But Are Never
Satisfied, With Our Player
For seven years the Schulz System of player construction has pleased,
astonished, satisfied an ever increasing number of piano dealers
throughout the land.
But we ourselves have never allowed our success to make us self-
satisfied. Eternal improvement is the price of permanent success.
And eternal improvement is the watchword of those who produce
the wonderful
M. Schulz Company
Player-Piano
We know our technical principles to be right; but we know that
these principles can be developed continually. So we continue to
improve; not by revolution but by evolution.
Schulz Player - Pianos
Selling Them Is
are
Easy; because they are not du-
plicated in every piano store
on the row.
Profitable; because they can be
sold at a moderate price against
any competition, with a good
margin to spare.
Satisfying; because purchasers
find them to be as represented
and dealers find they stay sold
without complaint from any-
one.
Lightest Pumpers
Most Reliable
Simplest
Most Efficient
Tightest
Most Responsive
Let us send you the Schulz Player Book. It tells you facts you need
to know. Tuners and Repairmen send for our Practical Guide; best
player instruction book ever published. Both free for the asking.
M. SCHULZ COMPANY
General Offices
711 Milwaukee Ave.
CHICAGO
3 Factories in
CHICAGO
Southern Wholesale Branch
1530 Candler Bldg.
ATLANTA, GA.
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