Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
A New Means of Exploiting the Hand-Played Popular Roll Can Be Found
By Marketing Rolls Played By the Composer Himself, Which Would Give
His Phrasing to the Player-Pianist and the Value of His Name to the Dealer
It is estimated, on competent authority, that
the proportion borne by the so-called "popular"
to the so-called "classic" music, in the sales of
music rolls, is about four to one. In short, of
every ten music rolls made and sold, eight are
of the popular kind. A fact of this sort may
be viewed from many standpoints. It may be
a cause for rejoicing' or for lamentation. But
it cannot be passed over in silence, for it con-
tains implications of great significance in the
present condition of the music roll world par-
ticularly, and of the player world generally.
Everybody is aware that the brains and energy
of the player world are at present decidedly be-
ing concentrated on the development and mar-
keting of what is roughly called the "reproduc-
ing piano."
The extraordinary and impres-
sive exhibit made of these instruments at the
Music Show last May could not fail to con-
vince any independent observer that the repro-
ducing piano, no matter whether it be perfect
or not, is decidedly at present in the foreground.
The Problem of Adequate Music
This being so, it is obvious that the prob-
lem of providing adequate music for this type
of instrument becomes increasingly pressings
If we examine the monthly bulletins of the music
roll men we perceive that two lines of effort
are prominent. One, which may be called the
"swell front," engages the services of eminent
pianists and spends much money in advertising
their records. The other goes to the other ex-
treme and strives to capture the public taste
by elaborate and attractive arrangements, of
sometimes great originality, comprising all the
most popular hits of the day and engaging the
services of specialist pianists, sometimes solo,
sometimes in pairs, for the purpose of render-
ing these compositions with the utmost effec-
tiveness.
Now, the longer one examines the facts, the
more obvious it appears that, if the public is
buying popular music to the extent of 80 per
cent, of the total sales, the fine music interpreted
by great artists can hardly be regarded as aught
but caviare to the general. On the other hand,
nothing seems plainer than that the violent at-
tempts to arrange and rearrange popular music
in more and more fantastic ways, in the effort
for novelty, must in time come to an end for
mere want of material to work on. Already the
limit of jazzes and saxos is pretty nearly
reached, and the time is drawing nigh when
something new will be needed.
The Day of the Hand-Played Roll
There is no doubt that the hand-played roll
is here to stay and equally there is no doubt
that the popular music is the music that swells
the sales records and makes the profit.
But
does it not seem that the present method of in-
terpreting popular music might be improved?
It has been our thought for some time past
that such improvement is not only needed, but
also quite possible, and that it can be obtained
by taking a leaf out of the book of the classical
people. They are getting their sales by se-
lecting the biggest names in the interpretative
field, names such as Godowsky, Paderewski,
Busoni, Shattuck, Schelling and Gabrilowitsch,
and boosting these names to the limit. They
rely on the names and not on any sensational
manipulation of the interpretations themselves.
Now why should it not be possible and practical
to do the same thing in the popular field? Why
not, in short, present music of the popular kind
as played by the most eminent, persons profes-
sionally associated therewith?
But it will be said that this is done already!
To which we answer that no doubt the gentle-
men who are playing popular records of songs,
dances, ballads, etc., are eminent pianists in their
lines.
But the fact remains that their cog-
nomina mean less than nothing to the great
public.
They are names and nothing else.
There is no national advertising value in the
name of any professional player of popular music
of whom we have heard. The statement is
made purely from an advertising standpoint and '
is not in the least intended as a slur upon the
ability of any of these gentlemen. What we
mean plainly is that popular record rolls are not
sold on the name of the pianist who makes them
as classical rolls are. That statement may meet
with exceptions, but in the main it is positively
true.
The Prestige of the Composers
Well, then, in this case, what names are na-
tionally known in connection with popular
music? Obviously, the names of the com-
posers! Everybody has heard of Irving Ber-
lin, everybody has heard of Charles K. Harris,
of Ernest R. Ball, and of a literal host of
others. The names of such gentlemen as these
are familiar to almost every family in the land,
and sheet music or music rolls representing
their compositions are everywhere, on every
street, in every city or town in the land, not
forgetting the farm houses, too. If we are go-
ing to push the idea of popular music hand-
played by the men who alone are known in
connection with such music, then we have got
to go to the composers.
We have to admit that we do not know how
good all these composers are as pianists. Some
of them perhaps are not very finished in this
respect. But there are two answers to such an
implied objection. One is that the personal con-
ception of the composer is the thing we are
after. The other is that, when this conception
has been gained, the actual fingering becomes a
secondary matter. • But then, again, there are
composers of popular music who are eminently
capable of playing their own compositions ex-
tremely well. And the fact does remain that
the man who got up the music knew, when he
wrote it, how he wanted it to sound; and still
knows, better than any one else can, the right
interpretation.
A Concrete Illustration
Let us get down to brass tacks. Way back
in the days of the Spanish-American War
Charles K. Harris wrote "Break the News to
Mother," a war song that made an enormous
hit, if the writer's memory does not betray him.
It was sung and whistled from one end of the
land to the other. Well, in those days, Harris
could riot give the world any authentic record
of how he thought that ballad ought to be
played, because in those days even the talking
machine was more or less a novelty. But to-
day he has brought that song out again, and
we hear that it is selling well. Now the situa-
tion is different. That song can be played by
an hundred different pianists and their interpre-
pations preserved for the recreation and delight
of all who own player-pianos. Yet, in order to
make the thing complete, is it not plain that the
man who really ought to play the one standard
record of that music is Harris himself! Who
else?
Then again, take Irving Berlin. That gentle-
man has been responsible for goodness knows
how many rag songs, raggedy rags and just
plain rags. They have been issued as sheet
music and made enormous hits. Many of them
are astonishingly and amazingly clever, pos-
sessing a touch of genius that-puts them very
nearly in a class by themselves. We under-
stand that Mr. Berlin is quite able to perform
his own compositions. Well, we may not be
special authorities in the matter, but we can-
not see why there should not be a riot to buy
Berlin's rags if they were put out in hand-
played records, as "played by Irving Berlin."
To us the thing looks like what used to be
called a "lead-pipe cinch."
Then again you have "Ernie" Ball, the ballad
writer, von Tilzer, and ever so many others, who
will forgive us for not mentioning their names.
All are well known, all are competent to draw
the crowd on the strength of their names. Why
not try them out?
No Great Difficulties to Overcome
Certainly it is a new idea, but that does not
exactly prove that it has no value. Certainly
there are practical difficulties, but show us a
proposition that has no practical difficulties. It
is not the possible difficulties that need bother
us. It is the results we are after. The only
question is whether a certain policy will bring
results desired. The details are always capable
of adjustment if the idea itself is right. And
this idea is right.
In putting forth a line of popular songs, for
instance, composed by some certain writer and
played by him, too, the music roll men would
be doing a new and big thing. In the first
place, the modern popular ballad demands cor-
rect conception and correct execution. To play
it all off at a gallop on a player-piano is quite
as bad as to slop all over it by hand, dropping
notes faster than the wind drops apples. Think
how, to take a slightly different but equally pop-
ular example, Carrie Jacobs-Bond's "Perfect
Day" has been slaughtered at the player-piano!
It is horrible to contemplate. But an author-
itative Jacobs-Bond hand-played record would
make a big hit any time. So would a Harris,
a Berlin, or a Ball record.
Why?
Sim-
ply because, in the first place, it would sound
right, and in the second place, the slight indiffer-
ence, which is inevitable when a surfeit of one
kind of music is had by the public, would be
effectually relieved by the injection of the fas-
cinating personal element.
The Phrasing Is the Main Thing
The question of whether these composers
would, generally speaking, make good records
has nothing to do with the case. It is the
business of the roll experts to see to that. Give
them the composer's phrasing and they can do
the rest. Moreover, in some cases the inter-
pretation would probably be very well done in-
deed by the composer; from a technical as well
as from a conceptual standpoint.
Again, we say, we may be all wrong. This
"dope" may be positively no good. But we
have a notion that it is good "dope," that it
really contains the germ of an idea worth de-
veloping.
Heaven knows, the cry everywhere now is
"give us something new!" Well, here is some-
thing new! Thousands of homes which have
player-pianos are ready to buy record rolls with
the name of Irving Berlin or some other pop-
ular composer on them. Of course they are.
Isn't it the most reasonable and logical thing in
the world?
Anyhow, there is the idea, for better or for
worse. Will some one take it up and work it
over?