The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-08


commended itself so universally that it is
difficult to supply the demand.
1t seems that the name "Margueriten is a
prolific theme with poets and musical COM
posers. There are no fewer than six diff
ferent Marguerite" songs upon the market
to-day. In the more classic vein Helmud's
German love ditty, "Margaritha," is emf
nently favorite, while Farewell Marguer-
lite, y by Boardman, is an exceedingly popular
My Marguerite Of Long Ago." bids fair to
rival his better known production Of a like
character.
Monroe H. Rosenfeld's with All Her
Faults | Love Her Still" has attained the
enormous circulation of 100000 copies.
This song is another indication that love
furnishes an almost inexhaustible theme
for the composer of sentimental music, and,
if the theme is welded TO a catching mel
ody, the production Is sure to find its way
to the attention of thousands of appre-
ciative singers. Il has always been matter
Of great public curiosity to learn the average
sale of famous musical compositions. A
careful estimate shows the following re-
suits attained by some recent successes in
the sentimental vein. This estimate eau
only be approximately made, as publishers
are very chary about giving accurate in-
formation on this subject.
Copies
Marguerite" (White). .................. 250, 900
with All Her Faults Love
Her Still (Rosenfeldl. .............. 90, 900
Farewell, Marguerite" Boardman) -. 10000
Where Can the Wanderer
1.-THE Exiles Lament (iitchel6. ...... 5000 5000
Notices on the Wall'' (Mullalyl ........ 10000
Here Lies an Actor Dresser. ....., 5000
"Only Picture" Smith. -. ..... 5000
The last three, Notices on the WALL"
''Here Lies an Actor" and "Only Picture, {"
are fast winning their way into popular
favor These songs include the elements
which appeal most strongly to lovers of
tuneful melody and sentimentality. Their
sales within the next six months will prob
ably be reckoned by six figures Upon the
last named song, "Only Picture" which
tells in sympathetic strains story of
maternal love,
He was her pride,
And ever at her side,
and which has scarcely been on the market
six months, the relentless hand of the
parodlst has already been at work, to wit:
Only pitcher only pitcher,
Only pitcher full of beer,
For it was her pride, and ever at her side
Only pitcher full of beerl
Comic songs, as a rule, are short-lived.
This Is because they depend mainly for their
popularity upon single phrases which catch
the eye of the public, and are repeated in
daily conversation until they become an
tiquities. With the decay of the phrases
which form the keynote to success the song
dies Sometimes the most mediocre comic
songs attain large circulation merely on
the strength Of popular idiom, although
they may be full Of grammatical and har-
monic crudities. Notwithstanding this,
some of the compositions attain to enormous
sales. The list given below will furnish a
fair idea of the ballads of this character at
present In the market, aud the estimated
sales thereof:
.a Copies.
Where Did You Get That Hatf' (sul-
We've Both Been There Before
''Razzle, Dazzle" (Woodward) 49,. 5000
Down Went McGinty," Flynn).. $3.50. 10000
Let Me Shake the Hand Of Sullivan"
(Rosenfeld) ......................... 5000
Paddy Shay" (Witmark). ............. 5000
Slide, Kelly. Slide,' Harding. 80. -. 5000
Near IL, Hitchcock. .................. 1900
Popular songs are not always written by
successful musical composers, as is generally
supposed The ratio of comic songs which
live and are sung by the people is not more
than one in two hundred songs which find
their way to the counters of the music
stores. 1t is prominently a question of
the survival of the fittest in song writing.
as in any other production of human
genius. Some of the most successful comic
songs have been originated in the
brains of variety actors. These men
have possessed no knowledge whatever of
musical theory, but their nightly appear
ance before cosmopolitan public has
enabled them to become keen judges of
popular likes and dislikes. This knowledge
has afforded them opportunities which
more able musicians have not possessed.
These men catch strain Of melody or a
rhythmic phrase, and by turning it oyer in
their minds for long time,
they crystalline around it other
phrases and a little more harmony.
Then they buy sheet OF music paper, and
laboriously pick out on the keys of piano.
with one finger, the skeleton of a melody
which, perhaps is destined to be sung from
the pines of Maine to the slopes of the
Pacific. The work of arrangement, of fix
ing up the poetry or of getting this uebu
lous material into concrete form, is turned
over TO experts in musical composition and
in the rhyming of words
But after the song is created, lit is not by
any means before the public The pub
Usher must be found. The public is SO
erratic in its likes and dislikes, that the
publisher always assumes considerable risk
III puDllsniDR song. IL ID VeTlt1Die lOt-
terry. 1t may prove to be Golconda Of
wealth to the publishers, or most lament
able "Jenah." Twenty -fve dollars is about
the limit paid for these compositions by
publishers. The average price, however, is
from S. to so.
The next thing In the progress of the song
to popularity is to get some vaudeville
specialist or minstrel to sing the song. This
is generally done by Offering the singer a
pecuniary interest in the composition or by
paying him or her small sum of money.
Some vocalists, however, of the better class
are glad to get new song which possesses
merit, as il is valuable adjunct to their
repertory. MONROE II. RosENFELD.