The Washington times., 1921-09-25

1oo3Ispuu 'uSnoue uolI lou sIeM eM
to express our natural envy and re-
sentiment by guying the more FORUM
ate, and gradually this guying ex.
tended to the music they heard which
we dubbed classic" and declared We
couldn't understand. And the lucky
few fatuously took the suying seri.
ously and really believed the crowd
couldn't understand music and com.
menced to pat themselves on the back
for having higher intelligence!
Bartender Did 1t.
And then came the motion picture
and the photograph. or course they
came in reverse order. but their ex.
IRENE popularity grew in the way we
have put 1t. A man named Rothapfel.
first crudely, in Milwaukee, later in
a more finished way in Minneapolis
and still later in a very complete way
at the Strand and Rialto theaters in
New York, harnessed the Pickering
film to music. Rothapfel had real
human ideas. He had been O barten-
der and he knew that music was the
most elemental form Of expression in
the animal kingdom. And 50 he de.
cided to complete the story the rap
idly moving film pictures were telling
with a musical Interpretation.
Rothapfel established the sym.
phony" orchestra in the motion-pi
ture theater for the purpose Of giving
the story Of the film q better play.
And ever since then all of the mo-
tion-picture theaters that have been
ed the Rothapfel idea.
People Drawn Unconsciously.
It wasn't q very remarkable thing
that people commenced to go in large
numbers to those picture palaces
where the music was best. They went
there because the pictures were more
easily understood. They didn't know
why. But that Is really why they
went.
Some of the patrons Of the best the
aters will tell you they are not con.
scious Of the music at all. Most Of the
time they are, because the story the
music is telling is usually SO much
clearer and better expressed than the
crude story the film is telling.
And sometimes there is a slight va
ration in the two interpretations be-
cause the musical Interpretation Is
really a set of hastily gathered quo
tations" from many musical stories
relating to a series of situations
vaguely similar to those Of the flme
story.
But the people got REAL MUSIC
with these film stories and they ATE
1T UP-literally-becaus their appe-
tites had been so long starved.
And Now Victor Herbert Enters.
1t Is but q step for the proprietors
of film houses to recognize the need
bring to the theater such men as
Victor Herbert. who has made so
many distinct contributions to music.
And It Is but another step to do
what Herbert wants to do-to COM
pose music for the film and make II
part of the film.
An attempt was made once to pro-
duce a story that had been first
written as a poetic legend and later
made into a musical legend by Grieg
and then made into q stage play by
someone else-"Peer Gynet." It was
a dead failure, for the very simple
reason that the film and the music
were two entirely separate stories.
And the two were made indepen-
IDENTIFY Of each other.
After the film had been made the
musicians were hired to adapt
Of course. a very silly thing to do
80 PAAAy 90 pyiht " Cut
down" a beautiful evening gown of
mothers to make an overcoat for
brother Bill!
Herbert Dit It-Once.
Herbert did the real thing once
composed music for q film story
WITH a film story. He told Jessie
about It But he overlooked the
fact that in those days producers
sold the film by the foot. A man
who wanted only 1000 fest of II
also got lust 5000 feet Of the music.
And the film merchants arbitrarilv
measured off the film and tho music
as one might measure off ticking or
calico.
But the people-the REAL PEG
PLE-are getting REAL MUSIC in
their film theaters. Today on the
streets Of Washington you viii hear
more people whistling Cadman's ex.
quisite AT Dawnins" than Won will
whistlins Jazz.
Why7
Because Manager Bsattis IN having
the orchestra Of Losw's Palace NAV
II AZ part Of the musical setting for
"A Trip to Paradise"-that yery.
very free adaptation of Molnar's
play. "Liliiom."
So there you are.
This Is what Jessie left Of the Mea
had selected as q sort Of carte de
visite to my old friends.
More power to you!