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MUSICAL COURIER
May 24, 1923
ping his hands for more, along with the rest of the crowd at the end of four last night. This violinist establishes a personal contact with her audience which is done by a method all her own and one which would fail completely if attempted by another without her great personal charm and magnetism. Into everything she injects a delightful dainty humor that completes the captivation begun with her music and wins every hearer. Words are scarcely adequate to describe her brilliant technic, her deep insight into musical values, her wonderful bowing and swift, sure fingers. Her exquisite delicacy of phrasing is only rivalled by the infinite shadings of her marvelous speaking voice which she never forces but which carries with the clarity of a bird’s song.”
Is it any wonder Pittsburgh has decided to start the season with at least four Gray-Lhevinne recitals, these to be given in the ten million dollar Carnegie Building, where only the best and highest in the world of art is given?
Besides the return dates Mme. Gray-Lhevinne is now filling, such as the 4,000 audience at the Mclntire Amphitheater, University of Virginia, and the 2,200 crowd on her return to Norfolk, etc., she is being secured again to open up many a master course. Fifty-eight evening dates, thirty-two afternoon and eighteen morning recitals, have been dated to fill September to Christmas. Ben Reynolds, who made such a success bringing Kreisler, Rachmaninoff and Galli-Curci to Washington, is featuring Gray-Lhevinne on his next series. Her Washington recital will be at the Capitol Theater in October.
Eva McCoy, who has just finished her present season with Kreisler, after a splendid season with Geraldine Farrar, Rachmaninoff, Louis Graveure, the Chicago Opera, Salvi, Frieda Hempel, etc., has engaged Gray-Lhevinne for her feature violinist for next season. Rhys Williams, who brings all the most distinguished artists to New Castle, has engaged a date for a Gray-Lhevinne recital in October. The Wooster Conservatory with its 800 students of music will have Gray-Lhevinne also in October. The Dana Musical Institute is planning to have its own symphony orchestra of seventy-five accompany Mme. Gray-Lhevinne in her concerto number on her recital at Warren, under Dana Conservatory auspices.
Immediately following her important Cleveland concert, under the auspices of Ohio’s largest musical association, the Cleveland Musical Association, composed of 1,000 of the great musicians of the day, Franklin Carnahan, a distinguished pianist himself, is bringing Mme. Gray-Lhevinne to Ravenna on his series which includes the Cleveland Orchestra and a grand opera star or two.
Many of the colleges and universities like Slippery Rock and Indiana, Pa., have planned a series of Gray-Lhevinne recitals.
At Unionville, Pa., Mr. McCloskey is having Mme. Gray-Lhevinne open the magnificent new State Theater on October 10. The Tarentum Music Company is sponsoring the important event of a Gray-Lhevinne recital in Tarentum on October 17, the day following her four Pittsburgh recitals. And so it goes on, the list being only limited by the number of days there are between the opening of the Gray-Lhevinne season in Cleveland and the vacation at the end of a long busy season when the public has demanded not alone all her evenings, but also most of her afternoons and many mornings, all for full recitals that would tax the strength and charm of any artist. But Mme. Gray-Lhevinne is not like any other artist, for she stands unique both as to success, popularity and capability. S. K. R.
GIVE PERMISSION TO BROADCAST
Reprinted from The Musical Courier Extra.
SYDNEY KING RUSSELL
Composer of Songs
The Song of the Hill
Little Green God with Eyes of Jade
Children of Men (2 keys)
Little Heart of Mine
Told at Twilight (for piano)
Association has gone carefully and painstakingly into the situation and for the time being feel that the publishers have nothing to lose by granting the broadcasters permission to use their copyrights.
Four Pittsburgh Carnegie Music Hall Gray-Lhevinne Concerts
So successful have been the reports from other cities of the group of three or four recitals in one place of violin music as given by the inimitable Mme. Gray-Lhevinne that Pittsburgh, Pa., decided to open its fall concert season with four of the original Gray-Lhevinne concerts to be given on the two afternoons and evenings of October 15 and 16
ESTELLE GRAY-LHEVINNE
at Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh. It will be a most unusual event, for probably never before has an artist been engaged to give several programs at one time under local auspices. Only an artist of unusual personal charm and commanding abilities can hold four vast audiences in two days in the same city. That is the record in many cities of Gray-Lhevinne this season. In fact many places have, voted to make her recitals a yearly event and speak for the return dates at the time she is filling this season’s engagements.
Mme. Gray-Lhevinne is much more than just a violinist. She is above all a personality. So dramatic and intense are some of her stories of the music and at other times so subtle or keenly witty that every one in her audience is carried away with the Gray-Lhevinne charm even before she plays a note, and her mastery of the violin is superb and supreme.
In a recent series of recitals at Staunton, Va., when she gave four entirely different programs, one editor wrote: “Mme. Gray-Lhevinne is an artist who plays her way into the prosiest souls. Four recitals and not a number duplicated and your editor, who usually gets bored at one long program, found himself sitting on the edge of his seat clap-
THE NORFLEET TRIO
LEEPER NORFLEET, Cello
CATHARINE NORFLEET, Violin
IN
HELEN NORFLEET, Piano
CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS
"... A recital which has not been surpassed this season in unity, musicianship and beauty.”—A?«״ York Morning Telegraph.
“. . . All too rare for anyone to miss.”—Memphis Commercial Appeal.
“One of the most delightful musical programs ever given here.”—Indianapolis Sunday Star.
“One of the outstanding features of the entire musical season.”—Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman.
SPECIAL MATINEES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
“I wish every Junior Club and High School in America could hear the Norfleet Trio.” MRS. WILLIAM JOHN HALL, Chairman Junior Department,
National Federation of Music Clubs
New York City
Management ERNEST BRIGGS, Inc.,
1400 Broadway,
It seems that the publishers of popular music, and those issuing what is termed in trade circles as standard numbers, are not exactly looking through the same glasses respecting the broadcasters’ use of copyrighted music. It will be recalled that a few weeks ago when the broadcasters were in session down at Washington an attorney representing the Authors’, Composers’ and Publishers’ Society called the broadcasters’ attention to the fact that if they, the broadcasters, desired to use the copyrighted vocal and instrumental compositions of the members comprising the organization he represented, recompense would have to be forthcoming. Since that meeting the broadcasters have organized themselves into a national association and it is understood that one of the objects of the organization is to take up this identical matter in a way that probably was not exactly according to the dictation of the Authors’, Composers’ and Publishers’ Association.
The publishers of “standard” compositions are in an organization known as the Music Publishers’ Association and, in point of age, is the oldest of the present existing publishers’ and authors’ organizations. The “standard” publishers believe that some day some sort of an arrangement, between owners of music copyrights and broadcasters, whereby the former will receive a fee for the use of their works, will be entered into, but as the broadcasting proposition is still in an experimental stage permission to broadcast without resignation of any rights should be given.
The Music Publishers’ Association has had a committee since last November investigating the broadcasting of copyrighted music, and after due consideration the committee recommended that permission to broadcast copyrighted music, by radio without charge, pending the time the radio broadcasting situation is stabilized and placed on a commercial basis, be given. The report of the special committee on radio broadcasting has been accepted and adopted by the association. This action of the Music Publishers’ Association does not bind any of its members, but merely recommends, but it is understood that most of the large publishers of standard numbers will follow the recommendations of the association. The following representative “standard” publishers have definitely decided to follow the recommendations: Carl Fischer, G. Schirmer, Inc., C. H. Ditson Company, John Church Company, Boosey & Co., Hinds, Hayden & Eldridge, Oliver Ditson Company, B. H. Wood Music Company, Paul A. Schmitt and Clayton Summy.
M. E. Tompkins, of G. Schirmer, Inc., publishers, chairman of the committee on radio broadcasting, in a statement issued Monday, said:
Our association, which has been in existence since 1895, represents particularly the so-called “standard” publishers, which make up a majority of its forty-nine members, as distinct from publishers of popular music although a number of the latter are also members.
Our committee has been carefully investigating the broadcasting of copyrighted music since last November. In our report, just adopted by the association, we point out that music publishers are vitally interested in radio broadcasting as a great future user of music and that our rights in the use of our copyrighted music in public performances must be protected. However, we appreciate the lact that radio broadcasting is still in a chaotic and experimental state and that, while ultimately it will have to be placed on a commercial basis if it is to develop its potentialities, nevertheless the commercial side of the broadcasting problem has not yet been solved.
In view of these facts and also because we desire to co-operate in developing the music possibilities of radio, we believe that we should allow the use of our copyrighted musical compositions for broadcasting without charge for the present and without prejudice in our rights.
The action of the Music Publishers’ Association will make available over the radio a great quantity of the best modern music by orchestra, band, choral and individual performers, and copyrighted arrangements and orchestrations of the world’s best music of all time.
The decision of the publishers was based largely upon the following facts and conditions with respect to radio broadcasting, according to the report of the committee:
The outstanding fact about radio broadcasting from the standpoint of both willingness and ability of broadcasting stations to agree at present to some practical form of compensation for use of copyrighted musical compositions, is their failure, as yet, to find a method of collecting a proper share of the expenses of broadcasting from its beneficiaries, that is from either the various elements of the radio industry or the receiving public. This, of course, does not in any way affect the merits of the question, but it is clear that it does present perplexing difficulties to the broadcasting companies.
While the possibilities of the radio as a transmitter of educational and current informational matter are undoubtedly great, it is generally expected by those who have investigated this question, including radio experts themselves, that entertainment must comprise the popular feature of it Music has been found essential to the success of nearly every form of public entertainment, and to this radio broadcasting appears to be no exception. Music is the one broadcasting possibility of almost universal appeal.	....	,.	.	.
Up to the present time the music broadcasted by radio has not, generally speaking, been of a sufficiently high quality to be a factor of importance in creating a further public appreciation and demand for music itself. Eliminating the novelty feature of the radio, it is very doubtful if the musical side of it would as yet have had any great public appeal. Much of the music broadcasted is merely that of a pnonograph or reproducing piano, not a little of which is really for advertising purposes. With rare exceptions, no truly great artists have performed over the radio.
It is not unreasonable to expect, however, that ultimately such scientific perfection of radio broadcasting and receiving apparatus will be attained and arrangements made with so much of the worlds best musical talent that radio will be an established and important source of music on a commercial basis. When and if this time arrives it will be vital to the welfare of the music publisher that the radio branch of the music industry should properly recompense the publishing branch, upon which it will be dependent for its existence and prosperity. The failure of publishers in the meantime to safeguard their rights may make the future enforcement of them difficult.
The difficulties of establishing radio broadcasting on a commercial basis which apparently is necessary before it can become an important direct source of revenue to those who participate in it, including copyright owners, are great but not insurmountable. While it is impossible to predict how the problem will finally be worked out, nevertheless there are several possible solutions. Many persons believe that radio broadcasting must be placed under Government regulations and control. Under such conditions all producers of radio equipment who are the commercial beneficiaries of broadcasting could be licensed and the proceeds used to pay the expenses of broadcasting. Some even expect that the radio may ultimately be of such universal use that the government can undertake broadcasting as a public function. It is perhaps more likely, however, that through the control of basic patents a few radio companies can develop broadcasting and reimburse themselves by including the expenses in the price of the patented radio parts or from fees received for licenses granted to other manufacturers. Another possibility is that the radio interests will be able to finance broadcasting as a common promotional problem of the industry, perhaps co-operatively through a trade association. Although seemingly impossible, science may yet produce a method by which the receipt^ of radio messages can be confined to those who pay for the service.	,	...	,	.	,
Whatever the method proves to be, it must and soon will be found by the radio industry. The radio broadcasters will then be able, and undoubtedly willing, to reimburse all who are essential to the success of their business and those services they use, including owners of copyrighted musical compositions.
Judging by the length and details of this report the special committee on radio broadcasting of the Music Publishers’