News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012 Two Final threats to Live Performance!

could sell more beer and spirits if they provided Birth of Radio and Television additional entertainment for the men of the town by rom the beginning of time until the 1890s, live featuring a piano player and girls performance was the only choice to be made by (dancers/singers/whatever). Women had their pianos Fan individual looking to be “entertained” or “up in the parlor, their quilting/sewing bees as well as lifted” or “removed from everyday life.” Such a choice community dances. was totally dependent on where you lived and your financial condition. The Greeks had their theatre and It was during the Industrial Revolution (1750-1850) dance which all who lived nearby were free to attend. that humans in general began to seek “fun” as an The Romans had their chariot races and gladiator actual goal. See, VHS newsletter, Vol 5 May 2011 games in any town large enough to have a “Circus or “Mankind Learns to Play” for a greater in-depth look at Colosseum” (as such arenas were called) also free to this phenomenon. By the 1830s, the American working those living nearby. Through all of time, the more or middle classes who could afford a low ticket price wealth you had, the better your seat. saw an increase in local rudimentary theatres/performance spaces where the tours of Outside of the two great classical cultures, the lower minstrel troupes, dramatic plays, or even the classes had free fun with a community dance or occasional full orchestra (The Thomas Orchestra – gathering. European villagers could enjoy a religious 1864-1889) began to stop by while on “tour.” If passion play (15th century) or the Italian Commedia these same working/middle class folk happened to dell’arte (16th century), both of which generally live in a big city such as New York, Chicago, toured from village to village, often performing Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, San Francisco, and th outdoors for any and all who stopped by. The St. Louis during the last three decades of the 19 audience might be asked to contribute by way of century, then these theatres were becoming more and passing of the “hat,” but that usually came after the more ornate as the local wealthy (primarily, business event and was fairly voluntary. Those with a little men) began to compete for the bragging rights of spending money in London could join the wealthy in having helped build the latest and most impressive attending a Shakespearean play (16th -17 th century) by theatre or concert hall in their locality. Of course, standing during ornate and beautiful the entire play in also equated with the area set aside greater ticket prices. specifically for the “groundlings.” With regards to the rich Across America as – primarily, European well as Europe, nobility – once they the keepers of the came into existence, local bars or their ornate homes or saloons quickly “palaces” served as Early 1920s Radio learned that they their entertainment Very early TV 2 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

venues, although they were certainly not exempt from totally free use of any sheet music they could lay the “building the biggest opera house or concert hall” their hands on. They paid only minimal, if any, fees syndrome. They sponsored their own acting and to a performer to sing and/or play. Victor Herbert dance troupes, their own orchestras, their own singers, and John Philip Sousa were among the first even their own composers, etc. – in short they did composers to see the problem with this “usage.” It most everything “in-house.” would take them long hours of talking in Washington until Congress passed the U.S. Copyright Law of The bottom line? These performances were all “live” 1909 which incorporated the term “mechanical and local. Ergo, the level of competition for attention rights” into the language to cover the unfair practice stemmed only from how many such “live” venues of neither asking nor compensating the composer for were in close proximity and your financial/class his/her work in the making of any recording. status. The little village had one venue perhaps or was simply close to a town that had one. The bigger the Last month we explored the next major threat to town, the more venues and competition. In the case of “live” performance to arrive on the scene – the early the nobility, there was little competition beyond their beginnings of the “film” industry. “Moving pictures” wealthy relations, and besides they weren’t selling were a huge novelty introduced primarily to tickets anyway – they were simply entertaining Americans during the Columbian Exposition of themselves. 1893 in Chicago. See VHS newsletter Vol 8 August 2012, “Creativity Runs Rampant, The Birth of the Film In the VHS Newsletter Vol 3 March 2011, “Let the Industry,” for a closer examination of this industry. By New Age Begin,” we explored the first real threat to the time Nickelodeons began sprouting up after 1905, live performance in the birth of the “recording” the cost of this entertainment was suddenly only $.05 industry. Once that industry moved into the recording (the “nickel” of the name) as compared to a couple of of music – even 1 minute’s worth – composers, dollars for a live performance. Again, was this a producers, and performers could see that this threat? Only if one truly believed anything would phenomenon might not be good for “live” business. ever come of these “moving pictures.” By the 1920s, that question was soundly answered, and the threat By 1900, cylinder producers had perfected the “3 was full blown as film became firmly established. minute” offering and were not shy about recording Soon “moving pictures” began pulling audiences anything and everything they felt like recording. The from “live” performances, especially as long as the business everyone was concerned about was the sale movie ticket cost remained far lower than the live of “sheet music” or the hard copies of a composer’s theatre ticket price – a condition that continues to this songs. This sheet music industry provided composers day. with the primary means of making actual money from their work. If you wanted to play a song at home, you This month we take a look at the beginnings of the bought a copy of the next two threats to “live” performance solely because sheet music. both radio and television had their origins pre-1930 Fortunately, the player and would quite quickly prove to be the primary devices for recorded danger for the world of “live” entertainment – cylinders cost a bit of another phenomenon existing right into our time in money. Was this a 2012. Attending a film would safely remain an event threat? Perhaps. to attend outside of the home until the last 5-20 years with the advent of cable, iPads, Kindles, Nooks and The major portion the Netflix. However, radio and television would very recording producers left quickly settle directly into the home and make out of their production entertainment simply a dial away for even the poorest cost equation was families. “permission of the Herbert and Sousa with new copyright holder” and Just as many inventors contributed to the recruit Irving Berlin in Washington circa 1908 their costs reflected a development of film and appeared to spend far more 3 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

time and effort squabbling over who did what when, used that sound (a “spark gap”) to generate sounds so the same observation applies to the development of which could be detected up to 500 meters away - radio which stems from early work on the telephone. again without a wire to carry them. His work led We haven’t mentioned the telephone per se since it is eventually to that crystal radio detector which would not really a vehicle of performance, although some be used for the world's first radio transmitter and might dispute that. The invention of the telephone receiver. involved yet another set of multiple, competing individuals, but most sources seem to agree that Of course, Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931) and his Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) was awarded Edison Laboratory employees at Menlo Park, New the first patent by the American authorities on an Jersey, were working in the same field and applied in electric telephone in 1876. That patent became the 1885 for a patent on an electrostatic coupling system basis for all succeeding telephone patents in America. between elevated terminals. Again, we find strange We raise this date as radio seems to have developed terminology but the patent was on non-connected directly from both work done on the wired telegraph terminals (wireless). This particular patent was to systems (1855) as well as the telephone itself. become so important that the Marconi Company would later purchase its rights from Edison simply to According to Wikipedia, the first avoid lawsuits. name that surfaces with regards to radio is David Edward Hughes In St. Louis, Missouri in 1893 Nikola Tesla (1856- (1831-1900) a British scientist, 1943) was making devices for his experiments in professor of music, musician electricity and in an address that same year to the (harpist) and inventor who is Franklin Institute (1824) and the National Electric credited with inventing the first Light Association (1885), Tesla described all the commercial telegraph system in elements which would eventually be used in radio 1855. He then moved on to the systems prior to the invention of the vacuum tube. David Edward carbon microphone, teleprinter, NOTE: Tesla was constantly at odds with Edison over who Huges spark-gap radio, crystal radio as did what when in the field of electricity. In the case of well as a semiconductor rectifier radio because of this particular lecture Tesla would diode, which he used to invent the crystal radio constantly be fighting with Marconi over who did what detector utilized by others in building the world's first when. On August 14, 1894, British Professor Oliver radio transmitter and receiver. Whew – did you “get” Lodge (1851-1940) and electrical engineer all those technical words? Fortunately, an Alexander Muirhead presented a demonstration of understanding of all these different objects is not “wireless” telegraphy at Oxford University during essential to this examination. It’s the telegraph system which they received a radio signal from a nearby that “sparked” the radio. The telegraph system sent building – Clarendon Laboratory – during the actual sound (dots & dashes or interrupted sound) that had lecture. meaning over wires from one location to another. NOTE: In less than two years, a number of small telegraph Meanwhile in India during a companies, including Western Union in early stages of public demonstration in development, united to form one large corporation — November of 1894, Jagadish Western Union Telegraph Co. to carry on the business of Chandra Bose (1858-1937 - telegraphy on the Hughes system. In Europe, Hughes’ not related to today’s sound Telegraph System became an international standard. company) caused the ignition of gunpowder and the ringing We now flash forward to 1878 while Hughes was a bell from a significant working on his carbon microphone. The inventor distance using “millimetre heard a sparking sound from a telephone receiver near range wavelength his model. Interestingly, there was no wire between J. C. Bose microwaves.” A year later in the two instruments. He then developed a carbon- R u s s i a , A l e x a n d e r based detector to measure these sounds. Intrigued, he Stepanovich Popov (1859-1906) built his first radio 4 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

receiver and presented it to the Russian Physical and It took a Brazilian priest Roberto Landell de Moura Chemical Society on May 7, 1895. (1861-1928) to actually transmit the human voice by wireless in front of journalists. It was first reported Finally, there is Guglielmo in the newspaper Jornal do Comercio (June 10, Marconi (1874-1937), an 1900). Four months later, deciding that he just might Italian inventor, known as the have done something miraculous, he moved to father of long distance radio America (the land of dreams and promise), and after transmission. In 1895 Marconi much difficulty, patented “The Wave Transmitter,” built a wireless system which (precursor of today’s radio transmitter), “The transmitted signals over 1.5 Wireless Telephone” and “The Wireless Telegraph.” miles. He developed his All of these patents were dated in the fall of 1904. Marconi's law in 1897 which stated that the “transmission On the evening of December 24, 1906 Reginald Guglielmo Marconi range is proportional to the Fessenden (1866-1932), Canadian born, naturalized square of the antenna height.” US citizen and inventor, who had long been working in all the same areas mentioned above, used an Marconi is often credited as the inventor of radio, and alternator-transmitter to send out a short Christmas indeed he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Eve program from Brant Rock (MA). It included the Karl Ferdinand Braun (1850-1918) "in recognition playing of a phonograph record of “Ombra mai fu” of their contributions to the development of wireless (Largo) by George Frideric Handel, followed by telegraphy". As an entrepreneur, businessman, and Fessenden himself playing the song “O Holy Night” founder of the The Wireless Telegraph & Signal on the violin. Finishing by reading a passage from the Company in Britain in 1897, Marconi succeeded in Bible: 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace making a commercial success of radio by innovating to men of good will' (Gospel of Luke 2:14), he urged and building on the work of all the people listed his listeners to report the quality of the broadcast as above. Therein lies the rub – it would actually be well as their location when they heard it. argued in the US Supreme Court (1935) that a Surprisingly, his broadcast was heard several Marconi radio patent (circa 1900) was invalid. As is hundred miles away. However, there were also a often the case, the court chose to define “radio” by huge number of reports that accompanying the opining: “A radio communication system requires two broadcast was a disturbing noise due to irregularities tuned circuits each at the transmitter and receiver, all in the spark gap transmitter he used. No matter the four tuned to the same frequency.” Once the definition quality, this was the first real AM (amplitude had been set, the court then decided that a Tesla patent modulation) radio transmission. predated and thus superceded Marconi’s claim to “a system which could be used for wireless The first news program was broadcast on August 31, communication of intelligible messages (such as 1920 by station 8MK in Detroit (today WWJ owned human voice or music) and used the four-circuit tuned by CBS - Detroit’s only 24-hour all news AM combination.” station). In October, 1920 the first college radio station (2ADD–WRUC as of 1947) at Union College Interestingly, the British High Court of Justice totally (Schenectady, NY) broadcast the first public disagreed and upheld the Marconi patent. Still when entertainment program consisting of a series of all was said and done, the Italian created the first Thursday evening concerts heard initially within a engineering complete, commercially successful radio radius of 100 miles and eventually reaching 1,000 transmission system. By 1897, Marconi had miles. established a radio station on the Isle of Wight, England and opened a wireless factory employing 60 The first voice broadcast of a sporting event took people in Chelmfords, England. What ultimately place on April 11, 1921 when Westinghouse station placed Marconi heads above Tesla and all others was KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania broadcast a that word “commercialization” which resulted in a 10-round, no decision boxing match between Johnny global business headed by the inventor. Dundee and Johnny Ray at Pittsburgh’s Motor 5 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

Square Garden. The first radio broadcast of a live September 13, 1926, RCA (Radio Corporation of baseball game occurred on August 5, 1921, again over America founded in 1919) had launched the National KDKA from Pittsburgh's Forbes Field. Harold W. Broadcasting Company (NBC). Arlin announced a game between the Pittsburgh January 21, 1927, Charles Gounod’s (1818-1893) Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies. Two months Faust (1859) was the first full opera to be later, on October 8, 1921, from the same Forbes Field, broadcast over a national radio network. Arlin announced the first live radio broadcast of a college football game – KDKA again – when he gave September 18, 1927, the Columbia the play-by-play action of the University of Phonographic Broadcasting System (almost Pittsburgh victory over West Virginia University. immediately known simply as the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) was officially Concerts, baseball games, football games – radio was launched on 16 stations nationwide. off and running. Even as early as 1920, you could get a radio receiver in one of three ways: 1) go to a local March 19, 1928, Amos 'n' Andy debuted on the NBC Blue Network, broadcasting from department store (the Joseph Horne department store WMAQ-AM in Chicago. This famous program in Pittsburgh had them on hand) and buy one for “$10 was a nightly radio serial from 1928 until 1943, and up,” 2) build your own from scratch or 3) buy a and became a weekly situation comedy from 1943 kit to build your own. On November 27, 1921, U.S. until 1955. bandleader Vincent Lopez and his band began a weekly 90-minute music show on November 20, 1929, The Rise of the Goldbergs Westinghouse-owned station WJZ (later WABC- (later called simply "The Goldbergs"), starring AM) in Newark, New Jersey. By the end of 1922, Gertrude Berg, debuted on NBC. there were 30 radio stations in operation in the United States, and 100,000 consumer radios had been sold. All this is no more than the tip of an enormous Also in 1922 the British Broadcasting Company iceberg that was set afloat during the 20s and (BBC) was formed. Just a year later, by the end of continued to grow with no real threat to itself until 1923, 556 stations were on the air and half-a-million television suddenly pushed it out of the livingroom in receivers had been sold. (Wikipedia) This decade the 1950s, and primarily, into other areas of the would suddenly erupt in firsts: house, office and/or the car. NOTE: In 2001, the release of the Apple iPod, a personal choice portable programming/music conveyor, appears to be dealing the January 1923, the Rose Bowl Football Game was radio a potential death sentence. broadcast live for the first time.

February 12, 1924, Calvin Coolidge made the first Throughout the decade of the 20s, there were presidential political speech on radio to an suddenly more and more reasons to stay home in the estimated five million people. It was broadcast live evening with the radio turned on. In addition, once from New York City and carried by five stations. one had invested in the receiver, all this wonderful broadcasting was free. Cable with its monthly fee March 21, 1925, Lowell Thomas began was a long, long way down the road but “live” broadcasting from Pittsburgh on station KDKA performances were being seriously threatened this (there’s that station again). time around. Too many people could now sit in their living rooms and enjoy an evening’s entertainment without having to journey, pay a price, or get dressed up.

Above we mentioned how the threat known as television pushed the radio out of the livingroom – eventually threatening radio as much as live performance. To see the development of this Thomas in the technology we must once again go all the way back 1920s 6 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

to the telephone. The idea of transmitting actual London to the Central Hotel at Glasgow Central images was first laid out as early as 1878 by science Station. fiction writers such as French author and illustrator Albert Robida (1848-1926) and a French born- British cartoonist George du Maurier (1834-1896). While creating work for the satirical magazine Punch Magazine, du Maurier drew the next invention to which Thomas A. Edison might want to turn his hand.

Between 1857 and 1861 a pendulum-based scanning mechanism, the pantelegraph, was invented by the Italian physicist 1925 Baird Television Set Giovanni Caselli (1815–1891). It was in fact This transmission was Baird's response to a 225-mile, the first “fax” machine, and long-distance telecast between stations of AT&T Bell its basic principles were Labs. The Bell stations were in New York and incorporated into nearly every Washington, DC. The earlier telecast took place in image transmission up to and April 1927, a month before Baird's demonstration. including early television. Ah, the joys of competition. The most important of those Caselli’s Pantelegraph principles was rasterization - Baird then set up the Baird Television Development the conversion of an image into points on a grid or Company Ltd, which in 1928 made the first into bitmap format which can then be sent as electrical transatlantic television transmission, from London to impulses and reconstructed on the receiving side as a Hartsdale, New York, and the first television picture. programme for the BBC. Also in 1928, Baird invented the first video recording system, As early as 1883, German Paul Gottliev Nipkov “Phonovision.” By modulating the output signal from (1860-1940) patented the first electromechanical his TV camera down to an audio range, he was able television system which used a spinning disk with a to capture the signal on a 10-inch wax audio disc series of holes for rasterization. It was not really using conventional audio recording technology. Some suitable for sending anything but half tones over of these recordings still exist and were decoded and wires. It would not be until 1928 before Nipkov turned back into visual images in the 1990s. would see an actual working television model capable of showing “moving images” based on his work 45 In 1926, Hungarian Kálmán Tihanyi (1897-1947) years prior. In between, in 1907, Russian Boris also designed a television system utilizing fully Rosing (1869–1933) further developed the spinning electronic versions of scanning and display. The disk idea by employing a mechanical camera device same year in Japan, Kenjiro Takayanagi (1899- with rotating lenses and mirrors that used a very early 1990) demonstrated the first working example of a cathode ray tube (the “CRT” developed in Germany 40-line resolution, fully electronic television receiver by Braun) as a receiver. at the Hamamatsu Industrial High School. In 1927, Russian inventor Léon Theremin (1896-1993) Also using Nipkov’s disk theory, Scottish inventor developed a system that achieved a 100-line John Logie Baird (1888-1946) built and resolution picture. In the same year Herbert E. Ives demonstrated the world's first practical television (1882-1953) of Bell Labs managed to transmit an system in 1925, and much later in 1928, the world's image of Herbert Hoover, then Secretary of first fully electronic color television tube. In 1927, Commerce, by cable from Washington, D.C. to New Baird transmitted a long-distance television signal York City using receiving screens that were 24" by over 438 miles (705 km) of telephone line from 30". 7 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

On September 1, 1928, American pioneer Philo station in Leipzig so more citizens could view the Farnsworth (1906-1971) demonstrated the world’s events. That same year the BBC began transmitting first working television system utilizing totally the world’s first regular public high-definition electronic scanning on both the pickup and display service from the Victoria Alexandra Palace in devices. Farnsworth would go on to produce North London, gaining that particular station the title, commercially with his firm Farnsworth Television “official birthplace of broadcast television.” and Radio Corporation from 1938 to 1951. As one can see, the array of people involved in the Once again radio pioneers in Schenectady, New York pre-1930 development of both radio and television is led the way with the first television station dizzying. Marconi emerged as the biggest broadcasting from the General Electric factory – commercializer of radio while if one were to pick one WRGB. The experimental station began with test major developer of television, it would almost have broadcasts in early 1928. Later that year the first daily to be John Logie Baird and perhaps the BBC in programs were broadcast, once again beginning in Britain. Schenectady. WRGB would later become one of a handful of television stations licensed for commercial Victor Herbert, George M. Cohen, Florenz Ziegfield, broadcasting operation before the end of World War Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, P.G. Wodehouse, Guy II. NOTE: General Electric was formed by the 1892 merger Bolton, Sigmund Romberg, Rudolf Friml, Oscar of Edison General Electric of Schenectady, New York and Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers all lived during Thomson-Houston Electric Company of Lynn, this period of competition from film, then radio, and Massachusetts. General Electric added a second eventually television. In the 20s, did they have any station in New York City which today is known as idea of the storm that was coming? Actually, with the WNBC. exception of Herbert who passed away in 1924, they would all rise to the occasion in New York City and give birth to the Golden Age of the Broadway Musical but the era of the dominance of “live” entertainment was truly over by 1930.

Today we often feel as if we are in a whirlwind of technological change and yet, Victor Herbert saw the invention of electricity, telegraphy, the telephone, recording devices, film, the beginnings of radio and Early Felix the rumors of early television – all huge advances for Broadcasting the times – all happening during his lifetime. Was it During the first years of each station’s life, it simply really such a different time? Perhaps simply a slower broadcast the image of a Felix the Cat doll, rotating on one which was, and remains, in a constant state of a turntable, for two hours everyday as new technology speeding forward. was being tested constantly.

On June 27, 1929, Herbert Ives and his colleagues at Spotlight On . . . Bell Telephone Laboratories in New York City demonstrated a color mechanical television (first Angel Face (1919) achieved by John Logie Baird the previous year). The 50-line color images were of a bouquet of roses and an he amazing output of Herbert’s full-length, American flag. The images were transmitted between produced theatrical works reached No. 40 with New York and Washington, DC. Tthe opening of Angel Face on December 29, 1919. While this appears to be fairly well spaced It would not be until the mid 1930s that actual given the Broadway opening of No. 39 The Velvet programming would be broadcast beginning with the Lady on February 3, 1919 in New York City’s New 1936 Olympic games in Berlin which were sent to a Amsterdam Theatre, Angel Face actually gave its 8 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

very first performance in Chicago at the Colonial conducting experience had been with a brass band Theatre on June 8, 1919 – a mere four months after (Gilmore’s aka the 22nd NY Regiment). Thomas No. 39. The period between the two operettas proved took very seriously his own long dedication to the a huge emotional challenge for the composer, even classical orchestra and its work, and his silence must though on the surface he certainly did not appear to be have stung Herbert quite a bit. It was Thomas who showing any signs of slowing down. As always, the had given the young cellist wonderful opportunities composer was on the podium for both shows’ opening both as a soloist, a composer and an assistant performances both in and out of town. Interestingly, conductor when the young man first stepped ashore this particular work was entirely written between in New York . It was because of Thomas that Herbert February 6th and the Victor Herbert Orchestra’s annual could add performances in and with both the Thomas residence at Willow Grove Amusement Park which Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic to his occurred between June 22 an July 12 - in fact, Willow early cello resume. Grove probably served as a welcome little vacation. Thus, when the invitation came in 1919 to conduct a The first six months of 1919 were actually filled with pair of concerts in February during Chicago’s regular far more angst that Herbert had faced in several years. season, Victor Herbert more than happily accepted The first setback surrounded a business deal involving and spent a good portion of February after the an attempt to take The Velvet Lady on tour to opening of The Velvet Lady in the windy city. The England. The British producers came back with a two concerts occurred on February 21st and 22 nd in great eagerness to accept the work with one condition Chicago’s famed Symphony Hall. Thanks to some – Herbert’s music must NOT accompany the wonderful assistance from archivist, Frank Villella production. While The Great War had ended on of today’s Chicago Symphony, we can report that November 11, 1918, British citizens had obviously once again, as in Cincinnati in 1918, Herbert been paying attention during the years 1914 to 1918 programed and conducted a concert which would when Herbert had loudly and frequently raised his have made Thomas smile: Dvorak’s Symphony No. voice along side his Irish brethren in very vehement 5 in E Minor (now correctly numbered no. 9); anti-British sentiments. Now London wanted no part Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, with Ossip of any Herbert music whether it was attached to an Gabrilowitsch ( 1878-1936), piano; and Herbert’s operetta or not. (N.Y. Clipper, June 29, 1919, p.4) It own Woodland Fancies Suite, Op. 34 (originally would be a safe assumption that Herbert would not written for the Pittsburgh Orchestra in 1902 and have allowed such removal and vetoed any thought of dedicated to Andrew Carnegie.) The Velvet Lady traveling across the ocean without him. NOTE: Gabrilowitsch (Gabrilovich) was a Russian Perhaps because of his 1918 guest conducting born Jewish pianist who had assistance to the Cincinnati Orchestra whose own studied with Anton Mastro Kunwald had been removed from his podium Rubinstein, Anatoly because he was German born (eventually deported), Lyadov, Alexander Glazunov and Nikolai Herbert was suddenly invited to be a guest conductor Medtner. He was one of the of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Twenty years very first pianists to be prior to this invitation Herbert had been the very recorded in 1905 in Europe, prominent conductor of the Pittsburgh Orchestra but was eventually forced to and considered to be a brash young rival to Chicago’s flee Europe after being venerated founding maestro Theodore Thomas arrested in a pogrom in Munich in 1917. The even (1835-1905). Tongues had also wagged a bit (probably Ossip Gabrilowitsch in the NYC based Musical Courier) when a year more important fact is that earlier in 1897, as Pittsburgh was searching for a new in 1918 Gabrilowitsch became the second conductor of the four year old Detroit Symphony Orchestra (1914), while conductor, there had appeared to be some hesitation still maintaining his life as a concert pianist. Once again on the part of Thomas to recommend Herbert for the a maestro demanded and received a new auditorium as a position since the latter’s immediately previous condition of engagement, and thus Detroit had its own 9 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

“Orchestra Hall,” completed for its new maestro in 1919 in only Herbert collaborator to pass away before four months and twenty-three days. It would seem that Herbert himself died in 1924 – actually a rather Gabrilowitsch was as busy as Victor Herbert. This remarkable statement considering Herbert began his artist/conductor was also married to Mark Twain's (1835- theatrical composing career in 1894. The Lambs 1910) daughter Clara Clemens (1874-1962), a singer who Club, presumably with a lot of assistance from fellow often appeared with him in recital. Given the busy year, it’s a tribute to Victor Herbert’s stature that Gabrilowitsch member Herbert, took charge of Blossom’s funeral, took the time to perform with the conductor and the which took place at Campbell’s Funeral Church on th Chicago Symphony. Broadway and 66 . (NY Times Obit, March 24, 1919)

At an ASCAP dinner celebrating the organization’s 5th anniversary on the night of March 29th , a rather somber Herbert served as toastmaster. The group paid homage to Blossom and heard Raymond Hubbell (1879-1954 – one of the original seven ASCAP founders along with Herbert) list the organization’s achievements during those first 5 years. Hubbell called upon Herbert to give the group a reminiscence of the pre-ASCAP years in which Herbert, Sousa, and Berlin had verbally testified on numerous occasions before Congress in favor of “mechanical rights” for composers as they pertained A rare photo of Herbert (far left) and Henry Blossom to the fledgling recording industry. The result as seated beside him at Joyland (Lake Placid) circa 1918 every member knew was the US Copyright Law of courtesy of John Guidinger, Jackson, MI 1909. As you learned earlier in this newsletter, Herbert had probably not been back from Chicago too commercial radio was still in its infancy and thus, terribly long when he suddenly found his fairly none of the members seated at that ASCAP comfortable artistic collaboratory life suddenly ripped celebratory 5th year anniversary dinner had any idea apart. His primary librettist for over a decade, Henry what lay ahead over the next decade, let alone the Blossom (1866-1919), died suddenly and quite next 90 years. Perhaps because of the loss of unexpectedly, on March 23rd in his New York City Blossom a mere six days before, the room requested apartment. The cause? An extreme case of pneumonia. Herbert give them a cello solo for old times sake (it’s Suddenly stilled was the creator of 19 Broadway a bit unclear where a cello might have materialized productions since 1902, including these with Herbert: from – perhaps from an instrumentalist engaged for Mlle Modiste (‘05), The Red Mill (‘06), The Prima the dinner). His choice of material clearly indicates Donna (‘08), The Slim Princess (‘10 - uncredited the overall mood of occasion as he played “Le Herbert assistance), The Only Girl (‘14), The Cygne” from Saint-Saëns’(1835-1921) Carnival of Princess Pat (‘15), The Century Girl (‘16), Eileen the Animals. The pensive, luxuriant tones of that (‘17), Miss 1917 (‘17), and The Velvet Lady (‘19). cello solo were probably Herbert’s personal tribute to Blossom. Originally an insurance salesman from St. Louis Missouri, Blossom moved to New York City some On May 27, 1919 Herbert elected to join the profits time around 1900-1901 and never looked back. The of the “piano roll” business by signing a contract to librettist/lyricist had attracted Herbert’s attention with personally record piano rolls for the American Piano his lyric work on the 1903 production of the Wizard of Company (Ampico). Herbert would play only his Oz. Blossom had also been a charter member of the own compositions, but Ampico contracted for the second larger group which officially incorporated the right to choose which ones of his published works to American Society of Composers, Authors and record. The composer would also eventually record Publishers (ASCAP) in 1914 and sat on its board for Duo-Art. Both these companies were from 1917. Not only did Blossom pen some of “reproducing” manufacturers and proclaimed that Herbert’s most important works, he would also be the they could accurately reproduce the touch and 10 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

dynamics of the artist as well as the notes struck, when Blossom/Herbert team might have been named in the played back on capable pianos. When a consumer contract signed by Max Dreyfus for Harms, given bought one of these rolls and inserted it into their the success of The Velvet Lady mere days before. “player piano”, they literally had Herbert himself According to Herbert biographer, Edward N. Waters, playing their piano at a cost of only a few dollars. It the contract resides in the Library of Congress and was a great marketing ploy to “be able to proclaim to definitely bears closer scrutiny. your guests that the great composer would literally be sitting in your livingroom at your piano” – if you Be that as it may, eventually, George W. Lederer purchased the company’s product. (1862-1938) became producer and also served as stage director. Such double duty was not at all new T h e Z i e g f e l d territory for Lederer as he had a long list of 30 NYC Follies of 1919 productions stretching back as far as 1894 and opened at the New extending forward to 1931 in which he was A m s t e r d a m frequently serving in both capacities. A quick look at Theatre on June those productions finds Lederer primarily producing 16 with Marilyn the work of Ludwig Englander, Gustav Kerker, Miller (1898- and Reginald DeKoven – all major New York 1936) as one of its theatrical composers – as well as librettist George V. headliners, dancing Hobart. While yes, those were major names, they in an Act II weren’t Victor Herbert, so this appears to be quite a production number feather in Lederer’s cap to land a Herbert production. entitled “The The librettist was Harry B. Smith (1860-1936) and Circus Ballet,” the lyricist his brother Robert B. Smith (1875-1951). music by Victor Herbert. While Given some of the reviews the two men had been Ziegfeld’s Marilyn Miller Miller had been in acquiring for their work since 1910, one wonders at several Shubert the choice. Yet, Harry Bache Smith had worked with production as early as 1914, it was Ziegfeld who made Herbert on some 13 operettas beginning with The her a Broadway star in the Follies of 1918. Her career Wizard of the Nile, in 1895. The choice lends even would soar one year after her role in Herbert’s score, more credence to the idea that perhaps they were when she starred in the Ziegfeld production of Jerome emergency substitutes for Blossom. When you have Kern’s Sally (1920) and debuted the song "Look for lost a major contributor to your creative life, you the Silver Lining." As an added tidbit - who wrote the have a tendency to fall back on the familiar. grand finale to Sally which happened to be about a Ziegfeld show girl? See the last page for the answer. Lederer handled the stage direction while Harold Vicars handled the music direction. The musical All of these activities were simply the lead up to the staging (choregraphy) was handled by Julian Alfred first ever performance of Angel Face in Chicago on whose Broadway choreography credits had begun in June 8, 1919 at the Colonial Theatre. The sudden 1909 with The Beauty Spot (music by Reginald death of Henry Blossom raises some interesting DeKoven and book by Joseph W. Herbert [no musings regarding this production. Herbert had signed relation to Victor]) and would stretch to 1926 and a contract to create Angel Face (at the time entitled included such notables as Leo Fall’s Madame Little Miss Wise) with the publishers, T.B. Harms Pompadour (‘24) and Rudolf Friml’s The Vagabond and Francis, Day & Hunter on February 8th – five King (‘26). days after The Velvet Lady opened. First and foremost, it leaps out as very strange that the contract The Smith brothers created a libretto which was not was signed with a publisher and not a producer. As we only assailed by the critics but contained a have examined these 40 productions, that is a fascinatingly cryptic note in the program for the significant departure from the norm – possibly the one audience to mull as they awaited the curtain going single occasion to date. One would assume that the up: 11 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

Taking a gland from a young and vigorous wonders why it took so long to journey to New York. chimpanzee I grafted it onto a man 80 years old There is an old adage that we have offered who was virtually in a state of decrepitude. The previously, that, if you fear that you might not have patient showed a complete change. His shoulders a New York hit on your hands, be sure to take a nice, became upright, he walked straighter and seemed long and profitable tour through the provinces to get to enjoy the physical and mental powers of a young man of 30. – Dr. Serge Voronoff, head of the there – thereby making as much profit from the name physiological laboratories of the Collège de Victor Herbert as possible. Finally, Herbert took the th France. podium for opening night on December 29 at the Knickerbocker Theatre, home to such triumphs for One would love to have been sitting in the audience Herbert as The Serenade (1897), The Viceroy (‘00), listening to people comment after reading such an Mlle Modiste (‘05), and The Red Mill (‘06). It had author’s note. Keep that little note in mind as you also seen the only major Herbert colossal failure continue reading. Cyrano de Bergerac (1899) and housed Her Regiment (‘17) briefly before it closed. Herbert was The first two acts take place in the bachelor apartment an emotional man, and that night in that theatre of Tom Larkins (a wealthy bon vivant who coming so soon after Blossom’s passing, must have composes) and Arthur Griffin (a sculptor and friend been an extremely difficult one for the composer. of Tom); the third and last act takes place in the hotel lounge across the street. Betty (aka Angel Face) is the Alexander Woolcott mused 17 year old youngest daughter of Mrs. Zenobia Wise in his review for the New and has four sisters including Vera who is 28. Arthur York Times that the best is engaged to Vera – unhappily. Betty loves Arthur number was a potpourri of and assists in breaking up the pair. Tessie Blythe is melodies from past Herbert Tom’s fiancé who suspects that he is a little too free operettas which served to with the ladies for a fiancé. Professor Barlow, an remind the audience of the eccentric scientist, is the inventor of an elixir “huge debt really owed to guaranteed to reduce one’s age. Tessie offers to give the composer.” This would it a try. Not long after, a baby suddenly arrives on the be the second time Herbert scene and of course the good professor jumps to the had succumbed to filling conclusion that he has succeeded too well, and the Reviewer Woolcott time with such a number. baby is Tessie. Chaos erupts, only to be brought under Back in 1911, after the control by Slooch, a correspondence school detective, opening of Herbert’s Grand Opera Natoma on th who discovers that the baby is simply a kidnaped February 25 came When Sweet Sixteen, opening on th child, stolen from across the street in the hotel. September 24 . This stalwart little production had Hmmm - did the elixir contain monkey glands? been touring since December 5, 1910, being one of the first to test that adage of making hay while you Another interesting character is Mrs. Larkins, Tom’s can. It also held the record for longest preview tour grandmother from – drum roll please – Keokuk, Iowa. before a Broadway opening, at least as far as Ah, Keokuk you say. We’ve heard that name before in Herbert’s work was concerned – definitely a Herbert work. See if you can come up with the superceded by our present day’s Spiderman: Turn reference. If not, we’ll give you the answer in the Off the Dark (182 performances in preview). See Musings column at the end of this newsletter. VHS Newsletter, Vol 8 August 2011 for a complete discussion of When Sweet Sixteen. The reason we As was stated at the beginning of this discussion, the mention this work is because it too had a rather first performance was conducted by Herbert in infamous medley of Herbert songs set in an even Chicago on June 8th . The audience seemed to enjoy more bizarre Shakespearean acting scene having little themselves. Critics called the music some of Herbert’s if anything to do with the basic plot. No, the Smith best ... the book? ... “slipshod, puerile, and threadbare. brothers did not write that libretto and lyrics, but one (Variety, June 13, 1919, p. 14) June 8th is a can easily surmise that Herbert’s composer heart was particularly long way from December 29th , and one simply not really “into” the creation of either work 12 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

with the result that he simply chose, very even claim to own the plot after the majority of the uncharacteristically, to throw together a “favorite hits” reviews. Turns out the operetta had sprung from The piece for both works. Elixir of Youth by Zellash Covington and Jules Simonson, produced in New York on August 12, Waters opined that the score for Angel Face was far 1915 and controlled by Rosen and Schnebbe. superior to either Her Regiment (‘17) or The Velvet Interestingly, not a one of these four individuals Lady (‘18). It was a score quite similar to The Velvet shows up in today’s Internet Broadway Database. Lady in that many of the numbers were in the “popular While none of this fiasco had anything to do with song” vein. One, “I Might Be Your Once-In-a- Herbert, it probably also did not thrill him to have his While” actually caught the whole country’s attention, work mentioned in the same breath. becoming a huge hit. The title song “Angel Face” also sold a lot of sheet music. While it may have been Two years later, producer Norman J. Norman took tuneful and a sounder score than its two predecessors, Angel Face to a now bit more tolerant London where it simply was not an Eileen or a Naughty Marietta. it opened on October 11, 1922 at the Strand Theatre. The London Times critic called the story “complex, It is most fortunate that the Smith brothers had already the dialogue dull, and the lyrics scarcely above enjoyed long, lucrative and hopefully satisfying average.” He did concede to the tunefulness of the careers as they certainly would not have been around music, observing “it was like an oasis in a desert of long after some of the following reviews. humdrum conversation about nothing in particular.” The work lasted 13 performances and certainly did Heywood Broun (1888-1939) famed theatre critic for nothing to “fix” Herbert’s relationship with the the New York Tribune wrote: British. Such reviews were also becoming a bit common for Harry B. Smith, causing one to think “Nobody can accuse Mr. Smith of having failed that perhaps his work had not moved forward into to provide ... a plot. ‘Angel Face’ has dozens of modern times. plots, all jostling and elbowing each other in an effort to produce new complications. It is a To date, VHSource has not acquired either the vocal very old home week of plots, and sometimes we score or the libretto to this particular work, but we’ll felt that the Knickerbocker Theatre was hardly let you know as soon as we do. Next month we’ll big enough to hold them all.” examine No. 41 My Golden Girl which had its very first performance on December 19, 1919 just ten days A less charitable reviewer offered the following before the opening night of Angel Face. comment on the book: Great news from Paragon Ragtime . . . so tedious, useless and archaic that it is hard to imagine how any sentient being could have written it. Orchestra

In reporting the strange program note regarding At the beginning of August we heard the wonderful “monkey glands operation,” the same reviewer added: news that the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra’s wonderful recording of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha The book of ‘Angel Face’ is an ideal candidate for won another major award. STEREOPHILE magazine such an operation. named this relatively new CD, "RECORDING OF THE MONTH" - August 2012. You can read the full Angel Face ran for 57 performances before returning news release on the internet. to the road where it continued to do fairly well. However, in1920, Irwin Rosen and F. Howard This is an important recording for several significant Schnebbe, who owned the rights to the play on which reasons. First, Joplin’s work was the first real Angel Face had apparently been based, won a $2,500 American opera written by an American about award from Harry B. Smith for unauthorized use of Americans. Yes, one could argue that “slaves” were their plot. It’s perhaps surprising that anyone would not Americans, but in 1911 when Joplin was 13 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

finishing up this work, he was clearly writing about characters who would have been born in America and Ongoing Current Events thus, qualify just as any other person born in America. Second, this recording is clearly an interpretation that Ongoing through January 26, 2013, The Library Joplin himself would have loved. The composer never of Congress and its Music Division have launched intended to write a European style grand opera for “The Musical Worlds of Victor Herbert,” a free spectacular voices and a huge orchestra. Joplin simply exhibit open to the public, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., wanted to represent a totally unrepresented segment of Monday through Saturday, from Aug. 16, 2012, to the American population accurately. Do add this Jan. 26, 2013, in the Performing Arts Reading recording to your American Music collection and sit Room Gallery in the Library’s James Madison back and marvel at the maturity of this composer Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, known primarily as a writer of “rag.” D.C. Following its closing on Jan. 26, 2013, the exhibition will move to the home of the LA Philharmonic, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angles from Feb. 24 through Aug. 17, 2013.

Upcoming Possibilities

Monday, December 3, 8 pm, the Library of Congress will feature an all Herbert concert as part On August 22, Rick Benjamin, the music director of of their LOC Monday Night Series. William Hicks Paragon Ragtime Orchestra reported that: will be the music director and pianist. The concert will feature sopranos Rebecca Luker and Corliss Last week Chris Ware and I discovered/acquired Uecker, tenor Aaron Lazar, baritone Ron Raines, one of Scott Joplin's first edition Treemonisha and cellist Jerry Grossman. As we get more piano/vocal scores; there are only 3 other known information, we’ll pass it on. original copies of this artifact in the world! This copy was heretofore unknown. st There is a new recording coming out October 1 of Better still - this one is the only copy autographed the full score of Herbert’s Eileen. This new CD was by the man himself. (Scott Joplin signatures recorded in Ireland in 2011with full orchestra and an themselves are incredibly rare - there are only 4 all Irish cast. Visit amazon.com to pre-order your others.) In fact, this artifact is the only known copy. Joplin-signed musical score in existence! This is a major historical find. We’re starting to hear of possible projects for 2013 which will give audiences a chance to hear some The score is inscribed to "S. Sexton Compliments amazing Herbert works. James Cooper reports that of Scott Joplin." Sexton is probably Samuel the Troupers Light Opera of Norwalk, Connecticut Sexton, who in 1911 was a director of St. Louis's only African-American vaudeville theater. As you will perform Victor Herbert's The Red Mill April know, Joplin began writing the opera in St. Louis 6-7, and 13, 2013 with full orchestra. this coming and spent the rest of his life rather desperately spring. The 5 performances will be in Norwalk seeking productions. Scores like this were (among Concert Hall. We’ll provide more information in other things) a composer's "demo" in that age long January. before tapes, CDs, or mp3s; Joplin possibly gave this one to Sexton in soliciting a performance. Bruce Herman reports that the Lyric Theatre of San Jose (CA) will present a concert reading of Herbert’s Congratulations to Benjamin and his orchestra both 1899 Cyrano de Bergerac utilizing the Victor for this significant award and the finding of such a Herbert Renaissance Project’s libretto. significant research piece regarding this important Performances will take place sometime in July 2013. American opera. 14 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 9 September 2012

This VHRP production will be ready for rental after Passion is a wonderful thing that every single one of this performance. you can explore and utilize. It is the fuel to form a life of meaning and fulfillment. If you can find your We are still hoping to announce a 100th Anniversary own passion, you will be amazed at where it will take production of Sweethearts possibly in New York or you in life. I know it has both formed my career as somewhere else in the country. There is an easily well as this newsletter. It’s also evidenced in the producible Victor Herbert Renaissance Project’s excitement of Rick Benjamin in his description of version ready to rent with all the materials you need if finding the Joplin piano vocal for Treeminisha. Time you decide this project might fill a slot in your season. to find your passion! Just send us an e-mail and we’ll get you started. On page 10, we asked you if you knew who wrote the We can also report that the Natoma Restoration grand finale to Jerome Kern’s Sally starring Marilyn Project is moving along exactly on schedule with a Miller. Did you guess Victor Herbert? You were projected completion of scores and parts correct. Ziegfeld was the producer, and he liked the computerization around the Fall of 2013 at which way Herbert wrote big production numbers. We have point the project will beginning moving concretely yet to find any mention of what Kern thought of the towards a Spring of 2014 historic first reading in over idea. 100 years. This is arguably America’s most important Grand Opera with full orchestra prior to Gershwin’s Back on page 11, we made a reference to Keokuk in Porgy and Bess. Angel Face not being the first time that name appeared in a Herbert operetta. If you came up with We also know there are numerous productions of Mlle Modiste, you were correct. The characters Herbert’s Babes In Toyland gearing up for the 2012 Hiram Bent and his wife were from Keokuk, Iowa. Christmas Season. Get all your pertinent information Mrs. Hiram Bent sings the song “The Keokuk to VHSource as soon as you can so that we can help Culture Club” in Act II. The use of the Iowa city in you get the word out. Angel Face was probably yet another tiny tribute to Henry Blossom, librettist/lyricist for Mlle Modiste.

Alyce's Musings . . . See you all next month! ll these wonderful projects simply prove that Victor Herbert Ais moving forward in America’s musical memory and that is very gratifying.

This fall we’ll turn our attention back to some major Two places can supply referenced back issues you may like to role players in the period 1830-1930 whom we have read: 1) The E-Book section of Shop VHSource has the new 288 page Exploring The American World of Entertainment, yet to really explore. It’s definitely time for a full Foundations, 1880 to 1930, which will give you all the VHS article devoted to Maestro Theodore Thomas and his newsletters from March 2009 through December 2011. Explore the original Thomas Orchestra which was not related to Herbert operettas from Prince Ananias (1894) to Sweethearts (1913) in one searchable source. Or 2) simply login to the Chicago Orchestra at all. Why? Theodore Thomas www.vhsource.com and choose “Archived Newsletters in the User was indeed America’s first real Musical Superstar - Menu” for 2012 newsletters. Reminder: if you are not logged in, stay tuned. We also want to give you some ideas for you will not see a User Menu or any samples. (1) comic audition materials, (2) stunning duets, trios All 2012 newsletters are available to registered users of and quartets, (3) wonderful orchestral selections, etc., www.vhsource.com. Simply follow the link, create a user name and password and enjoy this newsletter delivered to your inbox free etc. Remember you don’t need to do a whole operetta of charge every month. to do Victor Herbert.