Musical Comedy in America by Cecil SmithReview by: Edward N. WatersNotes, Second Series, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Mar., 1951), pp. 344-345Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/890006 .

Accessed: 13/06/2014 21:54

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

Music Library Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Notes.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 185.44.78.76 on Fri, 13 Jun 2014 21:54:40 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

the rich lode of English and Scottish narrative song, in chapters entitled Robin Hood Ballads, Historical Ballads, Border Raid Ballads, Romantic Ballads, The Ballad and the Nursery, and Minstrel and Broadside Ballads.

The Ballad Tree has many additional features which make the book significant. The wide range of illustrations-18 of them-includes a facsimile of the Percy Folio Manuscript, fine examples of black and white letter broadsides, Appalachian singers being interviewed by Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles, village carollers of the Middle Ages, scenes from the Border Ballad territory, and, most im- portant of all, 73 musical transcriptions chosen with fine discrimination.

Its humanness, its anecdotes of singers and their ballad attitudes, its careful weighing of disputed ballad problems attest a sympathetic insight which only the scholar-collector can know prag- matically. Represented among the ballads are some which Miss Wells has collected personally from singers in the Appa- lachians as well as in the Border Country of England and Scotland.

In its mature treatment of the ballad as a literary genre, The Ballad Tree is

the rich lode of English and Scottish narrative song, in chapters entitled Robin Hood Ballads, Historical Ballads, Border Raid Ballads, Romantic Ballads, The Ballad and the Nursery, and Minstrel and Broadside Ballads.

The Ballad Tree has many additional features which make the book significant. The wide range of illustrations-18 of them-includes a facsimile of the Percy Folio Manuscript, fine examples of black and white letter broadsides, Appalachian singers being interviewed by Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles, village carollers of the Middle Ages, scenes from the Border Ballad territory, and, most im- portant of all, 73 musical transcriptions chosen with fine discrimination.

Its humanness, its anecdotes of singers and their ballad attitudes, its careful weighing of disputed ballad problems attest a sympathetic insight which only the scholar-collector can know prag- matically. Represented among the ballads are some which Miss Wells has collected personally from singers in the Appa- lachians as well as in the Border Country of England and Scotland.

In its mature treatment of the ballad as a literary genre, The Ballad Tree is

reminiscent of the poised judgment of Gerould's The Ballad of Tradition; in its choice of good ballads one thinks of the best in the Child collection; in its treatment of ballad origins one finds a restrained middle course between Gummere's The Popular Ballad and Louise Pound's Poetic Origins and the Ballad; and in its four chapters ap- praising the varied contributions of Percy, Scott, Child, and Sharp, one senses the keen perceptiveness of Hustvedt's Ballad Books and Ballad Men.

To make the book complete, the author has appended a chapter on the literary ballad, a 7Y2-page bibliography, and three complete indexes.

In short, here is a book that will quicken an interest in ballads every- where. It will serve also to explode the myth that the ballad is dead, for the author of this book boldly and con- fidently asserts "The end is not yet. As long as men love a story and their senses respond to the rhythm of sound and movement, the ballad tree, rooted in the past, living today, will send forth its branches into tomorrow."

ALTON C. MORRIS

reminiscent of the poised judgment of Gerould's The Ballad of Tradition; in its choice of good ballads one thinks of the best in the Child collection; in its treatment of ballad origins one finds a restrained middle course between Gummere's The Popular Ballad and Louise Pound's Poetic Origins and the Ballad; and in its four chapters ap- praising the varied contributions of Percy, Scott, Child, and Sharp, one senses the keen perceptiveness of Hustvedt's Ballad Books and Ballad Men.

To make the book complete, the author has appended a chapter on the literary ballad, a 7Y2-page bibliography, and three complete indexes.

In short, here is a book that will quicken an interest in ballads every- where. It will serve also to explode the myth that the ballad is dead, for the author of this book boldly and con- fidently asserts "The end is not yet. As long as men love a story and their senses respond to the rhythm of sound and movement, the ballad tree, rooted in the past, living today, will send forth its branches into tomorrow."

ALTON C. MORRIS

Musical Comedy in America. By Cecil Smith. New York: Theatre Arts Books [1950] [x, 374 p., illus., 80; $5.00] Musical Comedy in America. By Cecil Smith. New York: Theatre Arts Books [1950] [x, 374 p., illus., 80; $5.00]

This book arouses, to say the least, mixed feelings. In reading it I expe- rienced pleasure and irritation, laughter and frustration. I am happy that it has appeared because there is nothing like it, and I am disappointed in its revela- tions because they are insufficient and sometimes erroneous. The foreword sets forth the book's weakness and an author's defense in one fell swoop. Mr. Smith feels that his subject does not lend itself to "Wissenschaft and the devices of the doctor's dissertation"; and his "personal critical judgments . . . re- main inexplicable to those whose minds and tastes are different from mine." To these statements one can only say that the subject desperately needs scien- tific treatment, which is not synonymous with dull writing (as Odell amply demonstrated), and that his critical

This book arouses, to say the least, mixed feelings. In reading it I expe- rienced pleasure and irritation, laughter and frustration. I am happy that it has appeared because there is nothing like it, and I am disappointed in its revela- tions because they are insufficient and sometimes erroneous. The foreword sets forth the book's weakness and an author's defense in one fell swoop. Mr. Smith feels that his subject does not lend itself to "Wissenschaft and the devices of the doctor's dissertation"; and his "personal critical judgments . . . re- main inexplicable to those whose minds and tastes are different from mine." To these statements one can only say that the subject desperately needs scien- tific treatment, which is not synonymous with dull writing (as Odell amply demonstrated), and that his critical

estimates are often at variance with those of thousands, perhaps millions, of fellow Americans.

To be sure the book will be useful, but all who consult it must exercise caution in accepting its data. The events of the last fifteen or twenty years are better treated than earlier ones, prob- ably because the author experienced them first-hand. The shows before his time seem haphazardly described, with little indication that the music has been seen, heard, and tested. The book is not ex- haustive, nor does it claim to be, but some omissions are astonishing. Often, though not consistently, Mr. Smith gives the number of performances a successful piece received, yet between 1899 and 1919 the following titles, totally ignored by the author, each enjoyed (upon their first New York showings) over 200 pres-

estimates are often at variance with those of thousands, perhaps millions, of fellow Americans.

To be sure the book will be useful, but all who consult it must exercise caution in accepting its data. The events of the last fifteen or twenty years are better treated than earlier ones, prob- ably because the author experienced them first-hand. The shows before his time seem haphazardly described, with little indication that the music has been seen, heard, and tested. The book is not ex- haustive, nor does it claim to be, but some omissions are astonishing. Often, though not consistently, Mr. Smith gives the number of performances a successful piece received, yet between 1899 and 1919 the following titles, totally ignored by the author, each enjoyed (upon their first New York showings) over 200 pres-

344 344

This content downloaded from 185.44.78.76 on Fri, 13 Jun 2014 21:54:40 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

entations: Twirly Whirly (244), Fantana (298), The Girl behind the Counter (260), Havana (272), The Midnight Sons (257), Madame Sherry (231), Miss Springtime (224), Flo-Flo (220), Going Up (351), Oh Lady! Lady! (219), The Royal Vagabond (208). These shows cer- tainly had something to draw the crowds for so many nights, but for Mr. Smith they never existed.

That sterling company called The Bos- tonians is barely mentioned, yet it prob- ably made more Americans familiar with more operettas than all the Broad- way impresarios combined. Another un- deserved slight is offered to DeKoven's Robin Hood which, though British in style, was in its acceptance as American as apple pie. Many individual stars are mentioned, but nowhere is there a refer- ence to the clowning comedian, Frank Daniels, or to the winsome Alice Nielsen.

It is when I come to Victor Herbert that I must really shudder, not for the expression of Mr. Smith's predilections (which are his own business), but for his ignorance or errors, either of which shatters one's faith in the rest of the book. Discussion of Herbert is deferred until after 1900, though by that time he had composed 10 operettas, including The Wizard of the Nile, The Serenade, and The Fortune Teller. Then he is termed "English-bred," an amazing designation for a boy who left England about 1865, aged six, and returned only in 1914 for a visit when he was hospitalized. (And how would the Anglophobic composer have re- acted to this charge?) Next he is alleged, after The Serenade (in 1897), to have had "a few years of silence" until 1903, but this period saw six operettas gush from his pen-a strange silence indeed. Preserving his record as a Herbert ex-

entations: Twirly Whirly (244), Fantana (298), The Girl behind the Counter (260), Havana (272), The Midnight Sons (257), Madame Sherry (231), Miss Springtime (224), Flo-Flo (220), Going Up (351), Oh Lady! Lady! (219), The Royal Vagabond (208). These shows cer- tainly had something to draw the crowds for so many nights, but for Mr. Smith they never existed.

That sterling company called The Bos- tonians is barely mentioned, yet it prob- ably made more Americans familiar with more operettas than all the Broad- way impresarios combined. Another un- deserved slight is offered to DeKoven's Robin Hood which, though British in style, was in its acceptance as American as apple pie. Many individual stars are mentioned, but nowhere is there a refer- ence to the clowning comedian, Frank Daniels, or to the winsome Alice Nielsen.

It is when I come to Victor Herbert that I must really shudder, not for the expression of Mr. Smith's predilections (which are his own business), but for his ignorance or errors, either of which shatters one's faith in the rest of the book. Discussion of Herbert is deferred until after 1900, though by that time he had composed 10 operettas, including The Wizard of the Nile, The Serenade, and The Fortune Teller. Then he is termed "English-bred," an amazing designation for a boy who left England about 1865, aged six, and returned only in 1914 for a visit when he was hospitalized. (And how would the Anglophobic composer have re- acted to this charge?) Next he is alleged, after The Serenade (in 1897), to have had "a few years of silence" until 1903, but this period saw six operettas gush from his pen-a strange silence indeed. Preserving his record as a Herbert ex-

pert Mr. Smith has It Happened in Nordland appearing in 1905, but it ac- tually came out the preceding year. And in saying that Montgomery and Stone, in Herbert's The Lady of the Slipper, had their best vehicle since The Wizard of Oz, the author has apparently for- gotten The Red Mill. I shall not argue that Herbert was superior to Lehar, though I'm convinced he was, but I do think facts should be correct.

Operetta, musical comedy, extrava- ganza, revue, and other terms are hurled at one, and I fully appreciate the author's difficulty in dealing with this slippery nomenclature. Nevertheless I believe he should have attempted clearer lines of demarcation or else confessed it to be a hopelessly insoluble problem. On the very last page he suggests that musical comedy is for entertainment, whereas opera is not. Would Mozart or Bizet or Verdi have agreed with this? Musico- dramatic expression of national feeling is one thing, fundamentally opposed aesthetic principles quite another-and I see no great distinction between the light and the tragic on the musico- dramatic stage. In spite of Mr. Smith's narrow strictures on Gershwin's master- piece, Porgy and Bess seems to prove me right, for here the two qualities meet and mix with effortless ease.

It may seem grudging praise, after such faultfinding, to say the book is welcome, but I have no other choice. The author has made available a vast quantity of needed information, has directed readers' attention to important phenomena that disappear too rapidly, and has caught some (but not all) of the glamour emanating from the musical stage. My chief complaint is that the book should have been so much better.

EDWARD N. WATERS

pert Mr. Smith has It Happened in Nordland appearing in 1905, but it ac- tually came out the preceding year. And in saying that Montgomery and Stone, in Herbert's The Lady of the Slipper, had their best vehicle since The Wizard of Oz, the author has apparently for- gotten The Red Mill. I shall not argue that Herbert was superior to Lehar, though I'm convinced he was, but I do think facts should be correct.

Operetta, musical comedy, extrava- ganza, revue, and other terms are hurled at one, and I fully appreciate the author's difficulty in dealing with this slippery nomenclature. Nevertheless I believe he should have attempted clearer lines of demarcation or else confessed it to be a hopelessly insoluble problem. On the very last page he suggests that musical comedy is for entertainment, whereas opera is not. Would Mozart or Bizet or Verdi have agreed with this? Musico- dramatic expression of national feeling is one thing, fundamentally opposed aesthetic principles quite another-and I see no great distinction between the light and the tragic on the musico- dramatic stage. In spite of Mr. Smith's narrow strictures on Gershwin's master- piece, Porgy and Bess seems to prove me right, for here the two qualities meet and mix with effortless ease.

It may seem grudging praise, after such faultfinding, to say the book is welcome, but I have no other choice. The author has made available a vast quantity of needed information, has directed readers' attention to important phenomena that disappear too rapidly, and has caught some (but not all) of the glamour emanating from the musical stage. My chief complaint is that the book should have been so much better.

EDWARD N. WATERS

The Availability of Contemporary American Music for Perform- ing Groups in High Schools and Colleges. By Philip Gordon. (Columbia University, Teachers College, Contributions to Education, No. 961) New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia Univer- sity, 1950. [xiii, 114 p., 8o; $2.75]

The relationship of the contemporary discussion; that it is a subject which composer to the society in which he continues to be avidly debated is en- lives and works is not a new topic for couraging. The problem of this rela-

345

The Availability of Contemporary American Music for Perform- ing Groups in High Schools and Colleges. By Philip Gordon. (Columbia University, Teachers College, Contributions to Education, No. 961) New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia Univer- sity, 1950. [xiii, 114 p., 8o; $2.75]

The relationship of the contemporary discussion; that it is a subject which composer to the society in which he continues to be avidly debated is en- lives and works is not a new topic for couraging. The problem of this rela-

345

This content downloaded from 185.44.78.76 on Fri, 13 Jun 2014 21:54:40 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions