Opera Selections

This week's "Music for the Picture" column is once again a grab bag. It opens with a letter on using opera selections to accompany the films. The writer also makes a comment that most people in the audience seem unaware of the music, which prompts Sinn to argue that just because an audience seems not to paying attention to the music doesn't mean that the music is not affecting them, even deeply.

The remainder of the column is taken up with a plug for a collection of appropriate numbers for organ (Moving Picture World had been carrying an ad for the collection) and suggestions for music to three war films.

The following was crowded out of my last letter through lack of space: “Dear Sir: I always find your articles and department in general a great help in settling the question, ‘What shall I play for the picture.’ Even though I know for a certainty that three-fourths of the patrons of our theater are utterly oblivious to the music, for the other fourth, I feature every possible situation and climax in each picture as much for my own satisfaction as anything else.

“I agree with Miss Ditmar, in the February 1st number, in regard to opera selections; they are my especial hobby. I might suggest that in addition to those Miss Ditmar cites, the most of which I have used to advantage, the following are equally excellent: Little Boy Blue, Rose Maid, Spring Maid, The Firefly, The Love Cure, Oh, Oh, Delphine, Under Many Flags, Hanky Panky, Count of Luxembourg, He Cam From Milwaukee, Mlle. Modiste, Lady of the Slipper, and The Red Rose. Also the overtures, Pique Dame, Jolly Robbers, La Boheme,and Madame Butterfly. Fraternally, G. Warner Metcalfe, Grand Theater, Holyoke, Mass.”

Mr. Metcalfe says that though a majority of his audience may be oblivious to the music, he plays for the minority as well as for his own satisfaction. This is the right spirit. But very often a great part of the oblivious majority may sense the fitness of the musical accompaniment without being aware of it. Anyhow it is pretty generally understood that the music should never be so prominent as to detract from the picture, but should at all times be made subservient to it. For that reason many patrons may not always notice the music in particular unless there is something wrong with it. And, after all, a musician’s greatest satisfaction is found in his own approval of his work.

* * *
Organists, of whom the number employed in moving picture theaters is constantly increasing, will be delighted with the new book of organ music published by Meyer & Bro., 77 W. Washington Street, Chicago, Ill. I have examined this book and can vouch for the excellent quality of its musical contents and their adaptability to moving picture work.

* * *
The militant spirit seemed to predominate among the feature films viewed last week. Here are suggestions for music to three most excellent war pictures—every one a feature:

“The Woe of Battle” (Kalem).

1. Heavy hurry (for battle), p. and f. until title: “General Green Makes Headquarters, etc.”
2. “Flight of the Birds” (by Rice, pub. Walter Jacobs) until title: “You Are My Brother’s Murderer.”
3. Short sentimental—one scene.
4. Short march until title: “A Broken Heart.”
5. Pathetic music for one scene.
6. Long heavy, hurry (for battle) until hospital scene.
7. Plaintive until title: “Love’s Last Farewell.”
8. “The Vacant Chair,” very pathetic until close of picture.

“The Retreat From Moscow” (Pathe).(Courtesy William E. King.)Part First.

1. “Russian National Hymn” until title: “Napoleon, To Inflame the Courage, etc.”
2. “Marsellaise” (short) until change of scene.
3. Hurry (for battle) until man is brought to general; then subdue until change of scene.
4. Agitato p. and f. until title: “After the Battle.”
5. “Reine de Sabe” (March by Gounod) once through, then:
6. “Festmarsch from Tannheuser” [sic] until end of reel.

Second Part.

1. Storm scene from “William Tell” (long) until officers come out of the Krimlin [sic].
2. “Partant Pour la Syrie” (French song) until change.
3. Agitato p. and f. until title: “The Incendiaries.”
4. Solemn (for execution) until title: “Napoleon, Fearing the Russian Winter.”
5. “Marsellaise” until title: “The Grand Army Pursued by the Russians.”
6. “Partant Pour la Syrie” until title: “The Cossacks harass the Retreating Army.”
7. Second movement “Halka” overture until peasants attack straggling soldiers.
8. Short agitato until change of scene.
9. “Partant Pour la Syrie” until title: “At Last Getting the Remnant of His Army.”
10. “Marsellaise” until end of picture.

* * *
“Pauline Cushman, the Federal Spy” (Selig).Part First.

1. Third Movement of “Raymond Overture” pp. until title: “The Toast.”
2. “It Is Better to Laugh Than Be Sighing” (from “La Traviata”) until title: “Here’s to Jeff Davis and the Southern Confederacy.”
3. “Dixie” until change of scene.
4. Introduction to “Pique Dame” overture pp. until title: “In the South.”
5. “Bonnie Blue Flag” until title: “Pauline is Overheard.”
6. Short agitato until back to camp scene, then:
7. “Bonnie Blue Flag” again pp. until change of scene.
8. Semi-mysterious (similar to No. 4; long) until “Holmes Informs Rosecrans.”
9. “Military March” mf, and p. to action until she crawls out from under tent.
10. Agitato p. and f. according to action until she discards drum and rides away.
11. Hurry; begin p. and increase with action until she enters Union camp.
12. “Yankee Doodle” until end of Part First.

Part Second.

1. Short March until she is left alone in second scene.
2. Mysterious through next three scenes until she takes officers arm and exits.
3. Ling semi-mysterious with military suggestions; similar to second movement in “Halka” overture or “Lady Moon” song from Bohemian Girl played in march tempo until old negro left along in room.
4. Mysterious semi-agitato until title, “The Confederate Ambush.”
5. March, “Gate City” (Weldon); subdue while writing is seen; play until she is seen in cane brake.
6. Agitato p. and f. At tinted scene change to:
7. Hurry (for battle) p. and f. until title: “General Rosencrans Honors Pauline.”
8. March, until end of picture.

Source: Clarence E. Sinn, “Music for the Picture,” Moving Picture World 5 April 1913, 56.

Kinetophone and Opera

This is an excerpt from a short front page article in the New York Times on Edison's work improving the submarine. Edison in fact seemed more interested in talking about the state of his Kinetophone, and the possibility of bringing opera to the masses, than improvements in submarine technology. This article comes at a point, November 1914, where the novelty of the device had worn off. In addition, the beginning of the First World War had cut international demand for the device. Edison's statement here suggests that he was thinking of marketing the Kinetophone to moving picture theaters. (The Kinetophone had previously been controlled by vaudeville interests.) Edison's shift in strategy was never able to bear fruit: in December, the Edison plant would burn down and the company would decide not to rebuild the Kinetophone facilities.

The Wizard is still devoting attention to the new “talking movies,” which he calls the kinetophone, and he indicated today that something new in this line would soon be forthcoming.

“I told the people when the kinetophone was first put on the market that sooner or later they would be able to see and hear opera by the best artists for a nickel,” he said. “The workingman has popularized the ‘movie,’ and now we are going to give the poor man and his family something more for a nickel.”

Source: “Edison Submarine Coming,” New York Times 9 November 1914, 1.

Edison, Motion Pictures and Opera

This is an excerpt of a short article covering the 1913 Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of America convention in New York. The end of the article is taken up by a short interview with Thomas Edison on the future of moving pictures, especially its potential for recording "perfect opera" for the masses, a theme Edison returns to again and again.

Thomas A. Edison last night attended the International Moving Picture Exposition in the Grand Central Palace. Mrs. Edison accompanied him. Mr. Edison, to a reporter of The New York Times, said:

“The educational value of the moving picture is, and will be, enormous. Both the speaking and moving picture will be improved and developed, but it takes time. Through these mediums the great masses of the people can have the advantages of the rich man. There has already been some improvement, and this will increase.

“What will be the future of the moving picture?” Mr. Edison was asked.

“Perfect opera,” answered Mr. Edison. “All delusions will be perfect and probably the actual color will be produced.”

“Will this be your work?”

“Unless some one gets ahead of me.”

“Will the talking pictures displace the silent drama?” was then asked.

“No; both the speaking and silent moving pictures will continue to exist. Both will be improved. Both as they stand are just samples. Now we will go on to perfection. Both have been shown just to exhibit the possibilities.”

“Picture Men At Odds,” New York Times 12 July 1913, 3.

Clever Ruse

This short notice provides revealing information of some of the limitations of the Kinetophone. The sound recordings, though longer (and louder) than commercial recordings, were still only about half the length than a reel of film. Consequently, most talking pictures were kept shorter than the length of the sound recording, about 6 minutes. Longer subjects, such as a scene from Gounod's Faust, required some way to change recordings. Many competing talking picture systems at the time addressed this problem by adopting a dual phonograph; but the Edison system, which was mechanically more complicated, did not. Instead, the Edison company solved the problem by introducing actions, such as a curtain call, that could "naturally" appear without sound, allowing a break in the sound track where the recordings could be changed.

Clever Ruse

Mr. Edison recently demonstrated his newly invented talking pictures to an association of mechanical engineers, who were much interested in learning some of the difficulties that had been overcome.

One feature of the programme Mr. Edison had arranged for his guests was a scene from [Gounod's] “Faust,” acted and sung. The gentlemen present showed their appreciation of this wonderful achievement by frequent and lavish applause.

To their astonishment, Mephistopheles appeared upon the curtain and bowed as if in response to their encore. This bit of acting was so simply and naturally done that none of the men present realized its importance. As a matter of fact, it was absolutely necessary in order to synchronize the future action and sound of the performance.

One of Mr. Edison’s assistants explained to his eager listeners the fact that it was impossible to get enough music on one record to accompany the film to the end. The problem they had been working on for weeks was to find a way of changing the record while the pictures were before the audience. This change would require a fraction of a minute.

At last one morning about 3 o’clock, after puzzling over the matter all night, some one thought of a curtain call. That would provide that necessary moment when there was action without sound. When Mephistopheles was bowing the operator changed the record and the performance continued.

Source: “Clever Ruse,” New York Times 8 June 1913, SM10.