THE HURDY-GURDY MAN IN A NEW LIGHT
Brooklyn Standard Union 6 May 1906 Wandering through the streets of Brooklyn these pleasant spring days, there goes a person who generally speaking isn't thought particularly valuable. Sometimes he's paid to loiter five or ten cents worth and sometimes he's paid an equally large sum to move on when he is tempted to sojourn a brief while. His audience is composed of a most appreciative set of beings and what he gives them seems to strike a responsive chord. At any rate, in a few minutes he is surrounded by a group of joyous youngsters. Now this wanderer is the music man, which his street piano, and as everybody knows he caters principally to children. The warm weather brings his audience out in large numbers so the music man is doing some pretty good business now and it will continue until the winter blasts keep the children in the house. The street piano man in most cases is an Italian and coming from a land of sunshine, flowers and music, he very naturally takes to the musical career. Talk about good music for the masses, why there isn't any institution in Brooklyn that is doing so much toward educating the public musically as the street piano man. The next time he comes near your house just toss out ten cents to him. He'll play his whole repertoire for five cents, but what he is playing this year is well worth more. Ponder over the dollars sent to hear foreign birds and give to this humble exponent a little more generously. At the first sound of the piano you may not be pleased, because it's probably catering at that minute to your back door rather than to your listening ears, but pay attention to the next selection. What is it? What picture does it bring to your mind? The ramparts of the Castle of St. Angelo, Rome, and in the distance St. Peter's Cathedral. Why don't you remember it's that soul-tearing music of Tosca! Then maybe sprinkled in will come another popular song, but now what's this? Ah! "Celestial Aida." Can it be possible? Yes, it is just that very music, and the concern goes on and next you hear the intermezzo from "Cavailleria Rusticana" and something from Pagliacci, then Gounod's "Ave Maria", etc Isn't it true that the street piano man is elevating the musical taste of the public, and all for five or ten cents? Instead of being looked upon as a nuisance, as he is so frequently considered, he is really a public benefactor. He is dispensing good music, making the masses familiar with it so that before the listener realizes the fact he's whistling the music of Tosca just as familiarly as if it were the "Yankee Doodle Boy" or some other equally meritorious selection. The organ grinder doesn't realize that he is doing anything remarkable in an educating way. In fact he has no such intention, but the Italians live and breathe in a musical atmosphere, and they are as familiar with the music of Magcagni, Puccini and Leoncavallo, as American children are with music of much lower grade. The bambinos are sung to sleep with the music that Americans pay fabulous sums to hear. And the sight of the Italian street piano man as he grinds out the music of his beloved Italy is well worth having. He doesn't see our busy streets where the people are rushing hither and thither and having no time to listen to him, but he sees men in picturesque costumes, rings in their ears, bright sashes around their waists and the women with gaily colored dresses. And everybody is moving along in a lazy sort of way and humming this music that he is playing. He looks a very homesick Italian as he moves wearily up the street, dodging horses, devil wagons and people. But whether he realizes it or not he is becoming more and more an educator in music, and as such he should be encouraged to some often and loiter long and after awhile the coon songs, the sentimental wails and others of equally touching portant will give way to real music. There is another straw which shows which way the musical wind is blowing in Brooklyn. In the tenement district where a lucky strike has mad it possible for certain of the inhabitants to buy a talking machine that wheezes forth its verbal and musical utterances, it is interesting to know that Mr. R. WAGNER is one of the most popular composers and his music is hear very often. "The Evening Star," from "Tannhanser" is one of the especial favorites and "Lohengrin" is a close second. To those who are constantly deploring the lack of good taste in the public's musical likes and dislikes this will be good news. And the hurdy-gurdy man, whose biggest audiences gather in the tenement districts, has helped to create this fondness for the best. "Paw and Maw" sitting in the window on a warm evening hear this music from the street piano, and Paw says to Maw, "We'll have to get that piece as soon as we git more dough than the children can eat up." And when that day comes they "git that piece." Transcribed for the Brooklyn Page by Carol Granville RETURN to PEOPLE MAIN RETURN to BROOKLYN MAIN