Books › Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937 › scan 41
Scan 41
Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937
10 lines. Read by computer on 27 September 2026. Printed page 19. See the scan on archive.org.
1George W. Stratton was born in West Swanzey, New Hampshire, August 1, 1830. He taught himself the clarinet and from the age of nine to twelve years played solos on his E-flat clarinet and led a concert band with the addition of one or two singers. After considerable study of music he established himself at the age of twenty in Manchester, New Hampshire, as a teacher of music, remaining there some sixteen years. For about three years he directed the orchestra of the Choral Society of Manchester and had to arrange music for it. After that he composed original numbers including four concert overtures and in 1857 a grand tragic opera The Buccaneer, given successfully twice. Ten selections from this were published. That encouraged him to write little operas, on the plan of the large Italian operas, with a regular story which could be sung in the little towns and villages of America. The result was The Fairy Grotto which was such a success that it was soon followed by Laila. "The plan was entirely new, none similar having previously appeared, and the London (England) Morning Post said in a review of Mr. Stratton's operettas, as late as 1872, that no better works of the kind could be selected, because no others exist." After Laila had also been performed with marked success the composer applied to a large Boston music publisher for terms of publication. The best offer he could get—five dollars upon every hundred copies—disgusted him so that he determined to keep it until he himself could publish it.
3In 1867 Mr. Stratton moved to Boston and with his brother John W. established a wholesale house "in the general musical merchandise trade." John W. presently separated from his brother and established himself in New York City. At first the company was located at [address hidden], but by 1880 it had moved to [address hidden], where it remained.
5Presently the firm become wholesale agent for the Arlington Piano Co. Mr. Stratton also imported upright pianofortes from Berlin. In 1868 the firm advertised itself as "dealer in Brass & German Silver Rotary instruments of all kinds; importer of Violin Strings of every description; Publisher of Music, etc." For a
745 Account is taken from—A Sketch of the Life of G. W. Stratton printed in pp. 97-123. of the Catalogue—Stratton Free Library and Art Gallery, West Swanzey, New Hampshire. Second edition in 1900.
846 Ibid p. 102.
947 Boston Directory, 1868 p. 1055.
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