[ Ref. Ampico Roll "Nymph Errant" by Cole Porter ]

Julian Dyer asks some great questions [150812 MMDigest] about
the Givens Ampico "NI" roll, "Selections from Nymph Errant."
I had asked myself some of the same questions and his prompting
was enough motivation for me to unearth some answers.

I'm not an instrument technician (as many MMDers are) so it's
refreshing to be able to offer insight on topics which fit so well
between my enjoyment of the Ampico as a hobby and my profession
as a musicologist specializing in American musical theater.

In all likelihood, the "Nymph Errant" roll is the non-issued Ampico
roll number 71613 or 71623 (fall, 1936).  I find no supporting
evidence whatsoever for a 1941 issue date except to number it
following the last issued roll and assume again the date to follow
"Lady In the Dark" selections (1941).

The 1936 date is supported by a number of facts.  First, all of the
Broadway "Selections from" rolls are from the Ampico classical catalog
numbering system and not the popular series.  Two exceptions to the
"classical catalog" selections were the "Outstanding Hits from Snow
White", number 216383, which however is a _movie_ score and not
Broadway, and "4 Songs", number 216673, which even though all the
songs are from that show, is not entitled "Panama Hattie Selections"
and lists the songs by name first as individual titles.

The argument that the show (and in turn songs) did not play the USA
and were therefore unknown is not true.  Most Broadway composers of
that time had shows which played uniquely in the UK yet their song-hits
were well known in the USA:

  Ever Green (Rodgers and Hart) "Dances on the Ceiling",
  Primrose "Lucky Baby" (Gershwin),
  Three Sisters "I Won't Dance" and
  Blue Eyes "Do I Do Wrong" a.k.a. "You're Devastating" (Kern).

At the very least the songwriters were well enough known that their
output, no matter where it played, would be of interest to listeners
and in demand.

Cole Porter also had his hands full, opening four major productions in
the span of two years.  This shows there was no scarcity of new music
from the brilliant man and clearly his other shows were more lasting
and more vibrant musically than "Nymph Errant."

  Gay Divorce opening in New York November 1932
  Nymph Errant opens in UK September-October 1933
  Gay Divorce opens in London November 1933
  Anything Goes opens in New York November 1934

Regarding "Nymph Errant" specifically, Gertrude Lawrence made
phonograph recordings of songs from the show for Victor (in the USA).

It's important to remember that Ampico was in competition for revenue
from home listeners (gramophone records by the 1930s) with no real
connection to the Broadway productions save for the personnel.

(Did you know Adam Carroll and Edgar Fairchild played two pianos
in the pit orchestra for several Rodgers and Hart shows in the 1930s,
as did Arden and Ohman for the Gershwin shows in the 1920s!)

The sheet music for the songs from "Nymph Errant" was received at
the US Copyright Office in September of 1933 and was published by Harms
(Chappell) in or around that time.  Variety Magazine of March 1934
announces that Charles Cochran's (the shows producer in the UK) "Nymph
Errant" was among six plays he was bringing to Broadway in the "coming
fall and winter."

In the fall of 1934 Fox Studios optioned to make a movie of the show,
only to be put on the back burner in 1935 so to "green light" a new
Shirley Temple picture on the success of "The Little Colonel" in
February of 1935.  Arguments that the show's subject matter was "too
racy" for the USA simply don't seem to add up when one reads of the
interest -- over 20 mentions in Variety in 1934 alone -- in the show,
the title, and the music.

Clearly, should the movie deal have been successful, the audience
would be quite vast and Ampico stood to benefit from waiting to produce
a roll of "Nymph Errant."  Ampico's hesitation, however, likely stemmed
from the common practice of film scores in that songs might be added
and subtracted to the score (just as they had for Rosalie, the
Gershwin/Romberg musical of 1928 made into a 1937 movie with all new
_Cole Porter_ songs; in this case, Ampico made rolls for both!).

To this author, the real irony in this matter is that in all this time
wasted by Ampico fretting about "Nymph Errant Selections," "Anything
Goes," which is perhaps Porter's most enduring success and most
quintessential 1930s score (_perfect_ for the Ampico, if you ask me!)
was never made into a "Selections from" roll.

There is also no evidence that Ampico _only_ made "Selections from"
rolls during the Broadway run or subsequent tours.  The chart below
shows some examples of the original Broadway run and the year of the
Ampico "selections from" roll.

56794 Selections "The Firefly" show 1912/roll 1919
58115 Selections "Babes in Toyland" show 1903/roll 1920
59205 Selections "Sally" show 1920/roll 1921
60093 Potpourri  "The Merry Widow" 1905/1921
65833 Selections "No, No, Nanette" 1924/1926
67113 Selections "The Student Prince" 1924/1927
67343 Selections "Oh, Kay!" 1926/1927
67553 Selections "Oh, Please!" 1926/1927
68063 Selections "Hit The Deck" 1927/1927
68823 Selections "The Red Mill" 1906/1928
69003 Selections "Rosalie" 1928/1928
69093 Selections "The Princess Pat" 1915/1928
69133 Selections "Katinka" 1915/1928
69483 Selections "Prince of Pilsen" 1903/1928
69663 Selections "Mlle. Modiste" 1905/1929
69823 Selections "Naughty Marietta" 1910/1929
69883 Selections "Follow Thru'" 1929/1929
69953 Selections "Spring is Here" 1929/1929
70093 Selections "The Only Girl" 1914/1929
70583 Selections "Bittersweet" 1929/1930
71833 Selections "Porgy and Bess" 1935/1939
71893 Selections "Pal Joey" 1940/1941
71903 Selections "Lady In the Dark" 1941/1941

Clearly Ampico could churn out a roll in the same year as a production
if the pressures were right between publisher, author and Ampico
artist; on the other hand, rolls could take years, even decades to
produce.  I have found no example of an Ampico "Selections from" roll
predating a Broadway opening nor have I found any "Selections from"
roll which predates the register date of publisher/copyright office
files at Library of Congress.

Take a look at the "Selections from" from "Porgy and Bess."  At its
Broadway opening, "Porgy and Bess" suffered a similarly tangled life as
did "Nymph Errant," perhaps even more so.  While not so much for producer
politics as "Nymph Errant," "Porgy and Bess" did flounder on account
of its overly "operatic" music, the production aesthetics, social and
racial issues and overall length of more than four hours.

When "Porgy and Bess" opened its songs were well received but the
show was not.  This is an example which illustrates clearly that Ampico
could wait four years to make a roll if the life of the music outside
the Broadway production was questionable.  It is likely that "Nymph
Errant" suffered a similar fate, a delay in several years, only to have
its final publication and perforation interrupted by the financial woes
of the company, newer scores in the interim, and the ultimate demise (in
its time) of the medium.

Adam Aceto
Burbank, California

 [ Adam has recorded an album of "Selections From" Broadway musicals
 [ 1890-1930: Piano Selections Four Hands From Early Broadway Musicals
 [   http://www.operettafoundation.org/oa1018.htm 
 [   http://www.operettafoundation.org/oa1034.htm 
 [ -- Robbie