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THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
CLOSE: OF
FINAL LETTER
DESCRIPTIVE OF EXHIBITS.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW IN EUROPE.
[Exclusively contributed to THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.]
Very handsome violins and 'cellos come from the
manufactory of L. Larsia, Kongsvinger, Norway. Two
of the former have the edges inlaid with mother of-
pearl, while the necks are simply masterpieces of the
art of inlaying with ivory and pearl. All are well made,
and have the appearance of being most excellent in-
struments. Some one has appreciated the handsomest
to the extent of buying it.
Portugal sends several cases of instruments, but only
one piano. This comes from Joseph Delerne, Oporto.
Of very plain make, the case is composed of a rich-
looking wood (a native wood of Portugal) of a dark red
color which does not need any setting off. The touch
and action are good, of the usual type, but the tone is
of less volume than might be expected from the good
action and general workmanship.
E. V. Wagner, Lisbon, exhibits an immense 'cello
with bow of proportional size—altogether too large to
be elegant, or convenient for use, though as a curiosity
it is interesting. Guitars and mandolins, and a smaller
instrument, called by this maker bandoline, all are
highly finished and erfriched with inlaying of ivory.
Some capital hand instruments are shown by C. Per-
eira, Oporto. The hautbois and cornets are of good
size, while the trumpets and clarionets are in several
sizes, some unusually large, but all have the same good
appearance.
The fact that Hollanders are not, as a nation, a
music-loving people must account for the poor display
made by them at this exposition, where in the ordinary
manufactures they are very well represented in a handy
section. Two upright pianos have been sent by Van
Lieshout et fils, Rozendroll, Holland, both of a very
ordinary kind. The conveying and putting in position
of these would seem to be all their maker did for them,
for they have a desolate look, being without any regu-
lar attendant, circulars or cards. Occasionally some
one plays them, not to show the quality of their tone,
but merely for the purpose of selling the pieces of
music performed.
That land of classic fables—Greece, still clings to the
instruments of music in the use of which her inhabitants
are such experts, and although the organ and piano are
making such rapid headway in that country, the mando-
lin and guitar are too much beloved to be readily or
entirely disposed of. After years of experience in their
manufacture, it is not surprising that the few stringed
instruments shown in the Greek industrial section
should be of the finest, especially in the matter of de-
signing, which in a land where time is not of such value
as it is with us, often has very much of that commodity
spent upon it.
G. A. Marcopoulos, Athens, shows several guitars of
a very pretty pattern ; also mandolins and tamborines,
handsomely decorated, with some marqueterie work of
quite a Greek fashion. More advanced nations of the
globe might, with advantage, take a hint from the care-
ful work put into the most trifling details of these
splendidly finished instruments.
Jean Stathpoulos, also of the Greek capital, sends in-
struments of the same kind, but rather plainer make.
Mandolins are the chief line of this firm's work. Some
labels, evidently intended to enlighten the public on
some point of construction, have not the desired effect,
for, being printed in Greek, they remain such to most
beholders.
While several other countries send musical instru-
ments, they are of such usual or even indifferent character
as to be of little or no interest to the trade in the
States.
From the South American Republics and the more
remote countries come instruments modelled upon the
European system, but of rather an out-of-date design
as a rule.
The French Colonies and the lands under the pro-
tection of the French flag corne out very strongly in the
number of native instruments displayed. It was to
many of these that the jury awarded bronze medals or
honorable mentions.
About the most representative collection of instru-
ments is made by the natives of French India. These
consist of tam tarns, tamborines, and wooden flutes, and
one or two other articles of unknown name or
origin.
The tam-tam is an oval-shaped drum. Several are
shown, the best being formed from the hollowed limb
of a tree of some tropical growth having a hard, smooth
grain. After removing the bark, the wood has been
highly carved with native designs in a rough, but effec-
tive fashion. The drum heads are formed of skin,
stretched tightly over the ends, and bound round the
wood bv means of rope made of a grass which answers
its purpose well. The hair is well removed from the
surface of the skin in the centre of the drum head, but
round the edges it has been allowed to remain, and of
course is serviceable in giving a better grip to the
roughly made rope. Wedge-shaped pieces of wood are
inserted so that it can be tightened from time to time.
Altogether it did not look as thongh it would be a very
good sound-producer, but a fugitive tap given with a
view to find out its quality of sound was most convinc-
ing on that point, for it produced such a rolling volume
of sound as to startle the guilty tapper and bring along,
at a double quick pace, one of the vigilantes to discover
who had disregarded the notice, " Piere de ne toucher"
which, in this exposition, is attached to every conceiva-
able article, from a steam engine to an egg shell.
A strange looking instrument as a music producer is
hung high upon the walls. Only the outline can be
seen, and that is exactly like an old-fashioned warming-
pan, handle included. Doubtles this is also a species
of native drum. All these are of undoubted native
origin, but some violins, although of a common and
bad shape, give the idea that the French have had a
hand in their construction, being such a very different
kind of thing to the majority of native instruments.
Of more than passing interest to the members of the
piano trade is a stand to be found in the Retrospective
section, situate not far from the American display in
the gallery of the Liberal Arts.
These instruments show the gradual development of
the piano frcm its earliest days. They are the property
of various private people, who have loaned them to the
exposition authorities to make the show of musical in-
struments more complete. Some date as far back as
1547, and show the evolution of the piano to the date
of the square instrument, which immediately preceded
the introduction of the upright in its present form.
To all visitors interested in the harp or piano, this
stand is a great attraction. It shows the very gradual
evolution through which they have passed since human
ingenuity first evolved from its inner consciousness the
rudimentary idea of a piano. This was at first in the
form of a clavichord, or to use the older term, a clav-
icin. The earliest one shown has only the action left, the
framework having quite disappeared—doubtless rotted
away with age. This action is in length about four
feet ; the keys are of a hard dark wood and cover a
compass of four octaves. The form of action is not
discoverable, as it is placed so far back in the stand,
entry upon which is not permitted.
The next instrument dates more than a hundred
years later (1678) and is by an Italian maker. It is
lent to the present collection by Mons. G. Pfeiffer, one
of the firm of Pleyell, Wolf et C«e. This is a case com-
plete, painted a good white, with wreaths of flowers
and lines of gilding. It is also of four octaves, the key-
string of a chocolate-colored wood, ornamented by the
insertion of a narrow piece of ivory down the centre of
each key.
Christian Zell, the noted maker of Hambough in the
eighteenth century, is the maker of a clavicin bearing
the date 1728. This has a double keyboard, the keys
being of ivory, for thefirst time shown in these old in-
struments. The action is much the same as that of the
clavichords made at the present date. The wires used
are in a splendid state of preservation, and do not ap-
pear to be in the least spoilt by the length of time
which has elapsed since they were put into the frame,
which, by the way, is most elaborately painted, with a
dark green back-ground, and the kind of painting so us-
ual to the last century. It also has some eastern scenes
of Japanese life depicted in a very modern style. This
has four and a half octaves
Many other clavicins, in a better or worse state of
preservation are gathered together. It is noticeable
that some have been very much touched up and re-
newed from time to time, but generally in such a way
that the reparation can at once be detected.
One of the earliest of the square pianos is a very
small one in a plain case. It has five octaves, and was
made by Bach, of London, in 1775. The l<»gs of this
instrument are marvels of the "spindle " style, at that
time considered so tonnish, but .he eye of the present
generation, trained to the law of proportion, fails to see
beauty in the slight uprights which have to support
such a heavy, square mass of framework.
Another square piano, made by Erard in 1787, is
looked upon almost with reverence by many of the
French gazers, for it was the property of that ill-fated
woman, Marie Antoinette, whom people still often re-
gard as a martyr. It is in a rcse-wood frame, with ivory
keys, all kept in the highest state of preservation.
Several other pianos of ancient appearance are kept
closed, so, of course, nothing of interest concerning
them can be ascertained. An exception to this rule
is one having the flats and sharps reversed in the order
oi coloring, for here the sharps are white keys and the
flats are of a light-colored mahogany wood. The key-
board has six and a half octaves, in a handsome case of
dark rose-wood.
The harps have not experienced such changes in their
manufacture. Those shown are all by Erard, and even
in their most primitive days, when much smaller, still
were constructed on much the same lines as the harps
made at present.
And this completes the circle of musical instruments
exhibited, which the special correspondent of THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW was desired to write upon in
such a way as to give those who had not the inclination,
or the time, to undertake the journey to Paris, an idea
of the musical instruments as shown at the Exposition.
Music-loving people have flocked to this Exposition*,
and again it is to be regretted that manufacturers from
the States have not sent their pianos and organs where
they would have been seen and remarked upon by the
millions who have filled the Exposition since its open-
ing. Many of these have been persons with an inborn
love of music, and ears which, from a few chords, would
have enabled them to judge the quality of the instru-
ment. These are always looking out for the best
instruments, and to this class of people American
pianos and organs would have been a boon, for those
with money and taste do not hesitate about a few dol-
lars once they are convinced a thing is good. And it
would have been the practical test that would have de-
cided them to purchase, as that is so much more effec-
tive with many than any amount of recommendation.
Although the manufacturers themselves may have
been lukewarm with regard to a European market for
their goods, an active agent has been at work not only
in the French capital and the large towns of France,
but has also penetrated the Swiss mountains and
valleys to other continental towns, and crossed the little
bit of blue water which the Britisher calls the English
Channel, though the French designate it " Le Manche."
And this agent that has carried the names of all its
advertisers into thousands of the warehouses, factories
and homes of many nations, is THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW ; for, by the enterprise of the editor, it
has been placed in the hands of the many musical
people who have been attracted to Paris by the fame of
its Exposition. And not one nation only, but many-
have been reached by this means. Many dozen num-
bers have been placed where the advertising columns
will be most likely to have the desired effect—that of
making the names of all advertisers is THE MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW well and widely known.
French piano manufacturers have exclaimed at the
splendid typographical get-up 6f the paper, but even
more so at the displayed advertisements.
And well they may wonder, for to them both are
novelties, French papers being, as a rule, badly printed
upon inferior paper, and the publishers lacking business
enterprise. The general run of French manufacturers
find it of no advantage to advertise in the columns of
their representative journals.
ANITA LILIAN KING.
THE popularity of the pianos and organs manufac-
tured by the A. B. Chase Company, Norwalk, O.> was
signally demonstrated during October ult., during which
month the output of this notable firm's instruments far
exceeded their sales of any previous month in their
history,