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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
selling qualities of Lyon & Healy's banjos,
/T)u5i<; at t ^ (jreat pair.
guitars and mandolins in the warmest manner.
A walk through the extensive premises of the
firm would be most gratifying to the American The Earliest Known Musical Instruments to be
Shown.
visitor, for on all sides one beholds evidences of
the push and enterprise of the great Chi-
CHICAGO MAY NOT BE ABLE ACTUALLY TO GET
cago house of Lyon & Healy in the shape of
HOLD OF OLD PAN'S REEDS, BUT SHE
stacks of Washburn mandolins, guitars and
WILL MAKE A BIG ATTEMPT TO
banjos.
OBTAIN MANY WONDERS.
Mr. Dawkins had just returned from a conti-
nental trip, during which he came across any
CHICAGO, Aug. 26, 1892.
number of Americans. He was passing through
•USIC at the World's Fair will not only
Switzerland, very close to the scenes of the
comprise the complete archaeology of
St. Gervais catastrophe when it occurred, and
tones and sounds, as expressed and developed
actually enjoyed the distinction of being driven
by the grand masters of the art, but will embrace
by two of the horses that escaped destruction
a complete exhibit of the various musical instru-
in one of the hotels which was swept away by
ments, from the rude and insignificant imple-
the flood. I duly congratulated him on his es-
ments of the very early era down to the produc-
cape, and was sincerely pleased to know that
tions of the inventive genius of the Nineteenth
in the face of such a danger a genial and unaf-
Century.
fected member of the London music trades was
While the instruments of harmony of the
spared to his large circle of friends.
present
day are generally known, and their
*
*
*
*
*
makers
more
or less celebrated the world over,
Among the numerous Americans who have
.
the
original
conceiver
of the first music maker
been recently in London was Mr. W. C. Carpen-
is
unknown,
and
the
incidents
of the first at-
ter, of Brattleboro, Vt. He, needless to say, was
tempts
to
reproduce
the
voices
of Nature are
over on business connected with the '' Carpen-
buried
in
oblivion.
ter " organ.
It is to rescue these originators and their pro-
Mr. James Morgan, president of the iEolian
ductions
from the mists of tradition, and to
Organ and Music Co., spent some time in the
trace
through
eons of time the connections they
great metropolis.
bear
to
the
musical
wonders of to-day, that a
There is little more of interest to add. Things
special
department
has
been created.
are very quiet at present—to employ a rather
Secretary
Wilson,
of
the Bureau of Music,
vague generalism—but on the horizon there are
while
in
Europe
recently,
arranged with the
some prospects of a brisk fall trade.
owners
of
many
antiquities
for
the loan of their
DANIEL SPILLANE.
treasures.
He
visited
all
of
the
leading
museums
LONDON, Aug. 27th, 1892.
White-Smith Music Publishing Co., Boston.
Voice: "Over The Hills At Break of Day,"
quartette for mixed voices, words and music by
SPINET (EIGHTEENTH CENTURY).
Adam Geibel, very bright, spirited and joyous ;
" Never Recognize Your Ma-In-Law At All, " an on the Continent, and secured promises from
exceedingly catchy comic song that was nightly many collectors that they would make an ex-
encored in London in '' The Poet And The hibit at the Exposition next year.
Puppets." Piano : "Cleveland's Victory March,"
He paid particular attention to the Vienna
spirit-stirring and impressive; " Fleur Kt Exposition, at which a wonderful collection of
Fleurette," quite a dainty and delightful selec- historical musical instruments is displayed. He
tion. The American March Journal contains succeeded in securing the entire British collec-
solely marches, songs and short concert pieces tion shown there, the exhibit at the Paris Con-
for military band. The selections are admirably servatory, and is now negotiating for the famous
arranged and are worthy the attention of all Steinert collection in the Smithsonian Institute
bandmasters.
at Washington, which contains specimens of
Oliver Ditson Company, Boston. Voice: nearly every instrument known. Mr. Wilson is
" Ten Vocalises For High Soprano " is one of corresponding with many antiquarians interest-
Ferd. Sieber's series of " Vocal Studies." The ed in the evolution of musical instruments.
exercises are uncommonly thorough and excel- That his task is gigantic is demonstrated by the
lent, and if properly practiced will unquestion- fact that much doubt exists as to what the first
ably develop with the best attainable results all instrument was, and the multitude of different
the possibilities of the high soprano voice ; "In ones that seem, theoretically, to have been the
Fair Castile," a beautiful ballad of a high order first invented.
It is unanimously agreed upon by antiqua-
of merit; " Only A Dream," a tender and ex-
quisite song of mother and home. Cornet and rians that the first known instruments were
piano: "Fair Harvard," a brilliant and well- those of percussion, the untutored ear being
composed cornet solo that can be played with quicker to perceive rhythmical accentuation
than variations of pitch. From this theory the
the most attractive effect.
deduction may be safely ventured that the first
music made by the aborigines was by the clap-
ping of hands and the stamping of feet, which
theory, if granted, by evolution gives rise to the
cymbal.
Cymbals are mentioned in various portions of
the Old Testament by Solomon and Daniel, and
are described in the epics of Homer—particular
mention being made in the hymn to Apollo of
cymbals played on by a chorus of Delians.
The scabilla belong to the same class, and are
described as inserted in the shoes of the per-
former, used by Grecian flute players probably
AN EARLY VIOLONCELLO.
to beat time. The cymbals to be exhibited at
the Fair will comprise specimens in the original,
and reproductions of those used in the Bacchic
orgies at Rome and in the worship of Cybele and
Juno in Greece. One pair of these instruments
was brought from Etruria by the Trojans, and
was found in the excavating of Herculaneum.
Under this head the systrum also belongs, it
being a mystical instrument used by the Egyp-
tians in the worship of Isis, and also supposed
to have been used to call together troops, as is
the modern kettle-drum. The systrum is obso-
lete. Probably the one formerly belonging to
the library at St. Genvefre, in Paris, is the only
instrument of this character now in existence.
It will be brought from Paris with the Conser-
vatory collection.
One of the most interesting exhibits will be
the collection of harps, lyres and the organ in
various stages of development. This collection
represents much study and time, and is very
exhaustive. It includes instruments from all
the nations of ancient history, and was gathered
from the various museums of France, Germany
and England for the Vienna Exposition.
As date and order of the invention of these in-
struments are purely a matter of conjecture, re-
productions of many have been rendered necces-
sary for the purposes of completing an exhibit,
and will be made from the most authentic sources
obtainable.
This collection goes back to the first mention
of musical instruments, as found in the fourth
chapter of Genesis: "Jubal, he was the father
of all such as handle the harp or organ.'' (Gen.
iv., 21.)
The phraseology of this sentence does not in-
dicate the order of time in which the harp or
organ was invented. The harp mentioned is
probably synonymous with the lyre, or lyra,
which is acknowledged to be of Asiatic inven-
tion.
Jubal's '' organ '' must be closely allied to
the Syrinx, the invention of which and the