Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
one of the army of despondents ; he kept closer
to the helm of the ship, never complaining, but
working with greater energy. This confidence
in himself and his instruments has had good
results, and it is only necessary to pay a visit
to the factory to ascertain this. Business with
Peck & Son is showing a steady growth all
along the line. The many points of excellence
in their '' Opera '' and '' Euterpe '' pianos are
becoming better known to the trade every day.
Peek & Son deserve success, and dealers who
are not acquainted with them should not over-
look their excellent line of instruments.
contract for alterations in the famous
Chickering Hall was closed last Monday
by Mr. Foster and Mr. Geo. H. Chickering. It
has been arranged that the hall will remain in-
tact as far as outward appearance goes, also the
entrance and staircase. The front section of the
building will be so arranged that there will be
three stories above the ground floor with three
large rooms on each. These rooms will be en-
tirely occupied as piano salesrooms, and can be
reached by means of an elevator on the north
side of the entrance. It is the intention of the
firm to make the old office the permanent office
of the New York house, and from this point any
floor or wareroom can be reached by elevator.
The present wareroom in the southern section of
the building will be separated entirely from the
remodeled warerooms of Chickering & Sons, and
will be rented out for a commercial purpose. It
is needless to say that Chickering & Sons will
not find any difficulty in disposing of such a
favored location. It is expected that the con-
tractor will put the work in hand during the
coming week.
JrfeABLEGRAMS from Paris announce the
«^5 death in absolute poverty of Antoine Josef
Adolph Sax, the father of the Saxaphone and
inventor and improver of other brass band in-
struments which bear his name. Antoine Sax
was born in Dinant, Belgium, in 1814 and ac-
quired a knowledge of his father's business—
mostly devoted to flutes, clarinets and bassoons.
While quite a young man he astonished his
father by inventing the saxaphone which he in-
troduced in Paris in 1840. As an esteemed
writer said '' he was an indefatigable experi-
mentalist, working Edison fashion for days up-
on an idea until he had materialized it into
shape, oblivious of food and sleep. He regulat-
ed the tube lengths of the cornet, improved the
graduations of the bore, cut away angles in the
valve connections, and in short re-made it—dur-
ing which he produced his family of saxaphones
now in general use." Antoine Sax also invent-
ed the rotary valve system which is now in gen-
eral use in all countries. In 1849 n e received
the decoration of the legion of honor and in 1857
was professor in the Paris Conservatoire. After
a life of activity, devoted to the invention and
evolution of musical instrnments it is a reflec-
tion on the accepted reading of the scientific
dogma '' the survival of the fittest'' to learn
that he died a pauper.
THE COURTS WILL DECIDE.
seems as if litigation in the piano trade was
contagious. The case of Sohmer vs. Som-
mer is followed this week by Hardman, Peck &
Co., who have taken legal steps to restrain the
new firm of Hardman & La Grassa from using
the name of " Hardman " on the fall-board of
their pianos. It is outside our province to dis-
cuss whether Hardman, Peck & Co.—who as-
sume the right and title to the name of " Hard-
man, " with all the patent improvements which
have made the " Hardman " piano a distinct
individuality, not only in this country but in
Europe—shall be protected in their rights
against the embryo firm of Hardman & LaGrassa,
who assume that same prerogative.
We have no desire to enter into the legal
points in question, but it seems to us that while
we can appreciate the course taken by Hardman,
Peck & Co. to protect their name and reputa-
tion, yet by taking legal proceedings they have
placed a weapon in the hands of a firm abso-
lutely unknown, which they can and are using
to the greatest advantage, thereby giving them
a notoriety with an established house that
has labored faithfully to produce an art product
of the highest grade. Hardman & La Grassa
thus obtain a conspicuity, in an advertising way,
in the trade that it would not be possible to at-
tain without an enormous outlay of money.
Still, on the other hand, what other recourse is
left a firm than to seek in the courts of law to
obtain protection in the matter of infringements
upon their rights. The trademark Hardman
is in itself valuable, and no one for a moment
can say that its value is not lessened by reason
of another cheaper, newer instrument of the
same name in the market. By ignoring the
new firm they do not remove them from the
field—they will still be factors.
CHAT.
MR. E. H. STORY, president of the Story &
Clark Organ Co., will soon make an extended
trip to the California Midwinter Exposition.
THAT wide-awake organ company, Mu'ller &
Abel report several contracts on hand for pipe
organs. The reputation of this house is rapidly
extending and their instruments are being fa-
vorably spoken of by many organists who have
used them. Messrs. Miiller & Abel are thorough-
ly practical men, being formerly in the employ
of the Roosevelt Organ Works.
P. H. HEALY, says the Indicator, has christ-
ened the intersection of Wabash avenue and
Adams street the " four corners " of the trade.
A good name, surely, for there will be in a short
time the Lyon & Healy Music Establishment on
one corner, the Chicago Music Co. on another
corner, the John Church Co. on the third and
on the fourth the Rintleman-Revell business.
WHILE in the West Messrs. Steinway & Stet-
son, paid a visit to the music house of Rohl-
fing & Sons, Milwaukee. They found business
in the Cream City unusually good. Trade with
Rohlfing & Sons is better now than it has been
for quite a long time, and the business outlook
is continually brightening.
We are informed that the telegraphic account
published elsewhere of the actual loss sustained
by Roth & Englehardt at the recent fire is
grossly exaggerated. The damage is small and
they expect to be in working order in a week or
so.
ARTICLES of incorporation have been filed
with the local government at Winnepeg, Man.,
by the North Star Music Co., for the purpose
of carrying on a wholesale and retail organ and
musical merchandise business. The capital is
$10,000.
MUSIC HALL NOTES.
Miss Myrtha French, Soprano, Mr. Plunket
Greene, Basso, and Mr. Henri Marteau, violinist,
will be the soloists at the Damrosch Popular Con-
The question that seems to be the strong one cert at Music Hall to-morrow night. In Part I.
in the matter is this : Will it profit Hardman, Miss French will sing a Gavotte from "Manon,"
Peck & Co. more by making a legal resistance Massenet ; Mj. Greene will sing two Old Irish
to the use of the Hardman name upon a piano Melodies, " When She Answered Me," and "Pat-
by another firm, or had they better allow the rick Sarsfield," arranged and orchestrated by
Villiers Stanford ; Mr. Marteau will play a ca-
other firm to go quietly ahead and not give the
price by E. Guiraud, in two movements, (first
young firm the country wide advertising which time) ; the orchestra will play the Ballet Music
must necessarily accrue to them ? The inherant from " Faust, " Moszkowski's Serenade, and Pad-
American love of fair play would be on the side erewski's Minuet Antique, and by request the
of Hardman, Peck & Co. in the course that they dramatic "Overture Solennelle," by Tschai-
have taken. Their case is not widely different kowsky, descriptive of the war of 1812 between
the French and Russians, and Napoleon's re- ,
from that of Sohmer & Co. ; both of these treat from Moscow. In Part II. Miss French will
positions have been forced upon them, they sing the Shadow Song from "Dinorah;" Mr.
were not of their own seeking, and have not Greene will sing four songs, Bois epais, by Lilly,
both firms taken the perfectly natural and in and three Dichterliebe of Schumann ; Mr. Mar-
truth the only way to protect their interests ? teau will play Gounod's "Vision de Jeanne
d'Arc", and a meditation, adapted from the sec-
It does not necessarily follow that the plaintiffs
ond prelude of J. S. Bach by Sig. Pizzi, (new; first
in these two cases are giving the defendants time,) both dedicated to Mr. Marteau ; the or-
positions of equality as suggested by our con- chestra will play Strauss' polka mazurka, "The
temporary. To claim such a condition is posi- Dragon Flies," Tschaikowsky's Andante for
Strings, and the Ballet music from Delibes'
tively absurd.
'' Sylvia.''
Sig. Italo Campanini will give a concert at
A NEW company is about to be formed at Music Hall on Tuesday evening, Feb. 20th, in
Jacksonville, Fla., under the title of A. B. conjunction with the Symphony Orchestra, Wal-
Campbell Piano and Organ Co., with a capital of ter Damrosch, conductor, and with the volun-
$60,000 paid up in full. They will handle the tary assistance of the leading artists of the Met-
goods of the Chicago Cottage Organ Company, ropolitan Opera House, by kind permission of
Chicago.
Messrs. Abbey, Schoeffel and Grau. The prices
IT is said that Bollermann & Son of New will be $12 and $15 for boxes, and $1.50 and $2
for parquet seats.
York have started the manufacture of pianos.