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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
PADEREWSKI AND PIANOS.
Small Talk.
"HICH is the most valuable piano in
the world?" asked an Ansiucrs y
representative of the manager of Erard's, the
famous firm of pianoforte makers.
"Napoleon's, unquestionably," was there-
ply. " For this instrument we have had several
offers of /'10,000 from American millionaires
and English art lovers, but were that figure in-
creased fivefold we should not part with such a
priceless relic. Will you come upstairs and
see it ? "
Following my guide through many spacious
and elegantly decorated saloons, I at length
came upon Napoleon's famous rosewood grand,
which occupied a quiet corner of the '' museum.''
It was built for the Kmperor in 1808, and was
sent to the Tuileries.
The instrument is decorated with ormolu work
on the cover and legs, and the keys are of tor-
toiseshell and mother-o'-pearl. There are five
pedals, and the one on the extreme right, when
depressed sharply, gives a drum and cymbal
accompaniment.
In another corner of the room could be seen
the Egyptian piano of sweet-scented orris wood,
which is worth 2,000 guineas.
Here, again, is the harpischord built for Marie
Antoinette in 1790; and near it is Rubinstein's
favorite instrument, which is made of burr wal-
nut, and cost 250 guineas.
But next to Napoleon's, the most interesting
piano in the room was Paderewski's huge grand,
built of unpolished jacaranda wood, and weigh-
ing over three-quarters of a ton. The instru-
ment is 8 ft. 11 in. long, and 5 ft. across, its
value being a thousand guineas.
It appears that the great master discarded this
piano—upon which, by the way, he achieved
the greater number of his English triumphs—
because of the trouble and expense involved, in
transporting it from place to place.
The Polish pianist is a famous man and an in-
accessible ; moreover, rumor has it that he earns
£$ 15s. a minute whilst at the keyboard, there-
fore, it occurred to me that I could gather from
my courteous informant some hitherto unpub-
lished details concerning him.
Paderewski's traveling entourage consists of
two or three porters, a barber, and Mr. Honey,
the Queen's tuner, who commands a salary of
£8 a week. Whilst in London the famous artist
is usually awake at ten o'clock in the morning,
and is chatting in French with his business
agent, Mr. Daniel Mayer, who sits by his bed-
side. An hour or so later he has breakfast, and
at 12.30 his bath, after which he drives out and
calls upon a few intimate friends.
At five o'clock he dines in the Cafe Royal, or
Verrey's, and then plays billiards often till three
o'clock in the morning, when he retires to his bed-
room and practices for aa hour or two on his
"baby " grand.
For about a week before his recital, however,
he practices for more than twelve hours a day ;
indeed, my informant has seen the master repeat
incessantly, for an hour and three-quarters, a
certain intricate passage in his Polish fantasia.
The name of a certain titled and very well-
known musician was mentioned to the writer as
receiving /1,500 a year from one firm of makers
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alone, the commission running as high as ,£200
out of a 500-guinea piano.
The Queen has over sixty pianos at Osborne,
Windsor and Buckingham Palace ; they are not
all her own property, however, for many of the
the instruments are hired.
In the White Drawing Room at Her Majesty's
I,ondon residence is the famous Ivory Grand, so
called because the top is wholly covered with a
thin unbroken sheet of ivory, which was un-
curled, as it were, from one enormous tusk.
This priceless instrument is also decorated
with some beautiful and delicate Vernis-Martin
work, which was originally on a harpsichord
that belonged to Anne of Austria. The Queen
is an excellent pianist, and a pupil of Madame
Dulcken.
E learn from a contemporary that on the
day after the commercial treaty between Russia
and Germany was completed, in which pianos
from Germany were an important point of con-
sideration, His Majesty the C/.ar of Russia, at 10
o'clock in the morning, sent a command to for-
ward a Bechstein grand pianoforte, to be dis-
patchetl immediately to his castle in Bialystock.
Thus music plays its part in cementing the new
alliance. What a politic Czar !
4ft., ()in. high.
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Is our latest style—of im-
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The first glance convinces
buyers that it offers more in
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sults than any piano before
the trade.
Unquestionable durability.
Very tempting prices are of-
fered for this and other styles.
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Th6 ( Iftk-ilin Pi&no( 0.
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517—523 W. 45th St.
New York.
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Jfeon&ljamlin
PIANOS AND ORGANS
BOSTON.
NEW YORK. CHICAGO. KANSAS CITY.
H
RECENT LEGAL
DECISIONS.
[PREl'AREIl KOK THE MUSIC TKAUK NKVIKW.J
PARTNERSHIP—WITHDRAWING
PARTNER—LIA-
BILITIES INTER SE—COMPLICATED ACCOUNTS
—COMMISSIONER IN COURT OF APPEALS.
1. Where a partner withdraws from the firm,
and leaves his assets in the firm, and the firm
uses such assets, the firm becomes liable there-
for, and not the individtial partners; and the
withdrawing partner can consequently enforce
his whole claim against any one of the partners.
2. In an action between partners to adjust
their liabilities inter se, the court will assume
that a settlement made 25 years before, signed
by the firm and by the individual partners, and
which has been treated as accurate in previous
suits involving partnership settlements, is cor-
rect.
3. Where a partner, in his individual capacity,
has in his hands assets of an insolvent firm,
which is indebted both to him and to the firm
of which he is a member, he is under no obliga-
tion, in the absence of special equities, to apply
such assets to the payment of the debt due his
firm.
4. On appeal in a suit between partners to
adjust their liabilities inter se, where large sums
of money and long, complicated accounts are
involved, the court of appeals may require the
aid of the commissioner who prepared the state-
ment of the accotint in the chancellor's court,
and additional compensation will be awarded to
him.
Gilmour v. Kerr's Ex'rs (two cases), Court of
Appeals of Kentucky, February 15th, 1894.
APPEAL—FROM JUSTICE—AMOUNT OE JUDGMENT.
When, after judgment in a justice's court, the
cause is taken to the circuit court on certiorari,
it is proper, on entering judgment for the same
party in the latter court, to add interest on the
justice's judgment, though the sum exceed the
jurisdiction of a justice of the peace.
Richmond & D. R. Co. v. Hutto, Supreme
Court of Alabama, February 13th, 1894.
SETTLEMENT. BY AGENT—DURESS—LIABILITY OF
PRINCIPAL—RATIFICATION.
1. Under authority to settle with a debtor, and
take anything he can get, an agent has power
to accept a promissory note.
2. Threats of unlawful imprisonment and
criminal prosecution, made to procure a settle-
ment, are within the scope of such agent's
authority.
3. An indorsement, with full knowledge of
the circumstances under which a note was pro-
cured, ratifies whatever an agent did in procur-
ing it.
Mitchell v. Finnell, No. 18,226, Supreme Court
of California, March 14th, 1894.
METGALF -
MANUFACTURED BY
The Brockport Piano Mfg. Co.
ItltOCKPOKT, N.Y.
• PIANO
CELEBRATED
STEGER
PIANOS
PATENTED 1892.
are noted for their fine singing quality of
tone and great durability. The most
profitable Piano for dealers to handle.
STEGKER & CO., Manufacturers,
Factory, Columbia Heights.
.
235 WABASH AYE., CHICAGO.