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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
Government Military
Bands.
relative insufficiency of American army
bands is due to many causes over which
the musicians have no control. In the first
place the American government bands have no
position ; they are treated as if they were a use-
less appendage to the army. A bandmaster, for
example, has no real recognized rank ; officially
the lowest drill master is his superior. In the
next place the salary given is not sufficiently
tempting enough to attract musicians; forty
dollars per month is a small sum with which to
attract talent. The average musician in large
cities can gain much more than this amount and
he retains his liberty and self-respect at the same
time. Now forty dollars per month is the
largest sum that the average nmsician will get
in a government band and he has no super-
added privileges. His position wins him no
respect; embryonic majors and generals look
down on him with lofty contempt as one who is
outside the pale of army civilization and army
aristocracy. The army band has little attraction
for talent or ambition, and in consequence it is
rare to find an army band that is representative
of American musical skill and talent. If the
United States government showed as much care
for good band music and good musicians as do
foreign governments, American army bands
would speedily come to the front; but with so
much to contend against, with so little en-
couragement to do well, with so little official
notice taken of them, our army bands are to be
congratulated for holding the position they do.
Foreign governments are more particular in
this respect; there the bands are integral por-
tions of the army, and bandmasters have a rank
that wins them respect. Even so long as sixty
years ago foreign military bands were far in ad-
vance of our government bands of the present
day. For example, in 1836 the average com-
position of an infantry band was : the piccolo ;
the so-called flute in F ; the large flute; the
clarinet in E flat ; clarinet in B flat ; the
bassoon, serpent, cornet, cornet a piston, horn,
trumpet, keyed trumpet, trumpet a piston,
trombone, buccin, ophicleide, long bass drum,
short side drum (Caisse Claire), longer side
drum, cymbals, parillon, tamtam.
In France at that time military bands were
composed of a piccolo in E flat, clarintt in E
flat, three clarinets in B flat, four horns, a cor-
net a piston, a keyed trumpet, trumpet a piston,
three tenor trombones, alto ophicleide, several
B flat ophicleides, occasionally a very large
ophicleide in F. In addition Germany had its
clarinets in C, its clarinets in F, flute3 in D,
flute in F, bassoons and oboes. The clarinet
parts were always quadrupled or quintupled,
and the trombone and ophicleide parts doubled
or tripled.
The complete military band consisted of the
following instruments : E flat piccolo, ordinary
flutes, two small clarinets in E flat, four solo
clarinets in B flat, oboe, two horns in E flat, two
horns in B flat, two trumpets in E flat, two cor-
nets a piston in A flat, three bugles, two bas-
soons, Russian bassoons or serpents, contre-
bassoon, three trombones, alto ophicleide, bass
ophicleide, side drums large and small, bass
drums, cymbals, triangle. In other words, the
THE
band consisted of about forty performers ; the
average band consisting of about twenty-five
performers. The following is a list of instru-
ments in a military brass band of olden times :
keyed trumpets in E flat; keyed trumpets in B
flat ; cornet a pistons in B flat ; cornet a pistons
in A flat; two horns a pistons in E flat ; two
horns in B flat, two horns in A flat ; two trum-
pets in B flat; two trumpets a pistons in E flat;
three trombones, one alto, ophicleide, bass ophi-
cleide, etc.
Some of the instruments mentioned have be-
come obsolete, modern instruments taking their
places, but the examples given will still show
what foreigners regard as typical military bands.
It must be further remembered that in the hands
of foreign governments each member is a master
of the instrument on which he plays, and band-
masters are not accepted unless they are thor-
oughly qualified for the position they hold.
Those who heard and saw that wonderful Ger-
man band composed of boys will bear witness to
the care and labor devoted to the organization
and efficiency of foreign government bands. As
much care is taken in selecting and drilling
musicians as in selecting and drilling soldiers,
and what the result is many of us know.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x ^
4ft., ()in. high
Is our latest style—of im-
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The first glance convinces
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the trade.
Unquestionable durability.
Very tempting prices are of-
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spect.—BANDMASTER in The Leader.
CHAT.
W. PRESTON FENIMORE, organist of the Cen-
tennial Baptist Church, Philadelphia, has writ-
ten the following letter to S. Nittinger, local
agent for the Steger piano : '' Please accept my
thanks for the elegant Steger piano which you
so kindly furnished me for my concert at the
Centennial Baptist Church on May ioth, also at
the new Century drawing room last evening.
The instrument gave perfect satisfaction, and it
will give me great pleasure to recommend it
whenever opportunity offers. With its sweet
tone, most responsive action and fine case, the
Steger piano is bound to earn a reputation for
itself; but I will endeavor to make a sale for
you whenever I can."
MR. I. N. CAMP, of Chicago, will sail for
Europe June 21st. He will accompany Mrs.
Camp, who has been advised by her physician
to visit Carlsbad. She is in very poor health.
517—523 W. 45th St.
New York.
PIANOS AND ORGANS
BOSTON.
NEW YORK. CHICAGO. KANSAS CITY.
H
Our government is shamefully indifferent in
this matter ; it lacks both the capacity and the
will to bring our band music up to the level of
that of foreign countries. Our military bands-
men are not to blame, they cannot escape the
fetters forged for them; give them the oppor-
tunities and the encouragement foreign bands-
men have and they will speedily reach a very
high degree of skill. Under the circumstances
they cannot do otherwise than they do. To
bring about this efficiency it is requisite that
our government bands be placed on a more
definite footing ; the bandmasters should have a
rank and a recognition commensurate with the
duties he performs ; he should receive better
pay, he should be allowed greater liberty, and the
number of men under his charge should be in-
creased. Furthermore, the bandsmen as well
as the bandmaster should have a definite rank ;
they should be allowed to feel that they are a
portion of a government organization and not a
species of tolerated pariahs. Music is an art,
and it must be respected before it can win re-
JACOB KIMNER, a piano mover, of 282 First
avenue, with -two other men, was removing a
piano from 65 West 50th street last Monday.
They were carrying the instrument down the
doorsteps. Kimner had the forward end upon
his shoulder and lost his balance. He grasped
the railing, which gave way under the strain.
Kimner fell to the areaway, seven feet below, the
piano falling on top of him. One arm was
frightfully crushed and one rib was broken.
Two physicians attempted to staunch the flow
of blood until the ambulance arrived, but after
waiting so long as they dared the man was
taken to St. Luke's Hospiial on the piano truck.
It was nearly forty-five minutes before the
RrosevHt ambulance arrived.
METGALF -
• PIANO
CELEBRATED
STEGER
MANUFACTURED BY
The Brockport Piano Mfg. Co.
BROCKPORT, N.Y.
PIANOS
M STEG-ER & CO., Manufacturers,
PATENTED 1692.
Factory, Columbia Heights.
are noted for their fine singing quality of
tone and great durability. The most
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235 WABASH AYE., CHICAGO.