Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
DISTINGUISHED VOYAGERS.
DMONG the distinguished voyagers who
took passage on the Steamer '' Fuerst
Bismarck " for Hamburg last Thursday were
Mr. and Mrs. Fred. T. Steinway, Mr. and Mrs.
Nahum Stetson, accompanied by their daughter
Miss Beatrice and maid. Mr. Stetson will leave
the ship at Southampton. He will visit Stein-
way & Sons' branch in London ; also their
factory in Hamburg. The remainder of his
time he will probably pass on the continent, re-
turning to New York about the first of Sep-
tember. Mr. Stetson received an unique tribute
from Karl Fink, which is decidedly original
and Finkesque in every respect It is a minia-
ture reproduction of the Steamer "Fuerst Bis-
marck. " The minature ship is perfect in every
detail, and has two Steinway pianos, a grand
and upright among the fittings. It flies a blue
felt flag, and was presented on a bed of blue
corn flowers, which are the favorite flowers of
the Kaiser Wilhelm, and it is also possible that
Mr. Fink desired to furnish Mr. Stetson with a
reminder of the Dolge blue felt goods during his
sojourn in foreign lands.
Blanchard-Fitzgerald Music Co., of Los
Angeles, Cal., recently received a com-
munication from Messrs. T. B. Harms & Co.,
music publishers, of this city, requesting them
to fill an order which they had received from a
music teacher of Los Angeles. In the com-
munication Messrs. Harms state : '' That it was
their desire to protect retail dealers throughout
the United States whenever it is in their power
to do so." This is certainly a step which re-
flects the greatest credit on the firm of Messrs. T.
B. Harms & Co., for dealers in music in the
smaller cities throughout the States are losing
considerable trade every day through teachers
sending direct to publishers when they could
just as well secure their goods from their local
dealers and at precisely the same price. The
discount to teachers on sheet music being uni-
versally 50 per cent.—these terms are current
among the smaller dealers as well as the largest
publishers. If the majority of music publishers
acted or would act as the Messrs. T. B. Harms
& Co. have done, it would be a step in the right
direction and one which would meet with the
approval of numerous dealers throughout the
country who have suffered in this connection.
learn from our esteemed Parisian con-
temporary, Le Monde Musical, that at
the last meeting of the Musical Instrument
Manufacturers' Association, of Paris, a com-
munication was received from M. Faivre, a
piano-maker, who learned his business in Paris,
but who emigrated to this great and glorious
country of ours, where he made a fortune. He
has returned to the land of his nativity and, as a
matter of course, declares "that France is the
most beautiful country in the world, and the
only place to live in," and, wishing to remember
his fellow craftsmen, desires the Association to
take charge of a fund of three thousand francs
which he wants to donate to the most capable
workmen, who have resided in Paris for six
years, in the form of three annual prizes of one
thousand francs each, with the hope that it will
afford such encouragement to the workers, and
be of such benefit directly to the progress of the
art, that some such system of rewarding compe-
tent and go-ahead workmen will be inaugurated
by the French Government. His philanthropic
offer was accepted. At this meeting we notice
also that M. Thibouville-Lamy, who visited this
eoitntry during the World's Fair, was elected
president.
WKBKR PIANO COMPANY have
evidently opened their eyes to the fact
that in this age of culture and refinement a high
class piano such as the " Weber " must have
appropriate surroundings, and have resolved to
modernize their present warerooms. They have
leased the old Behr Bros. & Co.'s warerooms on
Fifth Avenue, almost directly opposite their
present quarters which they will immediately
occupy, and where ihey will remain until the
extensive alterations which are about to be
made in their present premises are completed.
From the plans contemplated it can safely be
said that the new Weber warerooms will be one
of the handsomest in New York. They will be
fitted up with electric lights, elevator, and all
modern conveniences. A great enlargement of
floor space will be secured and the internal dec-
orations will be extremely handsome. The
alterations will also include an entire new front
to the building, which will be entirely modern
in appearance and in sympathy with the
interior work.
Previous to removal the Weber Piano Com-
pany are advertising a " Removal Sale " of
slightly used and second hand pianos of their
own and other makes.
SHOULD RETIRE.
jjE believe that all who are sincerely inter_
ested in the future prosperity of the firm
of Haines Bros, are desirous of seeing them
quickly extricated from their present endan-
gered condition. Some of the wisest, clever-
headed, and most practical men in this trade
have expressed their opinion that the way,
which at present would most facilitate improved
conditions, would be the retirement of Mr. N. J.
Haines, Sr. We may add that the men who
have expressed themselves in this matter as we
state, are those who have been in other days
warm friends of the senior Mr. Plaines ; with
those men we must heartily concur.
Mr. N. J. Haines, Sr., has reached the point
in life where he is not fitted physically to sub-
ject himself to the annoying environments which
the present condition of Haines Bros, must
necessarily place the head of that firm.
Is he not, in his present physical condition,
estranging old friends of the firm ?
He can now 7 retire gracefully and without the
slightest reflection upon his business character.
We, with others, are actuated by a desire to see
this old-time firm once more assume its former
position in the trade. Napoleon J. Haines, Sr.
should yield the helm to younger and stronger
men.
WRITER in one of the local newspapers is
of the opinion that the development of
the pianoforte has about reached the end of its
tether. Its compass has been extended to the
utmost acoustical limits, and it has been im-
proved until there appears to be no more room
for improvement. The virtuosi of the present
day have attained practically all that is possible
in the way of execution by a single pair of
hands. We must be original. We must ad-
vance, says this go-ahead writer. We must in-
vent new lines, new ideas in composition, must
play better than our noted virtuosi, or confess
ourselves imitators. But it is hard to see how
there can be any further progress in piano music
or piano playing. It can only be hoped that
before long some new instrument may be in-
vented—an instrument no larger and no costlier,
no harder to master, than the piano, which shall
unite the string principle of the piano and the
wind principle of the organ and give us the best
qualities of both. Such an instrument would be
unhampered by the great deficiency of the piano
with its inability to sustain tones, or rather to
sustain some tones while not sustaining others.
When such an instrument is invented it will
open up a new field for performers and musical
composers. This is in line with the spirit of
the times, and with the assistance of electricity
and other great factors which can be utilized in
this line to-day, something new in this con-
nection is not outside the plane of possibility.
CHAT.
MR. H. D. CABLE;, President of the Chicago
Cottage Organ Co., will leave for Europe on June
23d. He expects to be absent about two months.
THE Lavassor Piano Company, of Cincinnati,
have arranged to handle the Doll piano. This
is only one of the several arrangements entered
into by Jacob Doll on his recent Western trip.
A GEM of musical and artistic perfection is
Decker Bros.' new style No. 18 piano. It is
winning a merited popularity with the trade.
MR. HUGO SOHMER was delayed on his home-
ward trip from California by washouts in Idaho.
THE annual meeting of the Music Publishers'
Association of the United States was held at the
Gilsey House, this city, June 12th. Mr. John
C. Haynes, president, presided. Nothing of im*
mediate importance was transacted.
THE Olean Music Company have opened a
branch at Smithport, Pa., which is in charge of
Messrs. Doyle & Babbitt.
THE Singer Piano Company have been incor-
porated under the laws of the State of New
Jersey with a capital stock of $220,000 divided
into 2,200 shares at $10.00 per share. The in-
corporators are Mr. Alfred Singer, Mr. Chas.
W. Brambach, Mr. Edwin V. Machett and Mr.
Arthur de Bausset. The new concern will en-
gage immediately in manufacturing pianos,
which will contain Mr. Brambach's inventions.
The factory will be located in West Hoboken,
N. J. Mr. Brambach is well known through his
connection with the Estey factory.
THE Colby Piano Co., Erie, Pa., report the
receipt of a goodly share of orders. The merits
of the Colby piano are becoming better known
and appreciated every day, hence busy times are
in order at this factory.