Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
sport as bicycling, are to be found strug-
gling with the ubiquitous wheel and trying
to do their best to make people believe
that they are enjoying themselves. I don't
like to give names until the cyclomania is
well developed. One of these gentlemen
was discovered a few days ago deeply en-
grossed in a book entitled "Helpful Hints
for Bicyclists." By special permission I
am enabled to give a few:
HE piano is one of the most abused in-
struments on the face of the globe. If it
is not being unmercifully pounded by ama-
teurs and others who think they are creat-
ing "harmonies divine," literary fiends,
who don't know the second thing about the
construction of the instrument, and who
never spent a day in a piano factory, per-
sist in volunteering information through
the daily papers and through the "answers
to correspondents" column in the maga-
zines on "the construction of the piano,"
"why the piano gets out of tune," as well
as dissertations on the acoustics of the in-
strument. Then there are the lemedies,
which are put forth with the assurance of
an experienced master of the craft. Some
time since I came across the following re-
marks: "Pianos are not nearly so much
affected by heat or cold as they are by dry-
ness, and reversely by dampness. It is not
generally known that the sounding-board,
the life of a piano, is forced into a case
when it is made so tightly that it bulges up
in the center, on the same principle as a
violin." The foregoing will, indeed, be
news to piano makers. It is at least "not
generally known" among manufacturers of
the instrument that the sounding-board "is
forced into a case" so that "it bulges up in
the center."
And yet this is the opinion of a "pian-
ist" who is considered an authority—on
piano playing. It is regrettable that some
of these writers do not devote more time to
studying up the elementary principles of
piano construction. It would save them
from being laughed at. Such a book, for
instance, as "The Piano," by Daniel Spil-
lane, would be absolutely invaluable to
such a writer as the one just referred to.
T
* *
*
A good bicyclist is careful of his roads, therefore
when taking a header be careful not to hit the road
too hard with your forehead. You might make a
dent in the pavement.
In falling off your wheel do not fall on both sides
at once. Failure to observe this rule will result in
dividing you against yourself.
Always be courteous. If a trolley car has the
right of way over the track do not dispute with it.
Be cautious. In riding from New York to Brook-
lyn keep to the driveway. Don't try to wheel over
the suspension cable. You might slip and fall into
the smoke-stack of a passing ferry boat.
Ketp cool. If in the course of a ride you find
yourself in a tight place, with a skittish horse at
the left and a steep ravine at the right and a bull-
dog directly to the fore, take ravine. You'll go
into it anyhow, and if you take it alone without
dragging the dog or horse afier you, your chances
will be improved.
Never use spurs on the pneumatic tires of your
wheel. The use of spurs in this manner is likely
to leave your bicycle in a winded condition. Spurs
are not comfortable, either, in case of a throw.
Do not be stubborn with a balky wheel. If the
front wheel gets in a rut going east, and the hind
wheel in another going west, dismount and argue
the matter standing, unless you are tired and want
to lie down by the roadside without making the
effort to do so unassisted.
I had a chat with Juan Alzamora, one of
Freeborn G. Smith's trusted men, a few
days ago. I was pleased to learn that Mr.
Smith is almost recovered from his recent
attack of illness, and is now to be found
frequently at his different factories taking
a lively interest in the progress of affairs.
By the way, it is not generally known that
Mr. Alzamora is a very clever organist and
composer. Some of his compositions have
had a very wide circulation, and are of a
high order of merit. It is really surprising
how he finds time to compose and take
such an active interest in musical affairs,
and yet devote such close attention to the
interests of F. G. Smith, which I need hard-
ly add is appreciated by that gentleman.
* *
*
The Washington Post is responsible for
With six Steinway pianos and a hand- this allusion to the patriotism of the far-
some Needham organ to gratify the musi- famed leader of the Marine Band. It ap-
cal desires of the Sultan of Turkey, there is pears that on the glorious and ever-to-be-
every reason to hope that they will have remembered Fourth, Prof. Fanciulli strode
the necessary charm to soothe this Poten- down the avenue, after the parade had been
tate's savage breast, and perhaps influence dismissed, with a noticeable glow of pleas-
him to do justice to the Armenians, who ure and satisfaction illumining his hand-
have been butchered by his underlings.
some countenance. A friend who met him
* * *
inquired the cause of his evident happi-
Some startling stories are going about ness.
anent the number of music trade men learn-
" I have made a discovery that immense-
ing to ride the bicycle. They are not to be ly tickled me. I am much, very much
found on the highways and byways as yet, more patriotic than I was," said the leader.
it is true; but in some of the select schools "To-day, while listening to the reading of
which are so plentiful about this city nowa- the Declaration of Independence- at the
days, many well-known figures in the monument grounds, I was overjoyed to
music trade, noted for their seriousness of find that the glorious instrument recog-
mien and staid opposition to such frivolous nized my beloved profession—music."
The other scratched his head in perplex-
ity, and inquired, after a labored mental
effort to remember where the divine art
was mentioned in the historic document,
what the professor meant.
"Ah, my friend," returned FanciulH,
with a still more dazzling smile, "it speaks
of the high C's. I heard it myself."
An examination of the document made
later by the person to whom the professor
confided his discovery, developed the fact
that the latter had been carried away by
hearing the sentence beginning: "He has
constrained our fellow citizens taken pris-
oners on the high seas," etc.
* *
*
Many of the leading merchants in vari-
ous lines of industry in this city were in-
terviewed last week by a representative of
the World, and according to statements
which appeared in that paper last Sunday,
they are unanimous in the opinion that we
are going to experience a marked improve-
ment in business from now on. This is not
news, however; but then it is a good thing
to find that all the sound thinkers in the
commercial world are agreed on this point.
A "new art," the value of which may be
more evident as the eye becomes trained
to it, has been brought out by a London
artist, Mr. Wallace Riminton. It consists
in the application to color of rhythm and
the capability of rapid combinations—
qualities hitherto associated with music
only. For this a "color organ" has been
devised. The keys of the instrument are
colored discs in front of a powerful arc or
lime light, and cause any particular color
or combination of colors to be projected on
a screen. Each note on the keyboard has
its own color. An octave represents the
ordinary spectrum, which has been divided
up into diatonic intervals or notes, the in-
tervals being calculated according to the
rate of vibration at different parts of the
spectrum. As successive notes are struck,
a rapid flitting of soft transparent tints is
produced on the screen. At a recent exhi-
bition various musical extracts were played
simultaneously on the color organ and on
the piano or by an orchestra, the effect be-
ing novel and quite pleasing. Certain de-
fects in the color combinations appeared,
but it is possible that these may be reme-
died in compositions specially designed for
a color instrument.
• *
Whew! what a "roasting" Max Nordau
gives Anton Seidl in the current issue of
the Nortli American Review. Listen to
the learned author of "Degeneration":
"He writes in bad faith, he is vulgar, he
is ignorant and incapable of argumentation.
Whenever I detect these features in critics
I am accustomed to pass them by with a
shrug of the shoulder." Elsewhere he
terms Mr. Seidl's critique as "three pages
of frightful ejaculations." It is a good
thing three thousand miles lay between