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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
all its parts is so apparent on every hand
tha.t it atfords absolute testimony of the per-
sistent labors of our manufacturers both of
the medium as well as the high grade class,
to keep the American piano in the front—to
enable it to occupy in the future, as in the
LYMAN
past, a leading place, second to none in the
Editor and Proprietor.
world.
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
It seems to us that never before was the
3 East 14th St.. New York
construction of pianos, both in the study
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage) United States and of improved scales and the designing of
Canada, $3.00 per year; Foreign Countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per new styles, better understood, and there
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts » special dis-
seems to exist in this respect a healthy
count is allowed.
REMITTANCES, In other than currency form, should rivalry that cannot fail to result in incalcu-
to* made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
lable benefit to the future of the American
Bntered at tht New York Post Office as Second- Class Mmtter.
piano.
NEW YORK, DECEMBER 19, 1896.
After all, the depression of the past two
years
has not been without its benefits. It
TELEPHONE NUMBER 1745. — EIGHTEENTH STREET.
has given the men in charge of the manu-
facturing
and business departments time
••THE BUSINESS MAN'S PAPER."
to think, time to work out certain plans
and time to develop and enforce them. We
now have the result.
This steady growth of practical interest
in the perfection of their wares is perhaps
the most hopeful sign of the future of our
industry. As we remarked some short time
ago in these columns, there have been more
valuable patents recorded by the leading
members of the industry during the past
twelve months than for a long period be-
fore. It can only be compared with the
activity of the olden days when piano mak-
ing was in its infancy; then manufacturers
were laboring toward the technical perfec-
tion of the piano, and their work is evident-
ly being perpetuated on a broader scale.
The piano of to-day, the so-called
medium, or even the cheap grade, is a far
ADVANCE IN PIANO MAKING.
better instrument than the same grade of
VISIT to our factories and vvarerooms years ago, while the high grade of to-day
is only necessary to realize that abund- has reached an acme of excellence that
ant evidence of the continued develop- would be a revelation to the makers of a
ment of the American piano, both in half century ago.
the tonal and architectural realms, exists on
The growth and conduct of the piano
every hand. The old gruesome and unat- business in our time differs, as a matter of
tractive cases, stunted in size and uncouth course, from the past when piano making
in design, have been replaced by charming was largely a "mysterious" science. In
creations which are noticeable for their ex- this commercial and practical age the wider
treme taste, refinement, simplicity and vari- dispensation of knowledge and the greater
ety of woods. The veneers are of wondrous utilization of capital has brought about cer-
beauty, carefully matched and finished. tain results. It is claimed that the art as-
They are pleasing and grateful objects to pect of the business has been somewhat
the eye and enable the piano to command overlooked or interfered with, resulting in
the title of "work of art" in the truest sense a larger production of medium grade or
of the word.
commercial instruments. It must be re-
And, mark you, this development is not membered, however, that this is essential
confined to the matter of designs, for the in order to supply the demands of the
multiplicity, of new scales which have re- masses of the "plain people" whose musi-
cently been placed on the market and an- cal taste has been steadily accentuating.
nounced by numerous manufacturers, the
The manufacturers have catered to this
greater perfection of the action, and the musical advancement by placing a better
many efforts to perfect the instrument in instrument for the money on the market
A
than ever known before in the history of
this industry. This applies to all grades
and to all manufacturers, and while the
commercial aspect of the piano business
must predominate, as in other industries,
it is an exceeding pleasure to record that
the artistic standing of the business has not
suffered or has not been obliterated in the
least, for, as we remarked above, an exami-
nation of the pianos turned out to-day from
the factories throughout this country are in
themselves convincing examples of high
aims and accomplishments in the realms
of art.
#
#
The affairs of the Weber Piano Co. con-
tinue to occupy a prominent place in the
public press. Under the caption, "Preced-
ing Reorganization" last Sunday's papers
contained quarter-page announcements of
a "big sale of Weber pianos at auction,"
commencing Dec. 21st, in which it is stated
that Austin B. Fletcher, chairman of the
reorganization committee, authorized the
receiver to announce that the "new Weber-
Wheelock Co. will, on and after Jan. 1st,
'97, give the usual guarantees for five years
on all pianos disposed of at this sale, except
such as may be specifically exempt."
On Tuesday last, the receiver advertised
the sale on Dec. 29th at the Real Estate Ex-
change salesrooms, i n Broadway, of the
unexpired lease of the warerooms, 108
Fifth avenue, and the factory building,
Seventeenth street and Seventh avenue,
also all the uncollected accounts and bills
receivable of the company, stock and real
estate held by the receiver. On Dec. 30th,
the contents of the factory, consisting of
machinery, fixtures, unfinished pianos and
piano supplies, etc., will be disposed of on
the premises, Seventeenth street and
Seventh avenue.
With these sales effected, the reorgan ; zed
Weber-Wheelock Co. will be enabled to
start in with clean hands free from en-
tanglements of any nature whatsoever.
#
#
The success, power and authority of
THE REVIEW is demonstrated daily—and
what we say invariably carries belief with
it. One reason—we have kept within the
legitimate function of a newspaper, and
have eschewed sensational and personal
journalism. In one instance may be seen
the strength of THE REVIEW. We have
fought against the system of mendicant
journalism adopted by some. Our utter-
ances have had their effect and now the
members of the trade refuse, and rightfully,
to make further donations to the importu-
nate editors. The result is they are be-
ginning to squirm. The big collections