Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1900 Vol. 30 N. 15

Page 5 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Retail trade in some of the principal
cities has shown a considerable falling off
during the past two weeks. In New York
City it has been dull, while in smaller
towns there has been increased activity,
due to the fact that the roads have settled
to a considerable extent and better possi-
bilities are afforded for seeking trade out-
let. Everything now indicates the biggest
year industrially this country has ever
seen. It is extremely probable that the
Presidential election, which occurs next
fall, will have less of a depressing effect
upon the business affairs of the country
than any previous presidential struggle for
many years. As far as the music trade in-
dustry is concerned its prospects never
were brighter or its future more rose-
colored than to-day. There is scarcely a
manufacturing plant in the trade that is
not being added to substantially in the
way of factory extensions. There is
no sign of an over accumulation of
stock. When that occurs there will be
cause for immediate alarm, for con-
gested stocks, either in the manufac-
turing or retail department of any in-
dustry, indicate unhealthy conditions
which are usually followed by forced
sales and depreciated values. But as long
as everything is absorbed through various
channels, there] is every indication of a
healthy organism which comes from per-
fect trade circulation.
PAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS*
j\TO doubt the bar to the development
of trade in South America is the
lack of knowledge of the conditions pecu-
liar to that region. We have found it easy
to do business with Great Britain because
of the racial kinship between the two na-
tions, or with some other European coun-
tries because of the bond of interest grow-
ing out of the adoption of the United
States as a home by so many of their peo-
ple.
But with regard -to South America, the
popular mind can be said to have become
little informed since the assertion of inde-
pendence by the Spanish and Portuguese
colonies there early in the century. One
who reads Henry Clay's speeches made in
Congress eighty-two years ago, in favor of
recognizing the independence of the Span-
ish colonies in revolt, will be struck with
the fact that, while inspired by a desire
for the universal enjoyment of the bless-
ings of liberty, he did not overlook "the
immense advantages our country would
derive from a commerce with the South
American States." The idea still prevailed
that the great development made from the
outset by the then new United States
of America had been due to the substitu-
tion here of a republic for monarchical
rule; hence, a similar result would follow
a like change in South America. Even
Mr. Clay's opponents felt this to be true,
and they opposed any support of the inde-
pendence of General Bolivar's followers for
the reason that "the South American
States, if independent, would become the
commercial rivals of our own country."
Time has shown, in South America as
elsewhere, that a mere change in the form
of government does not affect the tendency
of trade. No question of sentiment de-
cides people to buy pianos or hardware or
clothing in one country in preference to
another where better prices are quoted.
Nor does it make progressive, industrious
and inventive a people not naturally in-
clined to be so.
Europe has been paying particular at-
tention to the South American trade and
through her consuls in the various South
American countries has been manufactur-
ing goods which are most desired by the
people of those countries. In musical in-
struments, until within a comparatively
short period, all of the purchases were
made in Europe. Within the past decade
large shipments of American pianos have
been made to Mexico and other important
countries in Latin America, but thus far
the Latin American trade does not appeal
strongly to American piano manufacturers.
Whether the Pan-American Fair to be
held at Buffalo will result in bringing about
increased trade relations in our own in-
dustry with those Republics which lie
south of us, remains to be demonstrated.
Up to the present time American piano
manufacturers have not looked seriously
upon the Latin American market as pos-
sessing great possibilities in the music
trade line.
FREIGHTS AND PIANO MEN.
DIANO manufacturers and music trade
shippers will be interested that resto-
ration to the Interstate Commerce Com-
mission of its former power of preventing
discrimination by the railroads in favor of
individuals or localities and requiring all
carriers to publish and apply just and rea-
sonable rates, is extremely probable within
the near future.
A rehabilitation of the Interstate Com-
merce Commission, which apparently has
been shorn of some of its powers, is now
proposed. The proposed measure has re-
ceived the endorsement of manufacturers
and merchants. The introduction of such
a measure has been necessitated by the
growth of competition between freight
railroads, much of this competition being
of a secret and underhand character. In
competition of this kind only exceedingly
grave results are exceptional. Special
favors to one party or one business cen-
ter imply the necessary corollary of un-
just discrimination against others. Efforts
to stamp out this competition by means
of agreement between rival roads have
invariably proved futile, hence it is only
by those who have studied the matter of
competition between railroads resulting as
it does should be restricted. Such restric-
tion, moreover, must be provided by the
federal government, since it is clear that
state legislation, lacking as it does, uni-
formity, could only serve to further com-
plicate the present difficult situation.
Recently in the West while discussing
the matter of freights with a piano manu-
facturer he told us that he had been un-
able to secure anything even approxi-
mating fair car rates to certain points
further West. We know of instances
where shipments have been filled to the
Pacific Coast points and in the meanwhile
the cars through certain arrangements
have been held up at intermediate cities,
where fair rates direct could not be secured.
In other words, it paid the purchasing
parties better to obtain other shipments
to far away points than to their own local
cities and through some juggling with the
authorities they held the cars at the points
designated long enough to unload them.
If the Piano Manufacturers' National
Association at its annual meeting next
month in Chicago should handle this mat-
ter of freights in a lively way it would do
more to popularize the organization with
that portion of the trade which still re-
mains aloof from participation, than the
advocacy of any other measure. Good,
strong, intelligent discussion along the'
lines of the securing of proper freight dis-
crimination would be exceedingly popular
alike with d ealer and manufacturer.
IN DANGER.
T^HE half cent is in danger. The prac-
tice which has been resorted to by
proprietors of several large department
stores, especially in the West, in issuing
small metallic coins purporting to repre-
sent one-half cent in value when presented
to the store issuing the same, is likely to
result in serious trouble, if the treasury
officials are successful with the campaign
which is now on foot.
It is believed at the department that this
practice is a direct violation of the law,
but owing to a peculiar condition of cir-
cumstances no decision has yet been se-
cured upon which prosecutions can be be-
gun with a fair prospect of success. It
will soon be illegal to announce pianos for
sale in the department stores a la dry
goods for $129.29^.

Page 6 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
OACRAMENTO, Cal., does not appre-
ciate the gifts of Paderewski. This
week he refused to play there, when he
learned, upon his arrival, that only one
hundred and twenty-two, tickets for his
concert had been sold.
\ 1 7 I T H the Porto Rican sitting on the
cold, cold door step, where he seems
to be not fish, fowl, not even good red
herring, and with Admiral Dewey out as
a Presidential candidate, who shall say the
spring is not opening out with sensations ?
New Pianists this Year.
PERFORMERS HEARD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
NEW YORK HAMBOURG THE FIRST TO
COME, BREITNER NEXT, THEN DOH-
NANYI — SOME WOMEN PLAYERS.
Every season brings before the New
York public a certain number of new mu-
sicians who come here to sing their way
into the profitable favor of this city or to
get into that same fortunate place by
means of their skill with the piano, the
fiddle, or whatever instrument they have
devoted their time and talents to. The
musical season just closed introduced the
customary number of new virtuosos, arid
as a.whole, the new arrivals met with favor.
A generally high average of excellence
was reached by all of them and it can
scarcely be said that one was heard who
will not be welcomed again with pleasure.
It is, of course, true that some would be
more heartily welcomed than others; but
to admit that a cordial welcome awaits the
return of any musician at the close of this
long season is a sign of great appreciation.
Mark Hambourg, the Russian pianist,
was the first of the virtuosos of the key-
board to present himself before a new pub-
lic last fall. In a season that brought for-
ward some notably fine pianists and the
overwhelming Paderewski, as well as De
Pachmann with his beautiful playing of
Chopin's music, this young man made a
distinct impression. His technical powers
were tremendous and the brilliancy of his
playing was scarcely equalled in certain
respects by any of his colleagues who fol-
lowed him this year. One criticism
frequently heard of this young player
was an objection to the lack of poetic
feeling and sentiment that was always
noticeable in his playing. The qual-
ity was undoubtedly absent. He revelled
in his useful strength and his marvellous
powers of execution with little thought of
the mental and emotional qualities that
give such charm to the work of pianists
who are not nearly his equal in the merely
technical side of their art. It is doubtful
if Hambourg will ever play with the charm
that conies with the possession of a poetic
spirit. Paderewski plays as he does be-
cause he is a poet as well as a pianist.
Hambourg does not seem likely to acquire
the poetic spirit at any time. And it is a
question, if there is not compensation for
the lack of this to be found in the won-
derful virility, freshness and physical
exuberance of his playing. These are
charms that he certainly possesses now in
a high and a unique degree. Maturity
and development may rob him of these
wholly youthful characteristics without
offering in their place the intellectual
and emotional qualities that are now
lacking in his playing. It seems, indeed,
as if the nature of Hambourg's touch made
it impossible for him ever to acquire as
fully as some other players the sensuous
quality that would supply what is now
found to be deficient in his work.
Ludwig Breitner, who came second in
this season's series of new pianists, was a
complete contrast to M. Hambourg. He
is an extremely finished and musicianly
pianist, who lacks utterly the qualities that
made Hambourg's playing unique. His
technical equipment is good and his manner
of playing uninteresting only through its
lack of variety and the absence of any flash
of brilliancy to relieve its placid finish and
elegance. Good taste and sound musician-
ship are the most striking features of M.
Breitner's art, and they are not the kind to
create a lasting impression on the general
public. Mr. Breitner's work seems to be
pedagogic, rather than that of a virtuoso,
and in that field he will doubtless find suc-
cess here. M. Hambourg has repeated al-
most everywhere the popular success he
made in New York. All pianists who se-
lected this year for a trip to the United
States struggled against the public interest
ia Paderewski. That always absorbs the
patronage which the public is able to give
a pianist to a degree which makes great
profits impossible. Artistic interest, it
must be admitted, also centres in the per-
formances of the distinguished Pole. For
that reason Hambourg's success was the
more remarkable.
Ernst von Dohnanyi, was the last of the
new players to come before a New V'ork
audience and he succeeded in winning suc-
cess in a way different from that of any of
his predecessors. He is as young as Ham-
bourg and like him in no other particular.
M. Dohnanyi is very unlike the average
piano virtuoso. His purpose is evidently
to do the fullest justice to the composer's
work. He makes no attempt at personal
display and devotes every resource of his
art to the revelation of the innermost spirit
of the composition he is seeking to inter-
pret. His tone is large and his technique
equal to any demands upon it. Without
being dry, the quality of his playing is dis-
tinctly intellectual in the best sense of the
word. It was in his performances of Bee-
thoven's music that he reached the highest
level of excellence here. His playing of
Brahms's variations showed his complete
technical equipment at its best and his
reading of Chopin, while possibly not the
one most to be preferred, gave further
proof of the pianist's versatility. M. Doh-
nanyi is a pupil of Eugen d'Albert, and his
methods are similar in many particulars.
He is not unlike Signor Busoni in his thor-
ough musicianship and serious musical
character.
A group of women pianists includes
Ethel Newcomb, a pupil of Leschititsky
and one of the most promising young per-
formers heard here in several seasons, who
plays with intelligence, taste and real
musical appreciation and feeling; Frieda
Siemens, who was heard for the first time
since* she appeared as a child and proved
that her talents had been developed and
brought out by her study in retirement;
Catherine Churchill, who for a woman
showed the possession of an unusually
robust style; and Julie Geyer, who at her
concert last week demonstrated that she
was a pianist of fine training, musical in-
stincts and intelligence. At least two of
these performers are likely to be heard of
in the future.
The pianos used by these artists included
the Steinway, Weber and Knabe.
A Busy Action Plant.
The Geo. W. Seaverns Piano Action Co.,
of Cambridgeport, Mass., speak very cheer-
ingly of business conditions. Orders are
coming in in large numbers, and spring
trade so far this year has exceeded any for
the same period on record. An idea of the
activity of this firm can be gauged from
the fact that in several departments they
have been compelled to work overtime.
A Superb Kranich & Bach.
A superb Kranich & Bach concert grand
was shipped last week to Mrs. N. L. Wil-
let, one of the leading musicians and teach-
ers of Augusta, Ga. The instrument, an
unusually fine one, by the way, will be
used in recitals and concerts by its owner.
Fire Destroys Buttell Plant.
[Special to The Review.!
Detroit, Mich., April n , igoo.
The Buttell Piano Co.'s factory, at
Schoolcraft, Mich., in operation only three
months, was burned last night, with 100
pianos in course of construction. Loss,
about $25,000; insurance, $3,000.
nUSIC MANUSCRIPTS.
Prompt examination, highest prices, liberal
royalty, old established house. Address Music
Manuscripts, The Review, 3 East Fourteenth
street, New York.
POSITION WANTED
By a well-known sheet music and small goods
man. Either responsible position in house or
road. The latter preferred. Very best refer-
ences. Address B , Music Trade Review.
WANTED A PARTNER
A man with experiemce and some capital to en-
large an established piano manufacturing busi-
ness; goods well known and trade established.
Address A. B. C, care of Music Trade Review,
3 E. 14th St., N. Y
SALESMAN
20 years experience as Traveler and Manager,
will be at liberty April 15th ; desires to arrange
with first-class piano or organ manufacturer.
Salary or commission. Must be first-class house.
Address, "MANUFACTURER"
Care of Music TRADE REVIEW.
REEDS, ETC., WANTED.
Reed organ maker in Great Britain would like
to communicate with dealer in Reeds and other
materials, also with Reed organ case makers.
Write in first Instance to C., in care of J. Q.
King& Sons, Advertising Agents, 10 Bolt Court,
London, E, C, England.

Download Page 5: PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.