Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1900 Vol. 31 N. 6

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
EXPOSITION OPINIONS.
J\yi EMBERS of the music trade who have
visited Europe this summer are be-
ginning to return and the impressions of
several have been obtained by Review
representatives in regard to the Paris Ex-
position. It seems to be the general opin-
ion of those who have visited the Fair that
as a spectacle it is unequal to the World's
Fair in Chicago '93. The buildings at Paris
possess nothing like the beauty of the
White City.
That the Exposition will prove a finan-
cial success is not believed. Regarding
our own industry, there has been but com-
paratively little interest manifested and
the great house of Baldwin makes the only
comprehensive exhibit of American musico-
industrial progress.
That European piano manufacturers
have taken a warm interest in the Exposi-
tion may be seen by the descriptive letters
which The Review correspondent at Paris
has been writing. In this connection we
may add that The Review is the only
American music trade paper which thus far
has presented a detailed account week by
week of the music trade exhibit at Paris.
There is already some little trade talk
circulating, concerning the part that piano
manufacturers will play in the Pan Ameri-
can Exposition at Buffalo, next year. Our
manufacturers as a whole have had quite
a respite from Exposition outlays, there-
fore it is possible that considerable in-
terest may be generated; still it looks as if
the Exposition were being a trifle over-
done. So many of these great affairs have
been held within recent years, that the
manufacturers are beginning to ask them-
selves whether the returns from Exposi-
tion participation are sufficient to reim-
burse them for the outlay.
HP HAT the piano manufacturer has been
placed for the past few years in a pe-
culiar situation regarding the maintenance
of prices is generally recognized. He has
been ground between the upper and nether
millstones of prices until at times his prof-
its were pressed out so flat that it was dif-
ficult to discover them. However, as times
grow steadily better, and the demand be-
comes more and more apparent for better
wares, the tendency will be towards less
price hair-splitting.
\ I 7 E recollect at the historic association
gathering at Manhattan Beach, how
offended were the conductors of some trade
journals at the attitude taken by manufac-
turers in excluding them from the regular
meetings of the association. There was
no concealment of the bitterness on the
part of these men towards the attitude of
TRANSPLANTED AMERICANISM.
HPHE department house of Siegel-Cooper
Co. offers pianos for sale, therefore it
is a matter of trade interest to state that
we have it on excellent authority that this
house will open up in the near future a de-
partment store in London similar to the
firm's two establishments in this country.
Mr. Cooper is now in London, where he
has been sounding the market for an open-
ing for an enormous department store.
Most of the retailers in London specialize
and control the trades which were built up
by their ancestors, so that their profits are
large and their methods of advertising,
sales and management are conservative;
therefore, if a great house like Siegel-
Cooper Co. were to establish a store in
London and publish in daily papers the
full-page advertisements, as they do in New
York and Chicago, of cut prices, special
course money will be the paramount sales, etc., it is probable that the new
issue in the coming campaign. Does methods would be successful.
anyone know of any campaign, business
London piano merchants will doubtless
or political, where it is not always the par- be interested to learn through The Review
amount issue?
that should the London deal of Siegel- '
Cooper Co. go through they will make a
NO DISCONTENT.
special effort to make their piano depart-
IVT O one can read the dealers' statements
ment a prominent feature of the business.
of conditions existing in the various
states, which we have presented for sev- •"THE English court has decided that
eral weeks, without being impressed not
when a secret commission is given to
merely with the general prosperity of the a manager, by a concern from which he
country, but by the steady tendency buys, the manager's employers can re-
towards trade betterment which is going cover the amount, either from the firm
on in all sections. There is hardly an giving it or from the employee. They
opinion which we have received which propose evidently in England to put a stop
shows discontent or discouragement. In a to the habit of tipping buyers.
few cases, local conditions are not quite as
What would the men say to this who
satisfactory as they might be, but even in have been tipping salesmen in the way of
such instances the drawbacks are regarded a little "com" in certain pianos which they
as not of a character to seriously affect re- sell?
tail business.
P V E R Y merchant and every manufac-
In many states crops are exceptionally
turer understands the meaning of
good. It should be also noted that in such
dating ahead. Few, however, recollect the
states as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio,
adoption of the plan which of late years
from which unsatisfactory repcrts come
has become a fixed custom. Dating ahead
as to the wheat crop, heavy rains had
within proper limits may be desirable, but
fallen recently. The cotton crop in some
as it is commonly practiced it has become
sections of the South will be poor, but this
a nuisance.
will be offset to a great extent by the high
A MONG the names submitted by the
price of the staple. The iron and coal in-
Senate of the New York University
dustries are experiencing a reaction from
the unusually prosperous conditions which to the judges of the Hall of Fame is the
have prevailed in recent months. Other- name of Jonas Chickering. Musicians are
wise labor is well employed and at good honored too by the suggestion of the name
wages. Taken altogether, general condi- of Lowell Mason. The Hall of Fame will
tions coming as they do after a boom peri- contain busts of 100 famous Americans
od, cannot but be regarded as remarkably who have won prominence in their chosen
healthy and satisfactory. The speculative art or profession. It is gratifying to know
spirit has been largely eliminated and this that the men who have the selection of
in itself is a healthy feature. Merchants these busts in charge have complimented
in all lines, we are told by travelers, are music and industrial art in America, by
buying more in accordance with a sure de- selecting such distinguished names from
mand,
our roll of honor.
the association in removing them from
their sessions.
We may say in this connection, the Piano
Manufacturers' Association in adopting
these rules simply endorsed the position
taken by other trade organizations, and
now practically all the trade associations
have fallen in line in this particular.
We note at the recent convention of the
hardware men that they have now reached
a point attained by the piano manufactur-
ers years ago. This is from their resolu-
tions:
That all meetings of the Association
should be close meetings, and that public
reports of the proceedings of same should
be under the supervision of a press com-
mittee whose duty it should be to edit the
reports of the Convention before handing
them to press representatives.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
{Sohmer on Current Topics, cont. from page j.)
in the proper progressive spirit. This
friendly attitude is a source of great com-
fort to us, and the persistent, enthusiastic
advocacy by them of the acknowledged
strong merits of our instruments is also
very helpful/'
Talking of plans for the fall, Mr. Soh-
mer said that they include the prepara-
tion of numerous special designs in artistic
cases. It is found that the standard of 1900-
1901 Sohmer styles are entirely satisfactory
to customers, both far and near. Among
the special designs now being prepared is
one in white mahogany and one having
painted panels. An example of the painted
panel, in mahogany, is now on exhibition
at the warerooms. It is in every respect
a perfect work of art—partly floral, partly
allegorical. Among other attractive cases
are several colonials. They embrace all of
the Sohmer special features.
It was mentioned by The Review
that another manufacturer had said re-
cently when speaking of the increased de-
mand for baby grands, that teachers
frequently prefer the baby grand to
the upright because of the increased
depth and volume of tone usually
secured from the former. " That may
be true," he remarked, "but the real rea-
son often is that the action of the baby
grand is more readily responsive to the
touch. The keys yield to the fingers with-
out being in a measure forced down as is
the case with the ordinary upright. If it
were tone alone, the contention would
not hold good, as we have uprights with a
tone equal to and in some cases even su-
perior to that of our baby grands. The
call for the baby grand is increasing each
year. We have three sizes in grands.
The smallest of these has the biggest de-
mand. " •
When about to leave, The Review
happened to mention the recent assassina-
tion of the King of Italy and the still
more lecent attempt on the life of
the Shah. Mr. Sohmer expressed him-
self in terms strongly condemnatory
of these outrages. "This sort of thing,"
he exclaimed, "will always happen. The
men who conceive and carry out such
plans must be entirely bereft of reason.
The absurdity of their acts proves this.
They cannot but be well aware that on the
death of the ruler another immediately
takes his or her place. No interval is per-
mitted to elapse wherein a revolution could
be successfully carried out.
"It appears, too, from the conflicting
opinions expressed by the men who be-
come Anarchists, that they are not quite
sure what form of government they want
as a substitute for the one they condemn.
Hence it is hardly a cause for wonder that
they are considered and treated in all
countries as enemies of the public peace."
The prosperity of the Morris, Field
Rogers Co., of Listowel, Ont, is the sub-
ject of an extended article in a recent issue
of The Banner, published in that town. It
is stated that during June and July there
was a 20 per cent, increase in their busi-
ness as compared with last year,
In Financial Difficulties.
THE BOSTON PIANO CO., AT WOOSTER, O., IN
RECEIVER'S HANDS.
[Special to The Review.l
Wooster, O., Aug. 3, 1900.
Louis P. Ohliger, has been appointed re-
ceiver for the Boston Piano Co., on appli-
cation of the stockholders. His bond was
fixed at $10,000. Local creditors took
judgment, aggregating $8,000 and the
plant was closed by the sheriff. It is
claimed by some that there are several
parties who will purchase the business out-
right and continue it. The Boston Piano
Co. has confined its output fully to retail
and locally the instruments have acquired
a fair reputation.
Going Abroad.
L. E. Thayer, general traveler for the
Starr Piano Co., sails on the steamer
" L a h n " on the 14th for Europe. Mr.
Clarence Gennett, who has charge of the
Starr retail warerooms in the cities of
Richmond, Indianapolis, Dayton, Toledo
and Youngstown, O., will accompany him.
Mr. Thayer has gone across the ocean a
score of times in music trade interests,
and he will be well equipped to show Mr.
Gennett the principal points of interest.
They will spend some time at the Paris
Exposition.
Eminent Turkish flusicians.
Steinway & Sons, as announced by The
Review last week, have just been honored
by the sultan of Turkey by their appoint-
ment as piano manufacturers to his majesty.
Therefore a few words regarding the mu-
sical qualifications of the Turkish ruler will
be interesting.
The sultan of Turkey is not one of those
dangerous mortals described by Shake-
speare who "hath no music in^ his soul."
It is said that he is exceedingly fond of the
divine art and plays the piano with great
skill.
He has ordered several Steinway pianos
and expressed himself in terms of the
warmest admiration concerning the prod-
uct of the great American house.
The compliment paid by the sultan is
doubly appreciated when we consider his
superb musical qualities. The Turks are
great lovers of music and death has just
robbed Constantinople of a musician who
at one time was the leading spirit in Turk-
ish musical affairs, Gen. Guatelli Pasha,
who only held his military title by virtue
of the fact that he was bandmaster in chief
to the sultan. In 1848 the general, an
Italian by birth, stepped into the position
as the successor of Giuseppe Donizetti,
brother of the composer of Lucia, etc.
In addition to directing the musical affairs
of the Turkish army, Donizetti had also
had the musical education of the then
sultan's sons under his especial care.
Among these youths was Abdul Hamid,
the present sultan, who not only plays
himself, but has also seen to it that his
numerous children have had a good mu-
sical education.
Guatelli Pasha is proud to be almost as
great a favorite at the Turkish court as
Donizetti had been, and he was an especial
favorite of the Sultan Abdul Aziz, whose
unhappy fate is now a matter of history.
It was because of this friendship with Ab-
dul Aziz that the present sultan, when he
ascended the throne, never made a favor-
ite of Guatelli Pasha, but he permitted him
to keep his rank and his high salary, and
only gave him a temporary substitute in
the person of Aranda Pasha, a Spanish
musician, who is a great favorite with the
present sultan. Guatelli Pasha was a very
kind-hearted man, and in the days of his
power always gave a warm welcome to
musicians on tour who visited Constanti-
nople. Most artists who played before the
late sultan owed their introduction to the
genial Italian, and they were generally
duly grateful, for it is the custom at the
Turkish court to give a virtuoso a substan-
tial sum for a court concert, in addition to
some glittering decoration. Guatelli Pasha
was eighty-four years of age when he died
the other day.
Success of the Apollo.
Labor troubles in Chicago have caused
considerable delay in completing all of the
interior arrangements of that superb fac-
tory building of the Melville Clark Piano
Co. Owing to this condition of affairs
the concern has been laboring under a
serious disadvantage ever since taking pos-
session of the new plant, a photograph.of
which appeared in last week's Review.
Mr. Clark has been supervising all of the
changes made in the plant in order to give
it a thoroughly modern equipment for the
manufacture of the Apollo attachment and
the Orpheon organ attachment.
It is remarkable what progress the Apol-
lo has made in the esteem of the piano and
organ trade. For artistic execution and
ease of operation it is conceded to be one
of the very best attachments ever built.
It already occupies a high position in the
esteem of the dealers and the musical pub-
lic. Those who use it are the most enthu-
siastic in its favor.
The Orpheon organ attachment is cer-
tain to find a ready market in the farming
communities. It is an instrument that
will be welcome in every farmer's home
and there is no doubt that the demand,
when it is fairly ready for the market, will
be much larger than has been reckoned
upon.
Success in Strings.
Rudolph C. Koch, Charles Reinwarth's
successor in the manufacture of the "Rein-
warth" pianoforte covered strings—finds
little of any cessation in the demand dur-
ing the heated term. His business steadily
increases in volume from month to month.
The superior tone quality of the Rein-
warth strings, together with the known
sterling qualities of durability, tensile
strength and finish have much to do with
this result. The remainder of the ex-
planation is found in the prompt filling of
orders and the reasonableness of the Koch
prices.
Walter T. Howell has closed out his
music business at Norristown, Pa., and is
concentrating his energies at his Media
store.
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