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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
QUAINT INSTRUMENTS AT THE "PAN." wooden dulcimer. These instruments are used
SIMON KRAKAUER'S 85TH BIRTHDAY
in conjunction with guitars and bandoras,
When visiting the Krakauer factory on
A Plea for the Unofficial Displays of Musical In-
or large mandolins, and make quite agree-
struments at the Exposition—The Pianos in
Wednesday,
The Review met Simon Kra-
able music. The salterio is plucked with a
State Buildings Patronized.
kauer,
founder
of the firm. He had made a
plectrum of zinc like a pointed finger nail,
[Special to The Review.]
special
call
on
the
occasion of his eighty-fifth
which is worn thimble-wise on the fore-
Buffalo, N. Y., Oct. i, 1901.
birthday,
and
received
many warm congrat-
finger of the player. The Arabs play a simi-
Much has been written of the displays made
lar instrument, the Chanoon, in the same ulations. Mr. Krakauer is in good health
by piano manufacturers in the Liberal Arts
manner, but the Chinese Yang Kin, which and excellent spirits. During a brief chat
Building at the Pan-American, but little has
bears a curiously close resemblance to the with The Review, he said he was very proud
been said about the pianos displayed in the
Mexican Salterio, is played on with little of his sons and only regretted that his ad-
State Buildings, where thev are much more
vanced age restricted him from further active
hammers of bamboo.
in evidence, and as often, if not oftener, used.
The marimbon, or marimba, which is the participation in business affairs.
For instance, in the New York State Build-
ing, there is the beautiful Steinway grand, original African name, is most admired in
AT OHIO'S CAPITAL
made especially for that noble piece of archi- Guatemala and the Southern States of Mex-
[Special to The Review.]
tecture, and an upright by the same makers, ico, where it is generally known by the name
Columbus, O., Oct. 2, 1901.
as well as the Kurtzmann, made, of course, of zapotecano. In its most highly developed
Retail
trade
in
this city has been looking up
in our home city. During visits this week form it has a double row of slabs or strips, within the past week, and local dealers speak
I found that these instruments were being one of which, corresponding to the black enthusiastically about fall prospects. Colum-
much used by visitors, and the appreciation keys of the piano, is set back and raised bus has some very superbly arranged stores,
thus bestowed impelled me to notice if the higher than the series producing the diatonic chief among which I may mention the
pianos in other buildings were being used sequence of tones. The instruments at the Wilkin-Redman Co. P. J. Gildemeester was
as liberally as by the visitors to the Empire Pan-American lack this chromatic device, here and, as usual, secured a large order for
but to compensate for its absence, the play-
State headquarters.
Knabe instruments. Mr. Gildemeester is al-
In the Michigan State Building I found ers adopt a singular method of changing ways a welcome visitor, and his genial pres-
a very handsome Chase Bros, piano in ma- the pitch of a tone when the change is called ence is known from Maine to California in
hogany; in the Minnesota Building one of for.- Each player holds in one of his hands thousands of piano warerooms. Mr. Dever-
the regular Kurtzmann styles; in the Penn- a ball of wax, which he affixes to the under eaux, the vice-president of the Kurtzmann
sylvania a Ludwig piano, and in the New side of a slab whenever he wishes to flatten Piano Co., of Buffalo, was another of the
England Building a Henry F. Miller and so its tone by a semi-tone. It is a singular, nev- prominent Eastern visitors recently. He is
on. In some of these buildings I found vis- ertheless, effective method of tuning, and sat- one of the accomplished travelers who invari-
itors presiding at the pianos, and on inquiry, isfies the players, who, of course, are not ably secures excellent results.
I was informed that the pianos were not in educated musicians.
Much might be written of the various in- PIANOS IN SALOONS VS. CHURCHES.
there as ornaments, but that their tone quali-
ties were greatly admired by visitors musi- struments of the reed family, quaint and cu-
[Special to The Review.]
(
rious in construction and in tone, which one
cally inclined.
Oskhosh,
Wis.,
Oct.
1,
1901:
It is a great mistake to think that the dis- finds at the Oriental, African and Chinese
The cases against George Miller, arrested
plays of musical instruments end with the villages, as well as the various instruments upon the charge of maintaining a mechanical
official exhibits in the Liberal Arts Build- of percussion which seem to have a pecu- piano and giving concerts in his saloon with-
ing, or with the pianos in the State Buildings. liar fascination for the peoples of the far out a license, were brought in Municipal
In the exhibits made by the Republics of East and far South. To go into a detailed Court on Wednesday afternoon. Attornejy
South America, as well as in the Ethnology description of each instrument would occu- H. I. Weed for the defendant, asked that trie
Building, are many stringed instruments of py too much space, but the point which I case be dismissed upon the grounds that :Be
rare value and interest, which have, apparent- wish to make is that those musically inclined ordinance under which the arrest was nuiqe
ly, attracted little attention. In the Chili should not confine their studies of musical is invalid and that it is discrimination, for
Building I noticed many mandolins, guitars instruments to the stereotyped displays, but the reason that churches, opera houses 1 njd
and covered and gut strings; in the Hon- will find much to interest them in the quaint other public places are not required to take
duras Building are some rare specimens of and odd percursors of the creations of our out a license before giving concerts. F^e
guitars, while one finds a rich mine in the day which are considered musical by the peo- held that the Common Council has no right
musical instruments used by the players for ples of other countries.
to pass such a discriminating ordinance. The
entertainment and diversion in the various
George R. Fleming opened his magnifi- judge took the matter under consideration
streets which constitute part of the Midway. cent new .warerooms, 1031 Chestnut street, and will hand down his opinion Oc. 21st.
In the Mexican village, for example, there Philadelphia, Pa., on Tuesday. It is now
The Weaver Organ & Piano Co. of York,
is the salterio, an instrument of the zither decided that his full line will consist of the
Pa.,
this week made their third foreign ship-
kind, but lacking the fretted finger board, Weber, Mathushek & Sons, Jacob Bros.,
ment
of organs, which was made to Holland.
the marimbon, an improved xylophone, or and Radle pianos.
Outside
Piano
OPERATED
BY ELECTRIC MOTOR
Music controls expression7automati-
cally, retarding and accelerating,
operating loud and soft pedal and
stopping motor w h e n
through
playing.
Re-rolls
m u s i c 5automatically
Adjustable to any piano in a few
minutes.
THE PEERLESS PIANO PLAYER CO.
Makers
Office: 41 Union Square, New York.
Factories: St. Johnsville, N. Y., (on N. Y. C. R. R.)