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THE MUSIC TRHDE REiZIEW
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. . THE SAUNTERER'S^ COLUMN.
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The Convention suggests some Thoughts upon Pertinent Topics to the Saunterer—The Merchandizing of
Artistic Pianos—The Value of Testimonials —Mason & Hamlin secure Frederic Lamond, one of Europe's
Great Pianists—Mason & Hamlin at Chautauqua—Gabilowitsch's Success—Steinway News.
One of the notable features of the Con- his agents will follow, as he not only gives
vention has been good fellowship, and that the keynote, but he also furnishes the mate-
lliis is always one o>f the best features of rial in the form of testimonials, artists, news,
everything, can not be denied. The intellect etc.
is never more keenly alive to seeing things in
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the most wholesome light as when it is un-
Speaking of testimonials brings one to
clouded by bitterness or resentment, or what- realize that too little thought or rather cau-
ever sentiment of discontent may exist be- tion is used by those who ask a testimonial.
tween manufacturer and dealer Jt is not to A testimonial is totally useless when it is
be expected that the manufacturer, en- so extravagant as to be ridiculous. A man
grossed in the creation of his piano, and in is not in position to say that a thing is the
the details which surround the office and fac- "best in the world" unless he has put every
tory forces, is able to bring himself to under- other one in the world to the same test.
stand anything of what conditions the deal- After this has been done, then comes the
er is facing every day in his attempt to mar- question whether he is the greatest judge in
ket the manufacturer's goods. Xor does the the world, and it would take a good deal oi
dealer, whether hundreds or thousands of searching the world over and the examina-
miles away from the seat of action under- tion of thousands of candidates before the
stand what are the trials and the hardships rest of the world could be made to consent
that have to be undergone before the piano that he was the greatest authority in the
is in condition to be offered to the public.
world.
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The dealer has a trust to keep and it is
There is nothing so valuable as modera-
certainly easier for him to take the hand tion. The most extravagant statement ju-
of the manufacturer and to look him in the diciously moderated will carry more weight
eye if this trust has not been betrayed. It is than a positive truth couched in such ex-
neither new nor original to say that the repu- travagancies as to make it appear untrue
tation of a piano is like that of a woman, from every and any point.
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and a dealer owes it is as much to the manu-
E. P. Mason returned to Boston early in
facturer as to himself to keep the name of
a piano unsullied; for once ruined, his own the week and H. L. Mason followed shortly
business has gone to the dogs, and in his after. The artist to tour .America next year
section the product of the manufacturer as with the Mason & Hamlin piano is Frederic
well. With more intimate acquaintance and Lamond, who is a man of great reputation
relations established between the two factors, and ability. Harold Bauer spoke of his art
it is obvious that the situation is likely to be with great respect, which means much; for
Bauer's opinion is one of no small import-
bettered all around.
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ance.
In the face of what courtesy the dealer
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owes the manufacturer, the manufacturer
The Mason & Hamlin pianos and organs
owes himself and the dealer such considera- will be used exclusively at Chautauqua,
tion that will round out the situation. Dig- where for many years they have reigned.
nity begets dignity; if it does ndt, thert
The classes this year will be as follows:
is something radically wrong with the dealer, Piano, W. H. .Sherwood, assisted by Mrs.
and he is not capable of handling a piano of
E. T. Tobey, Memphis, Tenn., and Miss
a high artistic standing. If a manufacturer Georgia Kober, of the Sherwood Music
makes a piano for which a true artist can School, Chicago; Choruses and Harmony,
have respect, it is his place to surround it Alfred Hallam, New York; Organ, J. V.
with an impregnable art atmosphere and Flagler, New York ; Vocal Music, Dr. Carl
to see that those to whom he entrusts its E. Dufft, New York; Violin, Sol Marcosson,
exploitation do nothing which may jeopar- Cleveland, Ohio.
dize the efforts which he makes to keep it
For fifteen years or more the Mason &
on the most elevated plane within his power. Hamlin pianos have been the choice of the
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Chautauqua Assembly. Mme. Evans von
One of the enemies of success, however, is Klenner will conduct a summer school at
an excess of dignity or rathermistaken or mis- Chautauqua from June 30 to August 15.
directed dignity. It is to this that many
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very old institutions in all lines of business
Gabridowitsch has made a most remarkable
owe their decline and sit back to see new sensation in Paris this spring, so wonderful,
concerns that have not yet made reputations indeed, that his engagements will not end
outstrip them in the commercial race. Dig- there until June, after which he will fill his
nity must not be confounded with old fogey-
engagements in Russia, which he has been
ism. Conservatism is by no means synony-
holding off. He has been heard in most of
mous with dignity, and it must not be so
the salons of the most exclusive set in Paris,
construed.
and he has had ovations showered upon him
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until there are no honors left in Paris that
In no way is the dignity more enhanced have not been heaped upon him. One thing
or degraded than through the methods of is certain, and it is that the dashing young
advertising, and this is the side which re- Russian deserved all that he got, because he
quires the most gingerly, and at the same has the true essence of music in him, as was
time most firm treatment. The probability is demonstrated upon his tour in this country
that as the manufacturer sets the example, with the Everett piano.
Alma Stencel, the young Californian, had
great success at her piano recital given in
London. Music, the excellent London jour-
nal, says of her: The pianoforte recital by
Miss Alma Stencel, a young lady of some
fourteen years of age, given at St. James's
Hall, was of a very promising cnaracter.
Happily, we were not treated to a Beethoven
concerto or a posthumous sonata played in a
babyish way. The program consisted of
pieces of moderate dimensions, although in-
cluding Grieg's sonata in E minor and two
movements for Liszt's "\ r enezia e' Napoli."
Miss Stencel made a great impression by the
crispness of her touch, the rhythmical vigor
with which she essayed the more powerful
movements, no less than by the genuine sen-
timent of her rendering of cantabile passages
—'most mature qualities in a necessarily im-
mature artist. Much will be expected ot
Alma Stencel when she has studied for a few
more yeu:s."
An American success all around, for she
played a Steinway piano.
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Speaking of Steinway pianos brings to
mind the fact that Fanny Bloomfield-Zeisler
has just closed a remarkably successful tour
in the West, Portland, Oregon, being one of
her last points. She is an artist of colossal
ability, and she left wild enthusiasm behind
her. The Steinways that she uses are always
paragons of magnificence, and in her hands
they are safe, for in her hands they reveal
the mystic art with which they abound.
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It is definitely stated that Rosenthal will
be with us this season. His triumphs with
the Steinway in I'aris this season will not be
forgotten, as the dailies were full of cables
which told the tale. Rosenthal will be wel-
come—none more so.
WILLARD A. VOSE IN NEW YORK.
For two weeks this agile representative of
one of America's time-honored institutions,
the Vose Piano Co., .Boston, has been dodg-
ing the lynx eyes of the music trade press
while he has been enjoying a purely social
visit to New York and Brooklyn, where he
has a number of very warm friends. Mr.
Vose is one of the most active men in the
trade, and his personality is no less attract-
ive than it is interesting. He is active be-
yond conception, and every stroke means
something. With him there is no such thing
as lost energy, as his brain directs calmly and
to the point. Mr. Vose dropped in on a so-
cial visit to The Review this week, ami
whereas he did not talk much of business, he
expressed himself as more than satisfied with
the course of things during the past year, and
said that the outlook was more promising
than ever. The Vose is a great old house
that the more one knows of it and its meth-
ods the more one is bound to respect them.
BROCKMEIER FOR EUROPE,
J. H. Brockmeier, of the Burdett organ
department of the Hobart M. Cable Co., is
slated for a European trip, in the course of
which the Burdett organs will be exploited.
It is the intention of Mr Brockmeier to es-
tablish agencies in the leading European
cities for the Burdett organs.