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THE:
MUSIC TRADE: RE:VIE:W
13
General Bristow has made an estimate of
the number of addresses of persons living on
rural routes that might be secured, by an en-
terprising mail-order house under Machen's
The annual exodus of members of the the Cabinet, Baron Von Sternberg, the Ger-
celebrated order of December 10th. There
trade to Europe has now fully set in—in fact man Ambassador, diplomatic representatives
are 5,000 post offices from which rural routes
so frequent is the going and coming to and of all foreign nations, and the Governor of
radiate with about 500 persons whose mail
from Europe and so ordinary has it become Maryland and his staff will attend. The pro-
passes through each office, making a total of
that it excites no more surprise than if piano grams are of especial excellence and hun-
2,500,000 persons whose names would be
men were making a short trip to the far dreds of singing societies will be in evidence.
posted under Machen's order. Tt does not
The Legislature has granted the use of the
West.
require a very lively imagination to figure the
And why should it? For when we come new armory of the Fifth Maryland Regi-
value of these names to a mail order house
to consider the extent and vastness of this ment for the ssengerfest concerts, one of the
well up in the thousands of dollars.
country we have—as far as traveling is con- largest buildings in the country. The prin-
* * *
cerned—a distance from here to the Pacific cipal contest will be for the prize contributed
Chatting with one of our leading manu-
coast approximately as great as from here by the Emperor of Germany—a magnificent
facturers tin's week on the subject of piano
to Europe and a territory more interesting in silver statuette—which will take place on the
salesmen and their opportunities to-day as
its resources and possibilities than all the afternoon of Tuesday. The orchestra will
compared with years ago, he said: "The
be composed of 130 men, specially selected
countries in Europe combined.
chances for a young man in the piano busi-
Of course, trips to Europe are made for from New York and Baltimore, who will be
ness rest with himself entirely. There is no
recreation rather than for business purposes, under the direction of Prof. David Mallemet.
business that to-day offers a more tempting-
As already announced in The Review,
for we have not yet built up a foreign trade,
outlook if a man goes in with the determina-
at least in pianos, of sufficient extent to claim Wm, Knabe & Co. have donated a magnifi-
tion to make of himself a factor of import-
cent Knabe piano as a trophy in the singing
for it close attention in a business way.
ance."
contest, in which none but singers connected
* * *
In other words, everything depends on the
Yet the Steinway house is a prominent fac- with societies affiliated with the united sing-
man. And this is true.
tor in European trade, while the recent deal ers of Baltimore may participate. The prize
The young retail salesman—at least he who
made by the Knabe house with Herbert Mar- was put up in view of the fact that the local
is or desires to become associated with pianos
shall, of London, leads us to believe that this singers under the rules of the Northeastern
of high rank—must bear in mind that there
instrument will become somewhat prominent Ssengerbund are excluded from the saenger-
are demands upon him which are totally dif-
in musical affairs in the old world. There fest contests. The judges include Henry T.
ferent to those in any other line of business.
are many other American pianos sold abroad, Finck, W. J. Henderson, Richard Aldrich,
Indeed there is almost a necessity for the cul-
such as the Chickering, the Kimball, the August Spanier and H. E. Krehbiel.
tivation of a social circle—connections which,
* * *
Crown, the Baldwin, but they are all essen-
if brought about, should, if only for the sake
tially "American" instruments, and owing to
Some years ago Paul de Janko exhibited
of business, be followed up. That is if we
price and individuality of structure will never in this country a new keyboard for the piano
are to have men of the calibre of Nahum
come into serious competition with the rank which represented as great an improvement
Stetson, Ferdinand Mayer and a few others
and file of European instruments until our on the old style as a typewriter does on the
with whom the "showing" of a piano is an
manufacturers build after European models. pen. It was hopfd at the time that some emi-
art.
This, however, is a matter for the future. nent pianist would take it up and astonish
* * *
Our export trade in pianos has practically the natives—which would be easy, as one
Meanwhile the salesman who would be
shown no increase for the past few years, person can play pieces on it that require successful in the piano business cannot rely
largely because we have had all the trade in four hands on our present instruments. But simply upon his ability to talk, no matter
this country we could handle. Whether our nothing happened. It was exhibited and how forceful his argument. A piano is there
manufacturers, when trade slackens some- handled in New York by Decker Bros., now to talk for itself. There is no use in adver-
what, will cater to larger export business, is out of business, and the American rights tising "To be appreciated this piano must be
a matter to be determined later.
were later secured by Mme. Pupin, but the heard," and then expect the sale to be con-
* * *
keyboard has not been brought to public no- summated through talk of the salesman. He
We are already assured of five or six pian- tice—at least in such a way as to attract at- must be equipped to show the piano to its best
ists next season who will be associated with tention. It is now announced by the way advantage.
the leading piano houses. There may be one that performances on the Janko keyboard
This does not mean that he should be able
or two surprises, however, in the way of new will be given next season by Wilmar Robert to play the score of a Wagner opera from
concert grands which will be introduced by Schmidt of the Leipzig Conservatory.
memory, to rattle off a few quicksteps and
houses who have not hitherto figured as
* * . *
marches, but he must be able to draw a pure
largely in this domain as they should. For
Piano dealers, indeed merchants generally, sonorous tone from the instrument, to play
the past year or more there has been some will rejoice in the probability of the repeal, commanding and imposing harmonies, to
quiet but effective work on the development within the next fortnight, of the order pro- run smooth, even and delicate scales, to play
of concert grands, and activity in the concert mulgated on December 10th last, and which a clear, faultless trill, to use the pedals in a
field may be materially augmented on this ac- was due to the now discredited Mr. Machen, manner that will bring out all the fullness of
count during the next nine months.
by which postmasters were directed to dis- the piano without blurring or deadening. The
* * *
play lists of the patrons of rural free-deliv- foregoing are absolute necessities. In addi-
With Busoni, De Pachmann, Aus Der Ohe, ery routes. This order, which was a regular tion to these qualities are hundreds of sub-
playing the Steinway, Reisenauer the Ever- bonanza for mail order houses, abrogates tleties which correct study and careful prac-
ett, Bauer the Mason & Hamlin and Roger- Section 549 of the postal laws and regula- tice will bring out.
Miclos the Weber, we are now expecting to tions, which forbids postmasters to furnish
* * *
hear from Arnold Somlyo, who will doubt- lists of names of persons receiving mail at
"No time to keep up the practice," you say,
less secure an artist to be heard on the Bald- their office.
young man ? Then you have no right to pose
win. This list is not complete by any means
Postmaster-General Payne, apparently in as a first-class salesman, and you never will
for either of these houses. And when we ignorance of the effect of the order, by spe- be one, for the first necessity is that you be a
come to consider that this is only the early cial ruling rendered it regular. The large fine executant. This does not mean that a
part of June, the foregoing list is a fairly sat- number of communications which he has repertory is necessary—far from it. Nobody
since received from the retail merchants in
isfactory one for a beginning, isn't it?
all
parts of the country have raised a doubt wants to hear a piece of music through, but
* * *
in Mr. Payne's mind as to the wisdom of his people do want to hear what a piano sounds
All Baltimore will be en fete next week action, and this doubt has been strengthened like, and more sales are ruined'by the ignor-
when the twentieth triennial ssengerfest of by the recommendation made to him by ant, bungling fingers of a salesman than by
the Northeastern Saengerbund of America Fourth Assistant Postmaster-General Bris- all the abuses heaped upon the piano by its
will occur. President Roosevelt, members of tow that Section 549 be restored.
bitterest competitors.
TIMELY TALKS ON TIMELY TOPICS.