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THE 7V^USIC TRHDE
REVIEW
PRESENTATION OF A STEINWAY TO THE NATION.
Magnificent Art Creation in the White House—The 100,000th Piano—Presentation Remarks by Charles
H. Steinway in Presence of Distinguished Assemblage—President Roosevelt Accepted the Princely
Gift for the Nation and Warmly Compliment* Steinway & Sons.
[Special to The Review.]
Washington, D. C , Jan. 26, 1903.
The magnificent Steinway art grand which
was referred to in last week's Review, and
which was formally presented to the nation
by Chas. H.. Steinway, on last Friday, now
reposes in the East room of the White
House.
It is a royal gift of which the nation may
well feel proud, and it is in all respects a
most remarkable piano creation. The legs
are carved in the shape of eagles with, out-
stretched wings. This novel architectural
plan has developed a patriotic idea with ar-
tistic results. The paintings which are on
the panels represent the shields of the thir-
teen original States, and have been favorably
commented upon by the best art connois-
seurs of the Capital.
The whole design is patriotic in the ex-
treme.
The piano came on Wednesday morning
accompanied by several experts who prompt-
ly set it up without a scratch upon its sur-
face in the East room of the White House
where it took the place of a magnificent ma-
hogany Style C Steinway which had been
there for the past year.
A great crowd of visitors who happened to
be present were profuse in their expressions
of admiration for the instrument before it
was formally presented. Secretary Cortel-
you pronounced it the most beautiful work
he had ever seen.
The judicial reception at the White House
Thursday night naturally brought forth a
distinguished assemblage who expressed
themselves in terms of strongest admiration
of the grand piano which was not as yet,
however, placed upon public exhibition.
Early Friday morning, Chas. H. Steinway
and Frederick T. Steinway arrived in Wash-
ington. Accompanied by Edward H.. Droop
they left at 1.30 for the White House where
they met J. Burr Tiffany and Mr. Dewing.
They were ushered into the Red room where
they were shortly joined by Secretaries
Moody and Root. After a few moments of
pleasant conversation, President Roosevelt
entered and shortly after, Mrs. Roosevelt and
the ladies of the party. An informal chat
followed after which the entire company ad-
journed to the State Dining Room where a
charming luncheon was served. During the
course of the repast President Roosevelt pro-
posed a health to Chas.. H. Steinway.
At the conclusion of the repast all repaired
to the East room where Chas. H. Steinway
made a formal presentation speech. During
the course of his remarks he emphasized.the
fact that the Steinways for more than a half
century had been established in America, dur-
ing which time they had received most mag-
nificent encouragement in their work at the
hands of the American people—a fact which
he and his house could not forget.
Mr. Steinway remarked: his firm desired
in some way to show their gratitude to the
nation which had so generously accorded a
recognition of their work, therefore it was de-
cided by the directors of Steinway & Sons to
present the people of the United States their
one hundred thousandth piano. Mr. Stein-
way's address was delivered in a clean cut,
dignified style, without any attempt at elab-
orate oratorical effects. The President was
much impressed by what he said, as were all
who were present.
In accepting this magnificent art creation,
President Roosevelt replied in gracious, in-
deed warm terms. He extended to Mr.
Steinway and his firm cordial thanks for the
magnificent gift which he accepted on behalf
of the people of this great country. He paid
a tribute to the great accomplishments of the
Steinway house, and expressed his apprecia-
tion for the influential part which Steinway
& Sons had played in elevating music to such
a commanding plane in this country.
At the conclusion of the President's re-
marks, Mr. Droop, who is an accomplished
player interested the company present by ex-
hibiting the musical possibilities of the beau-
tiful instrument, which is now the property
of the people of the entire country.
Chas. H. Steinway then played his little
"Valse Poetique," which demonstrated clear-
ly to all present that Mr. Steinway knew not
only how to build an instrument but to play
it in an artistic manner as well. An adjourn-
ment to the smoking room then followed. In
the evening the party were present at a mu-
sicale at which time the President took oc-
casion to again thank the Messrs. Steinway
for their superb gift.
The President and his guests were much
pleased with the tone quality of the grand,
which is as beautiful as its exterior, Albert
Lockwood, the pianist, entertained the distin-
guished assemblage by selections from the
leading composers.
w H CU RIE
* * ONJTRADE
METHODS.
Some vigorous words on evils which should be eradi-
cated from the trade—Manufacturers the great-
est sufferers and should take action—A letter
worth reading.
Toledo, O., Jan. 27, 1903.
Mr. Edward Lyman Bill,
Music Trade Review, New York.
Dear Mr. Bill:—I have read with consid-
erable interest, your last number of the
Trade Review and the answers to the
questions which you sent out seem to be very
uniform on many points. I see you have
published the incident of B. S. Porter fur-
nishing a Ludwig piano to one of our cus-
tomers after he had purchased one of us at a
somewhat higher price. I do not know from
whom you obtained your information, but it
is substantially correct.
Now, in the piano business, there is no
such thing as selling without competition.
We have competitors everywhere and expect
to sell our goods in a competitive market.
We respect our competitors and admire their
achievements if we suffer a defeat in a legiti-
mate and honorable way. We know that no
two persons can get the sale of the piano to
one buyer, and the business is so active at the
present time that nearly all dealers are try-
ing to sell to the same buyers, that is, buyers
have become adroit, and before they conclude
a purchase, they see to it that we are all in
the strife, and we do not contend nor state
that we in every case succeed in getting the
sale where a piano is purchased. We lose
quite a number in the course of a year that
we feel we can count on, but they go else-
where and buy, and I have only kind feelings
towards those of whom they buy.
In the case of furnishing one of the pianos,
the sale of which we control or have the so-
called agency for, and have worked up a sub-
stantial reputation for, and then to have a
competitor procure in a clandestine and un-
derhanded way, a piano like it to furnish to
KRELL-FRENCH FACTORY OPENING. the person who will have no other, and thus
break down the sale and the good name of
The Review begs to acknowledge receipt the piano, and it has that tendency when a
of the folowing invitation:
piano is sold at an inferior price because the
The honor of your presence
majority of buyers gauge the quality by the
is requested by the Officers of
price, as they themselves are not expert
Krell-French Piano Company
judges. In such a case you understand the
On the Occasion of the
Opening of their Mammoth Piano Factory manufacturers are the greatest sufferers ra-
ther than the dealers, because whenever the
On Tuesday, February 10, 1903,
reputation of any one of our well known
Reception from twelve to nine P. M V
pianos
is destroyed by having them hawked
Krell-French Factory,
New Castle, Indiana; U. S. A.
on the market at inferior prices, and the con-
I Avenue, between 14th and 18th Streets.
fidence of the buyers shaken, and that piano
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withdrawn from the market, and one sub-
Much interest is being displayed in the stituted to escape the damage caused by such
formal opening of the Krell-French Co.'s a business transaction,the manufacturer loses
great plant at New Castle, Ind. The peo- the sale of hundreds that he would otherwise
ple of the locality as well as the State are get, it becomes a serious matter to the manu-
taking quite an interest in this establish- facturer unless he can replace the agency
ment and notwithstanding the many unex- with some one who will do precisely what we
pected and unwelcome interferences it looks are doing, and that is, build up the reputa-
as if the plans of Albert Krell for a great tion of the piano instead of destroying it.
co-operative piano plant will bear frui-
In the past we have taken in exchange
tion, A recent addition to the Krell-French pianos sold by our competitors. Some were
forces is C. F . Reeps, who will act as fac- nearly new, others were old, but in either
tory superintendent. Mr. Reeps has had a instance we have put them into our shop and
wide experience and stands high in the pro- put them in the best possible order, and then
fession.
used the good standing of these pianos built
Messrs. Ridgeway & Phillip are arrang- up by our competitor to get a good price for
ing to open a piano store in Eureka, Kans. them, instead of making an exhibition of