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VOL. XXXIX. No. 12. Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave., New York, Sept. 17, 1904.
THE PIANOLA AS AN EDUCATOR.
The Music Lovers' Library Comes in for High
Praise—What the Critic of The Sun Says
of This Publication.
Miss Caroline B. Dow, who for a number of
years had the music at the Annie Brown School
on Fifth avenue, together with Edward Ziegler,
Paul Morgan, the 'cellist, and Carroll Brent Chil-
ton, will be found among the many editors of a
new musical education booklet series, "The Mu-
sic Lovers' Library" (Aeolian Co.). Publications
in this series began some time since. It is some-
thing more than press agents' copy for one of
the endless music-making machines. It is a seri-
ous attempt to set before students and amateurs
the description of a musical classic in words, il-
lustrated not by pictures but by something that
appeals to the sense of hearing. All the purchas-
er needs is the foot-power to make ths music go.
You press the pedals and the pedagogues do the
rest.
Mr. Chilton says: "This is an educational pub-
lication of a sensational order. Our 'rolls' are
nothing in the world but reproductions of works
of art, made in the most careful manner, while
our educational handbooks represent something
entirely new in the way of literature."
The question is, then, can a musical classic be
made a household treasure and even passed
around among the neighbors, in the same easy
"way as a volume of Schiller's poetry or a port-
folio of photographs of Rodin sculptures? Can
there be a typewritten university of tone, a
Chautauqua of sound, a university extension of
measured noises? With but slight qualification,
the thing is possible. It is, in part, already
achieved.
Courses announced to be ready on October 1
are on "Opera," by Prof. Stanley, of the Michigan
University Music School* on "Historical Form,"
by Prof. Gow, of Vassar, and on "Harmony," by
Prof. Spalding, of Radcliffe and Harvard. Mr.
August Spanuth, of the Staats Zeitung is the
editor in cnarge of a course on "Programme
Music."
Four pamphlets on "Beethoven" and two on
"Wagner" have already been issued out of ten or
a dozen planned for each. They are by Mr.
Thomas W. Surette, who is known at Columbia
and more widely in tne New York Board of Edu-
cation's free lectures for the people. Mr. Surette
takes one symphony, one opera, or the like, for
each pamphlet. Of Beethoven, oddly, he gives
the odd-numbered symphonies, quoting from Sir
George Grove's unhysterical analysis, as well as
two formal trios, a quartette, an early and a late
piano sonata, the "Leonore" No. 3 overture and,
in excerpts, of course, the cpera "Fidelio."
We can conceive of making a fair acquaintance
of Beethoven without the aid of either Mr. Sur-
ette's pamphlets or Mr. Chilton's music-ma-
chine "rolls" that go with them. But we can also
believe that a great multitude of persons may
come to know Beethoven's music in this way,
who would not do so otherwise. Wherever the
machines can go by freight and the books follow
by next post, there you will find music and pos-
sible culture. The prairies shall sing and the
mountain cabin shall hear a glad noise, while the
half dozen orchestra-spoiled cities shall no longer
be America's only musical "centers."
Franz Liszt said: "The piano tends more and
more to assimilate all the orchestral composi-
tions. It can produce, with a few exceptions, all
the combinations, all the figures of the most pro-
found compositions, leaving only to the orchestra
the advantages of the diversity of sounds and
mass effects."
It is significant that the Beethoven course of
the Music Lovers' Library has been accepted and
is in use by not only the instructors, but also the
rate-paying music students of Harvard Univer-
sity. Machine music is not mechanical when a
musician transforms the pedalling and timing
into a reverent, loving ofiice of skilled labor.
SIXGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
FAILURES IN BUSINESS.
A Hoary Old Humbug Receives a Solar Plexus
Blow—Not True That 95 Per Cent, of the
People Who Go Into Business Ultimately
Fail.
Who was originally responsible for the state-
ment that 95 per cent, of people going into busi-
ness ultimately fail, it is impossible to say, but
one frequently hears the statement repeated, espe-
cially in addresses before business men's con-
ventions and in speeches at dinners of commer-
cial organizations. Other misstatements are cor-
rected, other myths die out, but this one persists.
Recently the hoary old humbug received a bad
whack, a solar plexus blow, that should send it
down "for the count."
A MAGNIFICENT KURTZMANN PIANO.
The stroke was dealt by Dun'3 weekly circular
(Special to The Review.)
in response to the query of a correspondent
Buffalo, N. Y., September 12, 1904.
One of the most conspicuous store window at- whether it is true that 95 per cent, of business
tractiors on iviain street at present is a magnifi- men fail. The Dun agency people looked into
cent "Kurtzmann" piano, in Empire style, which the matter. Tney studied the statistics of fail-
is on exhibition at their warerooms. The wood ures since 1857, and they found that the records
in this extraordinary instrument is a most beau- show that the ratio of failures in business be-
tiful piece of San Domingo mahogany, superbly tween 1866 and 1903, inclusive, averaged only a
finished, and on the rich, plain panel of the front little over 1 per cent, each year, that is one out
is attached a pair of heavy metallic wreaths, ex- of every hundred firms in business failed. The
quisitely designed and heavily plated with pure ratio exceeded 1 per cent, during the years of
gold, which seems to lend a richness to the case, hard times, from 1875 to 1878, inclusive, and
that one can hardly appreciate without having again from 1893 to 1898; but of the thirty-eight
seen it. It is safe to say that tne tone is fully years between 1866 and 1903 there were nineteen
up to the old reliable "Kurtzmann" standard, years when the ratio slightly exceeded 1 per
and is therefore well in keeping with the artistic cent., and nineteen years in which it was slightly
less than 1 per cent.
and original beauty of the case.
This showing does not reveal exactly how many
of those who enter business ultimately fail, for
B. F. OWEN BACK FROM VACATION.
the number of firms and individuals entering bus-
B. F. Owen, manager of the piano department iness every year, and the number of those volun-
of Gimbel Bros., Philadelphia, was a caller at tarily retiring from business, would have to be
The Review sanctum on Tuesday. He was on his known in order to get the figures exact; but it is
way back from his vacation which he spent at very evident that the old delusion of 95 per cent,
leading resorts in Canada, such as Muskoka of business men failing has no foundation in
Lake, Montreal, Quebec, the Saguenay River, fact.
and later at the Thousand Islands and the White
Mountains. Mr. Owen was accompanied by his
WEAVER SHIPMENTS ABROAD.
wife and their friend, Miss Margaret Hetzell.
That Mr. Owen is splendidly equipped for an
The Weaver Organ and Piano Co., of York, Pa.,
active fall business is evident from his clear
eyes, ruddy cheeks and general air of hustle. have just made shipments of their instruments
During his sojourn in New York he had the pleas- to Rotterdam, Holland and Uruguay, South
ure of meeting E. W. Furbush, vice-president of America. Several carloads of pianos and organs
will be shipped in a few days to various points
the Vose & Sons Piano Co., of Boston.
in the United States.
ARRESTED ON SERIOUS CHARGE.
(Special to The Review.)
Danville, Ky., September 12, 1904.
James E. Humes, an agent for the John Church
Piano Co., at this place, was arrested Friday
evening upon a charge of embezzlement, made
by August Beall, of the firm, who alleges that
Humes is short $226 in his accounts. Humes
stated that he has accounts against the firm
which will balance his indebtedness to them, and
that he has suffered false arrest, as the matter is
purely one of civil action.
The C. W. Toner Piano Co., who recently
opened up in the piano business at Seattle, Wash.,
are steadily enlarging their trade in that city.
They handle the Sohmer and Chase-Hackley line.
GREENE SECURES BARCKHOFF AGENCY.
The J. W. Greene Co., of Toledo, O., have se-
cured the agency for the pipe organs manufac-
tured by the Barckhoff Church Organ Co., Pome-
roy, O.
HINNERS ORGAN CO. CELEBRATE.
The Hinners Organ Co., of Pekin, 111., gave
their employes a boat excursion to Chillicothe on
Saturday last, the occasion being their twenty-
fifth anniversary in business.
George Herbert spent an enjoyable vacation on
Lake George, accompanied by Mrs. Herbert.