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THE
VOL. XXXIX. No. 2.
Every Sal. Dy Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Aye., New Tort, Jn y 9,19U4
TUNING IN EQUALJTEMPERAMENT.
Win. Dearness Claims the Piano Is Constructed
and Tuned in Defiance of Purity in Interval.
—Conclusions That Fail to Stand Analysis.
In last Monday's Times Wm. Dearness, of Cin-
cinnati, announced the remarkable tidings that
pianos are to-day tuned incorrectly. After des-
canting on how "Myriads of discriminating na-
tures turn away from the piano in dissatisfaction
and distaste, suffering in silence and condemn-
ing themselves as destitute of musical taste and
appreciation, when the real truth is that they
possess these qualities in a much higher degree
than their tormentors," this musical Columbus
tells us we do not have to go very far to find
out what is really the matter.
"The piano," he says, "is fundamentally con-
structed and tuned in grievous defiance of purity
in interval. For sake of convenience in construc-
tion it is tuned wrong. This fact is well known
to all well-informed scientists and musicians,
and its importance fully recognized. Of course,
it is not to the interest of manufacturers to give
prominence to this imperfection in their wares—
performers and teachers are often disposed to
keep in the background a blemish that is a re-
proach to the art which they claim to exercise
with the utmost precision and refinement. A
very considerable number of these are utterly ig-
norant of the fact that the piano plays wrong
and others hold a singularly inadequate or dis-
torted conception of the facts.
"This false system of tuning, which is known
as temperament, affects all modern instruments
except violins, trombones, and other keyless
horns. Its blighting effect upon the art has been
pointed out by able scientists since its first in-
troduction more than two centuries ago. It was
deplored by the great Helmholtz and by his Eng-
lish translator, Ellis, as well as by Sedley Taylor,
Blaserna, Pole, and Zahm without a dissenting
voice, but the hold that temperament or tem-
pered intonation has taken upon manufacturers
and the rank and file of musicians is remarka-
ble. Many of these will be found to resent with
intemperate heat any proposal to return to puri-
ty of interval or perfect tune, exhibiting in their
opposition a reckless disregard or ignorance of
facts."
After that extraordinary editorial on "the
passing of the piano" in a recent issue of The
Times the appearance of the foregoing does not
surprise us. The writer is so incorrect in his
premises that the letter hardly calls for serious
criticism. The following communication, how-
ever, which appeared in The Times of Tuesday,
covers the situation so admirably that it is worth
quoting in its entirety. The writer says:
"Mr. Dearness's recent attack on the piano be-
cause of its tuning in equal temperament is of
a puzzling kind. He intimates that piano man-
ufacturers try to hide it, and that performers
and teachers keep it in the background, and at
the same time acknowledge that the 'false sys-
tem' affects every instrument, except violins,
trombones, and other 'keyless horns.'
"Exactly. In other words, the whole modern
system of music is based upon the equal temper-
ament, is indissolubly connected with it, and has
been ever since J. S. Bach wrote his immortal
forty^eight preludes and fugues—'the title is
'The Well-Tempered Clavicord,' Mr. Dearness—
for the special purpose of furthering its adoption
in the first half of the eighteenth century. He
gave a death blow to the antiquated system that
prevailed before, by which the use of any remote
keys was impossible, and any but the most im-
mediate modulation out of the question.
"Does Mr. Dearness make the proposal he
speaks of to return to 'purity of Interval or per-
fect tune'? I am not 'resenting it with intem-
perate heat,' if he is, but I would simply like to
inquire how he proposes to do it. Perfect intona-
tion is absolutely impossible on the pianoforte
without a vast complexity of keyboard upon
which it would be beyond the power of any mu-
sician to play any music that now exists—except,
perhaps, hymn tunes. What would happen if an
attempt were made to remodel orchestral instru-
ments to permit of perfect intonation throughout
fancy refuses to picture.
"And after they were remodeled, it is doubt-
ful if the performance of modern music would
be at all practicable. Mr. Dearness would have
the satisfaction of hearing all instruments in
perfect tune—but the art of music would have
to come to an end. It hardly seems worth while."
THE LESTER SMALL GRAND
Adding to Its Reputation for Tone, Design and
Excellence—Lester Co. Complimented.
(Special to The Review.)
Philadelphia, Pa., July 5, 1904.
The Lester Piano Co. are in receipt of many
compliments regarding the tonal and architec-
tural beauty of their new small grand, which is
pronounced by leading players and experts to be
one of the most remarkable pianos of our time.
This instrument is five feet three inches long,
and built in mahogany, unless otherwise ordered.
This small grand as well as the baby grand,
which has been on the market a little over six
months, are original creations of that master
in piano construction, Otto Trefz, who has been
working on them for two years, having learned
his trade of piano construction in Stuttgart,
Germany, where, with his father for many years,
they were considered two of the finest piano
makers in that country.
While the Lester grands are elegant in de-
sign, yet they possess a daintiness that is notice-
able in few instruments. The veneering is par-
ticularly beautiful, and is put on, on the rim, in
fifteen veneers. The legs are rich, heavy and
massive, and are elegantly carved in solid ma-
hogany. Everyone who has seen the Lester
grands has been delighted with them.
The telling points of the Lester were admir-
ably demonstrated a few evenings ago when a
room full of invited guests assembled at the ware-
rooms of F. A. North & Co. to examine the new
small grand and baby grand Lester, and hear
them both played upon by the Philadelphia pian-
ist, Mr. Harold Nason. The visitors paid many
high compliments to Mr. F. A. North, Mr. George
Miller and other members of the Lester Com-
pany.
SINGLE COl'lBS, 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
SMALL PIPE ORGANS
In Demand for Lodges, Halls, Etc., Particularly
in Large Cities—Reed Instrument Still
Popular, However.
There seems to be a tendency among secret so-
cieties and fraternal orders generally, to furnish
their lodges with small pipe organs instead of
those of reed make, which have been long in use.
This is especially true in the larger cities, and
those organ men who are canvassing the field
pretty actively are winning no small measure of
success.
In the smaller towns and cities, the reed or-
gan, chapel style, will still continue to be the
favorite, and those of the better grades made by
leading manufacturers are instruments of great
worth musically.
Indeed it would be difficult to undermine their
position in the lodge. In the larger cities, how-
ever, the organists of lodges are more ambitious
to have an Instrument of the pipe family.
THE ANGELUS PIANO LIKED.
E. R. Locke Places Good Order—Angelus De-
mand Quite Active.
E. R. Locke, of the Knight-Locke Piano Co., of
Denver, Col., is quite enthusiastic about the new
Angelus piano made by the Wilcox & White Co.,
of Meriden, Conn. This instrument is a piano
and player combined. During his recent visit to
the factory he placed an order for these instru-
ments which will be soon ready for the market.
Business generally with the Wilcox & White
Co. is very active, and there is little let-up in the
demand for Angelus piano players. East and
West, North and South, orders are coming in,
and it would now seem as if the present year
will exceed the one preceding it in the volume
of Angelus players sold at home and abroad.
THE BEHR LINE IN DEMAND.
Horace F. Brown, of the Behr firm, and Messrs.
Shafer and Krumme, Behr travelers, have each
returned to town after a successful tour in the
firm's interests. There are many orders for
Behr pianos and the Behr player now being pre-
pared for early fall delivery. Mr. Shafer has
established a substantial line of Behr player
agencies, every agent being thoroughly conver-
sant with the merits of the instrument and en-
thusiastic as to its prospects.
HOLLINGS WORTH IN CHARGE.
B. F. Hollingsworth has succeeded C. C. Bender
as *nanager of the Schubert Piano Co.'s ware-
rooms at 625 Main street, Buffalo, N. Y. It is
now stated that Mr. Hollingsworth's manage-
ment will be but temporary; in other words, he
will appoint an assistant manager and look after
the interests of the Schubert at headquarters
and on the road.
G. H. Poppenberg, the well-known dealer of
Buffalo, N. Y., has joined the ranks of benedicts,
the happy bride being Miss Mildred Ingalls.