Music Trade Review

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THE MU3IC TRADE REVIEW
8
inability of their parents to buy a piano."' Rather a clever proposition,
surely.
I
Editor and Proprietor.
EDWARD LYMAN DILL,
J. D. SP1LLANE, M*n«*ln* Editor.
EXECVT1VE STAFF:
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPKLAND,
Gio. B. KILLER,
W. MURDOCH LIND,
A. J. NICKLIM,
ERNEST L. WAITT, 256 Washington St.
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
GEO.
W. QUZIIPEL.
CHICAGO OFFICE:
BOSTON OFFICE:
PHILADELPHIA OFFICE:
EMILIK FRANCES BAUER,
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 36 La Salle St.
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL:
R. J. LEFEBVRE.
ST. LOUIS OFFICE :
CHAS. N. VAN BUREN.
SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE: ALFRED METZGER, 425-427 Front St.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postac ) , United States, Mexico and Canada, $2.00 per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS. $2.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages, $50.00; opposite read-
ing matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
THE ARTISTS"
DEPARTMENT
On the first ba turd ay of each month The Review contains in its
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and therefore aug-
ments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
HIB FrTftDV
P I A N H T h e directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
DIRECTORY of PIANO f o u n l j o n p a g e 29 W JH b e of great value as a reference for
MANUFACTURERS
dealers a n d othcrs .
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE—NVMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
NEW YORK, AUGUST 27, 1904.
* * EDITORIAL
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I
T will be seen by reference to our news columns tbis week that the
names of the men who will compose the jury of awards of musi-
cal instruments at the World's Fair is announced.
It would
seem that the various divisions of musical life in America have been
recognized in the selection of this board. Richard W. Gertz of the
Mason & Hamlin Co. is selected as one of the jurors.
Mr. Gertz
is an inventor and a practical piano man of the highest repute. His
selection is therefore eminently fitting.
I
N one of the rooms in the Philippine reservation at the St. Louis
Fair may be seen a piano manufactured in the city of Manila
and finished in native woods which are remarkably rich in color.
It will be interesting to piano men to examine some of the ex-
hibits from the forests of the Philippines. There are fifteen hundred
species of trees represented, but leading all the rest of the woods in
richness of color, fineness of finish and beauty of grain is the narra
which is said to be the king of the Philippine forests. Logs of this,
almost as large as the California red wood tree, may be seen.
Glistening slabs, columns of dark red, tremendous trunks, all of narra,
may be examined in the agricultural building. One piano man who
examined the wonderful tables made from this wood remarked that
in his estimation it exceeded mahogany and rosewood in richness of
tint and fineness of finish.
Then there is the banugo which is similar to walnut. There are
many woods which would add materially to the exterior attractive-
ness of pianos, if encased in them.
I
N a removal sale which the Thiebes-Stierlin Music Co. are adver-
tising in St. Louis, there is a big cut in prices quoted. But the
names of instruments are eliminated so that it is not apparent just
what instruments are cut.
This is rather an unusual course of procedure, for the customary
plan of dealers when announcing a slaughter sale is to emphasize the
particular brand of pianos which are offered at reduced rates. There
is not a name, however, appearing in the advertisements of the dis-
tinguished St. Louis house. The same concern advertises square
pianos given away free "to talented little girls who can prove the
T will be seen from our weekly reports that the musical life at the
World's Fair is varied and unique. The quality, variety and
character of the instrumental and vocal music concerts and entertain-
ments at the Exposition form what can be best described as "a world
of music." From the special concerts in the State buildings, the un-
usual entertainments in the edifices of the foreign nations and the
unique, characteristic programmes rendered in the best concessions
to the organ recitals in Festival Hall, the band concerts and the sym-
phony orchestra concerts in the plazas and pavilions there is a com-
plete offering of musical entertainment of both cultivated and popular
types, not to mention the automatic playing devices and the adver-
tisement concerts in the palaces, which afford pleasure daily to thou-
sands of persons.
M
USIC is as properly an exhibit as are the displays in the Palaces
of Education, Liberal Arts, Electricity and Music. The en-
tertainment of visitors is provided for; but not less provision exists
to satisfy the advanced musician. Organ recitals are given daily
in Festival Hall on the largest organ in the world, and they are given
by the best-known organists of the United States, Great Britain,
Germany and France. More than sixty organists are under engage-
ment. There are regular concerts by the Exposition Symphony Or-
chestra, composed of eighty picked musicians. Well-known
musicians render programmes in the State buildings. Singing so-
cieties of different cities and large choral organizations give concerts
on specified dates.
MONG the bands which have appeared, or will appear are the
most celebrated organizations of Europe. It is apparent that
the Bureau of Music has aimed to get the best material, and to draw
on the principal countries in order to illustrate methods in different
lands.
There is no denying that in every respect the music exhibit is
an important feature of the Exposition to musicians as well as pleas-
ure seekers, and we may say in this particular that The Review is the
only publication in this country which devotes weekly a sufficient
space to a review of the musical affairs of the great Exposition. We
may add that our work has been praised by the Exposition authorities.
A
T
H E series of opinions which have been appearing recently in The
Review regarding trade conditions have attracted a great deal
of attention, for they faithfully portray the views of active business
men whose opinions count for something in their respective localities.
On the whole they have formed pleasant reading for August, because
they have conveyed to thousands of people who are inclined to be
pessimistic that there is really no good reason for a relapse into such
a state.
The dealers seem to be particularly hopeful, and while we have
been unable to present all of the hundreds of expressions of opinion
which we have received, we have endeavored to give both sides
fairly, so that the reliability of the information conveyed through our
columns is unquestioned, and fhoroughly impartial.
I
T is now time for fall business, and manufacturers and dealers
should be in line in order to reap the fullest possible benefits.
Following the Government report of the promised record breaking
cotton crop of probably twelve million bales, comes the statement from
the same official sources that the corn crop is also likely to surpass the
yield of any previous year. It will amount to more than forty mil-
lions of bushels, more than the crop of 1902, hitherto the greatest
known.
These two crops are of the highest importance to the business in-
terests of the country, and to the railroads.
If the Government
figures do not suffer from material shrinkage as the season advances,
and it is now so far along that these crops seem reasonably safe,
another year of heavy traffic will be assured to the most important
transportation systems.
T
H E wheat crop may fall a little below that of last year, but its
high price makes it a larger asset than it was in 1903, and
there is plenty for export trade. Other crops are excellent. Every-
thing in the line of agricultural produce is bringing good prices, so
that farmers and planters may be expected to be large purchasers of
pianos and other home accessories.
With railroads and agricultural interests enjoying prosperity,
basic conditions are established which remove all fear of panic, or
serious business depression in the near future.