Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW/
6
the call for the subdued in art. It hardly seems possible that the
masses should have learned so much in so short a time.
N
EDWARD LYMAN DILL.
Editor t n d Proprietor
J. B. 9PILLANE, M*n«tflnrf Edlt«r.
EXECUTIVE AND REPORTORIAL STAFF:
GEO. B. KELLER,
VVM. B. W H I T E ,
W. N. TYLER,
E M I L I B FBANCIS BAUER,
W. L. W I L L I A M S ,
A. J. N I C K L I N ,
GEO. W. QCEBIPEL.
BOSTON OPPICE:
CHICAGO OFFICE
ERNEST L. WAITT, 255 Washington St.
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 1362 Monadnock Block.
PHILADELPHIA OFFICE:
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL:
5 T . LOUIS OFFICE,
R. W. KAUFFSIAN.
E. C. TORREY.
CHAS. N. VAN BUREN.
SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE: ALFRED METZGER, 425-427 Front. St.
Published Every Saturday at I M&diion Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Secvnd Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), 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 la allowed. Advertising Pages, $50.00; opposite
reading matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman BUL
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains In Its
THE ARTISTS' "Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
DEPARTMENT section of the paper.
It has a special circulation, and therefore
augments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
T h e dlt ect01
n i R F r m p v ^ r PiANft
'
' y 0 I piano manufacturing firms and corporations
i A N O
MAiu
i
found on another page will be of great value, as a reference
MANUFACTURERS
f or dealers and others.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPBONE-NVMBER 1745 CRAMERCY.
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 16. 19O5.
' T ' ^ H L S far September has made a splendid record in a business
X
way. The month opened very satisfactorily in all branches,
and it has continued improving- since the opening day. The reports
which we receive from various trade centers indicate that there is a
good demand for musical instruments. This condition of affairs
must mean an increasing demand upon the piano manufacturers as
the season advances.
There is every reason to believe, judging from present condi-
tions, that the fall months of 1905 will be record-breakers, not only
in the piano line, but in all other industries. There never has been
a time when the basic conditions of trade were better than at the
present period, and piano men generally will take advantage of
this pleasing situation.
A
READER asks if we consider that there will be radical
changes in piano architecture within the near future. The
ordinary piano styles are influenced somewhat by the furniture de-
signs, and the pendulum of taste has swung to its farthest limit of
simplicity in the matter of house furniture. Ten or fifteen years ago
the furniture in the average home, even of the better class, was
ornate with machine carving, the favorite carpets and wall papers
were many colored and sharply figured, and the pictures which hung
high above the eye line on the unattractive walls of the average home
were chromo lithographs, cheap water colors, or cheaper oil all
framed in gold, or in white fancy woods, badly carved to match the
furniture. The ornaments that burdened the shelves or mantels are
still borne in memory, bisque shepherds and bashful shepherdesses,
the silly little porcelain dolls, always in danger of being extermi-
nated by the bronze warriors, stood on each side, evidently guarding
the lamps and clocks, necessary accompaniments of a wedding at
that time.
A
LL this is too recent to be forgotten, and makes the change
more striking and more interesting. It hardly seems possible
that the same good people who liked these things are the ones, who,
by their increasing demand for simplicity, have accepted single-
toned carpets, ingrain wall paper, colonial glass, and, above all, re-
productions from the old and modern masters of paintings, simple
carbons or platinums simply framed and following to the last degree
OW, will we become tired of the monopoly of straight lines
and replace the really artistic home fittings to-day with the
inartistic styles which were accepted years ago? If so, piano cas-
ings will move in perfect harmony with the other lines, but we are
hardly inclined to the belief that having made a step in advance, we
will go back to the heavy cumbrous styles of years gone by. Our
friend may rest assured that piano architecture will accommodate
itself to home fittings, and as the trend in furniture has been toward
simpler lines, largely on the Colonial, so the piano case architecture
has conformed to those changing conditions.
I
X our opinion there will be no radical change in piano case ar-
chitecture for a few years to come, save, of course, in the crea-
tion of art pianos which have a special place.
In accordance with the growth of the country there has been an
increased demand for special creations in every line. Our rich
people have furniture built especially for them, and they give orders
for pianos to our best-known manufacturers, paying princely sums
for single instruments. This class of business has grown to such an
extent that a number of manufacturers to-day have special art de-
partments, where ornately decorated cases are created in most cases
only to special orders. People of wealth like to have something
individual in pianos as well as in paintings, and they take a special
pride in having instruments in their homes which combine the highest
degree of decorative art with musical quality.
B
UT while there may be a steadily growing demand for the spec-
ially created pianos their increased sale will not affect what
we may term the rank and file pianos. In other words, the instru-
ments that are turned out according to catalogue description by the
thousands East and West.
These appeal to people of moderate means, but they must be
artistic and ornate in effect, because Americans are having a more
highly developed art sense with the passing of the years, and they
demand that pianos shall be in conformity with the general archi-
tecture of the rooms.
Then when we talk of radical changes in piano architecture it
will be extremely difficult to make changes which are very much dif-
ferent from the generally accepted styles. There is a chance for spe-
cial case development, of course, but as far as radical changes go it
will be a long time, if ever, before that transformation occurs.
F
^OR some time past reports have persistently circulated in
trade circles of impending labor troubles. It has been said
openly that the workers in the Xew York piano factories are better
organized to-day than ever before, and that they propose to test the
strength of their organization in forwarding certain demands
which they may make later. It will be a long time before the differ-
ences between capital and labor are satisfactorily adjusted in this
country. In order to reap the most satisfactory results there must
be mutual understandings of the rights of the employer and employe,
and the demagogue, whose chief reason for existence seems to be to
disturb settled conditions in order that he may demonstrate his p o w r
and show his right to draw scale, must be removed from the throne
of power.
\ T Germany, France and in Belgium perhaps better conditions exist
in labor circles than in any other countries on earth, and there is
no good reason why they cannot be successfully adopted in this
country. In the printing trades in those countries organizations
exist which are really industrial courts. They are composed of em-
ployers and employes, and they meet at stated intervals for the pur-
pose of discussing matters which may be of interest to both divisions.
There is no chairman selected for these meetings, and there are no
wrangles whatsoever, each side presents its argument in a delib-
erative manner, and it is said upon excellent authority that in seven
cases out of ten the adjustments have been made on the side of the
employe, which shows the fairness and consideration of the employ-
ers for the rights and privileges of their men.
I
A CCORDING to the opinion of an eminent expert recently ex-
l \
pressed in The Review office who has just given the labor
question in Europe a comprehensive study, America must solve its
labor problems along the same lines. This gentleman stated that in
his opinion America was ripe for that sort of a move, and that in-