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THE:
MUSIC TRADE
Decorations at Knabe Hall—The Hambourg Tour—L. H. Clement Off to the West—McLean
Joins Mason & Hamlin Forces—Mrs. C. H.Mackay Presents Organ—De Pachmann'sTour—
Interesting Chat With Arnold Somlyo—Expansion of Ditson's Piano Department—Their
Beautiful Recital Hall—Aeolian Hall Publicity—Artistic Photographs Attract Attention—
Arranging New Everett Warerooms—Great Tribute to Carreno from Grieg.
While "things may be quiet" on the Avenue,
there is nevertheless much activity in all strong-
holds of the piano world.
Winiam Knabe has been busy hanging a num-
ber of superb paintings, wtiich make his recep-
tion office at Knabe Hall one of the handsomest
in- New York. The simple elegance is accentuated
by these paintings, a gem among which is a
Bogert of unique qualities. Mr. Knabe spends
Thursday and Friday of each week in Baltimore
during the absence of his brother, Ernest Knabe,
and judging from the ripples in the wholesale
department, as noted in another column, he is
having a busy season.
The Hambourg tour promises to be one of ex-
traordinary breadth since the demand for this
Titanic Russian artist is far in excess of what
was expected, and requests are coming in for his
appearance before the details of the tour have
been arranged.
Locally the Knabe piano will be used by Paolo
Gallico, a pianist of undoubted merit and of a
large following. Mr. Gallico left for a trip through
Europe on Tuesday, and when he returns he will
make more extensive tours than he has in the
past.
Lewis Clement, accompanied by Mrs. Clement,
will attend the convention in Chicago, and they
will visit other points, being away about four
weeks. Mr. Clement has widened the scope of
the Mason & Hamlin New York business to a
very great extent, and this is noticeable not alone
L. I I . ( I.KMEXT.
THE INSIGNIA OF QUALITY
are most cordially in-
vited to call on us while
in Chicago.
It's a quick, pleasant ride to
the factory.
Just take a Northwestern Ele-
vated local train to the Wright-
wood Avenue Station.
If you haven't time to visit the
factory, you can see our line
"down town." Our representa-
tives will be on hand to greet you.
H. P. Nelson Co.
Makers o! H. P. Nelson Pianos
Mariana and Herndon Sts.
Factory Phone, North, 1069
CHICAGO
13
REVIEW
in the city itself, but in some of its outer
branches. One of its healthiest off-shoots is its
agency at Newark, which has just been moved
from 70 Halsey street to larger quarters at 145
Halsey street. This branch is in charge of A.
B. Feehan. Mr. Clement reports the month of
May as one of the very best in the history of
the New York house, and he has increased the
forces by the addition of J. D. McLean who
joined the Mason & Hamlin retinue of outside
salesmen, and proved himself so adept and suc-
cessful that he has been advanced to the posi-
tion of general sales manager, which takes great
responsibility off Mr. Clement. Since Mr. Mc-
Lean has been with Mason & Hamlin he has
won the good will of all the salesmen as well as
the officers of the company. Mr. McLean is not
new in piano circles, as before coming here he
was territorial manager for the Bush & Gerts
Co. in Texas, and previous to that he had had
a thorough training from the bench up.
C. E. Brockington reports considerable
growth in the organ department, and during the
last week he has made some important sales. It
was a Mason & Hamlin organ that Mrs. Clarence
H. Mackay sent to Sheriff Gildersleeve to be
used in the Nassau County jail. It was a sur-
prise, as she had sent DO word that she intended
to make the gift.
Mrs. Mackay is chairman of the Woman's
Prison Committee of the Protestant Episcopal
Diocese of Long Island, and a week ago, accom-
panied by another member of the committee, she
visited the jail and had a talk with some women
prisoners. From them she learned that the
church services held every Sunday at 3 o'clock
were marred by a piano that was badly out of
tune. Sometimes, they told her, the visiting
clergy preferred to hold their services without
music.
It is thought that it was because of this infor-
mation that Mrs. Mackay bought the organ. •
this week, and expects to arrive around the 25th
or 26th. This artist will remain in New York
for a few days only, and then will repair to the
country to await the opening of his tour, which
will occur October 2 in Indianap*blis. Before this
De Pachmann will play at Bar Harbor upon the
occasion of the dedication of the Temple of Music,
in which many of the New York society people
have been deeply interested.
A large number of entirely new Baldwin con-
cert grands have been put into readiness for this
tour, which will be one of the most important of
the season. In speaking of these pianos to The
Review Mr. Somlyo said: "I do not believe in
allowing an artist to play upon a piano that has
gone through a tour with another artist, as there
can be no possible reason for undertaking to
present a piano unless it is in the very best con-
dition. This is true even when a piano is only
used for accompaniment, and I have always been
as particular with the pianos used .by Mme. Sem-
brich as I have with those used by De Pachmann,
Pugno or Miss Schnitzer, who, by the way, is to
have an important season abroad this year, ac-
cording to her announcements to Mr. Somlyo,
who is deeply interested, as he holds contracts
with her for threa more tours whenever they are
to be made.
Concerning the conditions with the Baldwin
piano, Mr. Somlyo said: "Things could not be
more satisfactory, indeed, when I think of the
unfilled orders which accumulate and continue to
do so, I realize what a tremendous country we
have in the interior, because it is there that the
development has been the most active and the
most productive. In every section the Baldwin
position is strengthening, and, on the whole, the
last year has brought us many very great satis-
factions. The acquisition of 10,000 acres of tim-
ber land in Tennessee and Alabama was one form
of expansion, and we have the option on another
10,000. It has been so hard to procure the sort
of lumber that we need, and we need such enor-
mous quantities that this was deemed the wisest
move. It is very strange that we build addition
after addition, and still no possibility of turning
out the goods we need." Mr. Somlyo is not going
abroad this year, but will take a short rest—but
not yet."
It is hardly to be doubted that C. H. Ditson &
Co. will be one of the strong factors in local
piano circles perhaps before the opening of the
season. The pianos which they carry, foremost
among which is the Poole, have proved to them
that their present location not only lends itself,
but forces, an issue. The increase in sales in
this department, little as they have emphasized
it, have been astonishing even to the company
themselves, and it will not be a venture but a
"sure thing." The house of Ditson, which has
for so many years stood as a paragon of every-
thing that is reliable and accommodating, will
do a great deal toward hastening an uptown
trend, and already the triangle is a powerful one.
This includes William Knabe & Co., at 39th street
and Aeolian Co., on 34th, both on Fifth avenue,
while the Ditson house is on 34th, just off the
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