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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Increased Love for Music Throughout the Country Is Influencing Demand for High Grade Pianos
—Some Timely Reflections on This Topic—Mahler to Conduct Concerts of New York Sym-
phony Society—Hofmann and Kreisler Recital—Concert Tour of Chaminade With the
Everett—MacDowell as a Critic of His Own Works—Harold Bauer's Farewell Recital—
Cincinnati's Great Musical Festival—Pianos and Engines—Other Comments.
The increased appreciation of the really
artistic piano is one of the gratifying features of
the trade during the past few months. This
seems odd, too, in view of the financial depres-
sion, as one would think it was a time for econ-
omy. Yet, on the other hand, no doubt the rea-
soning on the part of purchasers is sound and
logical—they consider the high-class piano as an
investment, and in this spirit they have been
buying in all parts of the country. This is fur-
ther borne out by the fact that following the
run on a number of banks in New York and
Brooklyn in October, the local piano dealers re-
ported an unusual number of sa es of pianos for
cash. Those who had drawn their money out of
the banks invested in pianos. This is significant,
and demonstrates that there exists a better com-
prehension of piano values. A large number of
our people are "becoming more discriminating in
their selection of instruments, and while there will
always be a demand for popular priced creations,
yet people like to have an instrument in their
homes bearing the name of a legitimate manufac-
turer—a piano of high grade, whose reputation
is established and which is always a standard
of merit.
in a musical sense, must have a piano of unques-
tioned merit, particularly if he is desirous of
achieving any position in the musical world.
Pessimists to the contrary notwithstanding, there
is an increased appreciation in this country of
the better grades of pianos, and it is rapidly
being augmented owing to the increased love
for music in every section of this country.
* • * *
The fact that more than ten thousand people
attended the opera houses in New York four or
more times a week during the season just
closed, while thousands of others attended con-
certs by the great symphony orchestras, all tell
their story of increased musical culture. And
this growth of musical taste is not confined to
New York, for in all the leading cities from
here to the Pacific coast there are increasing
evidences of developed musical appreciation, all
of which must unquestionably result in a greater
demand for pianos and player pianos. Indeed
it is safe to say that at no time in the history
of the industry was the outlook for the really
artistic piano so bright and so hopeful. It is
only necessary to study the conditions to realize
this.
•
• • *
* *. * *
There can be no question that the playing of
Gustav Mahler, it was announced this week,
noted pianos in public by eminent artists has will conduct three concerts for the New York
contributed much to the high standing and pres- Symphony Society next season on Sunday after-
ent popularity of the piano. People have be- noons, Nov. 29 and Dec. 13, and on Tuesday
come educated to its merits altogether apart evening. Dec. 8. Walter Damrosch invited Mr.
from the fact that it is a necessity in the home, Mahler to conduct during this season, but owing
and in order to secure the best results in a mu- to his engagement at the Metropolitan Opera
sical way they desire an instrument of reliability House he could not accept. His contract for
and musical worth. The player piano, too, is next year, however j allows for a few outside ap
now a most potent medium for bringing musical pearances, and the concerts of the New York
education into the home. It enables those who Symphony Society will be his first and only ap
nave heard the great artists play a certain mu- pearances before the beginning of "his duties
sical number to repeat it in their own homes, with the opera. At two of the concerts the
inasmuch as they are furnished with the media works to be performed will consist of sym-
in the way of perforated music rolls and ex- phonies by Beethoven and Mozart and composi-
pression devices to produce the subtle colorings tions by other of the accepted classical com-
which are so necessary to a proper interpreta- posers. At the third concert Mahler's Second
tion of the compositions written by the great Symphony, which enlists the services of the en-
masters.
tire orchestra, a choir of extra instruments be-
* * * *
hind the scenes, two soloists and ichorus, will
Those who try to belittle the educational in- I e given. Mahler's Fourth Symphony was per-
fluence of noted piano virtuosos must be lacking formed by Mr. Damrosch two years ago.
in well balanced mentality, for it is obvious that
* * * *
it is by measuring one's ability with these artists
The joint recital of Josef Hofmann, pianist,
who have reached the apex of their art, that one and Fritz Kreisler, violinist, takes place this
is able to comprehend what musical progress afternoon at Carnegie Hall. It was a source of
has been made. This is entirely apart from great regret that in the joint recitals scheduled
bringing to public notice the merits of the indi- at a number of western points Mr. Kreisler was
vidual piano which these pianists choose as their ill. Josef Hofmann, however, added to his pro-
medium of interpretation. It is c'ear that the gram and gave most spirited recitals, feeling it
ambitious amateur, if he desires the best results incumbent upon him, evidently, to supply the
public with an extra good "bill of fare" in order
to make up for the loss of his confrere.
RUDOLF
PIANOS
are conscientiously made, good
instruments; in other words, the
sweetest things out.
RUDOLF PIANO CO.
458 E. 144th Street,
NEW YORK.
*
•
i Is will be added to the concert party which
wil tour the United States. Already the John
Church Co. have received innumerable offers
from managers in leading cities in regard to the
1 ooking of Mme. Chaminade, but as her tour
will be brief, no dates can be arranged for until
later.
It is a great victory for the John Church Co.
to get Mme. Chaminade to visit the United
States, as offers upon offers have been made to
her for many years by leading managers and
others to visit these shores, but she has always
preferred the quiet atmosphere of France to the
bustle of the United States. Moreover, as she
is wealthy in her own right, playing the piano
with her is not a necessity, but a pleasure. A
great treat is in store for those who will hear
Mme. Chaminade through the medium of the
Everett piano. She is a delightful pianiste, and
she is certain to revei in the beautiful tone of
the Everett grand.
*
*
•
•
W. H. Humiston, a college chum of the late
Edward MacDowell says that MacDowell was
one of the severest critics of his own works that
ever lived. He was continually revising. Some
of his earlier published works have been re-
published in a much improved version, notably
the "First Modern Suite" and "The Marionettes."
He added: "Before publication they were often
rewritten several times, and I would find a
movement begun and continued for half a page,
then it would be broken off suddenly, and a re-
mark like this written at the end: 'Hand organ
to the rescue!' He would try scoring passages
for orchestra; part of the first movement of the
'Keltic Sonata' exists in orchestral score in one
of his sketchbooks. It is generally known that
'The Saracens' and 'The Beautiful Aida' were
parts of a symphony to be called the 'Roland
Symphony.' The first movement never satisfied
him, and he suppressed it entirely. As it is
among the earlier works, it may have escaped
the conflagration on that account."
• * * *
The May Festival to be held in Cincinnati
from May 5 to 9, in historic Music Hall, prom-
ises to be the most elaborate musical event in the
history of this country. The principal choral
works to be performed present an array of the
best from the classic, romantic and modern
schools. The St. Matthew Passion of Bach,
which will be given on the second night of the
festival, will receive on this occasion its first
"DISTINCTIVELY HIGH GRADE"
» •
Harold Bauer, who has scored such a phenom-
enal success on his Pacific coast trip returns to
the East and gives his farewell recital at Car-
negie Hall on Tuesday afternoon next. He has
prepared a program of unusual excellence and
will be heard through the medium of the Mason
& Hamlin piano.
*
11
* • *
The announcement made in The Review last
week by the John Church Co., that Mme. Cecile
Chaminade would visit the United States next
season, appearing in recital in our leading
cities, is a matter of extreme pleasure to the
hundreds of thousands of admirers of this gifted
French woman. While the exact details-of the
tour have not been arranged as yet, she will
play some of her own piano compositions, using
the Everett piano as her medium of interpreta-
tion. It is not improbable that some vocal solo-
She CHKISTMAN
STUDIO GRAND
is the greatest success of the day.
It possesses a scale of rare even-
ness, a tone of remarkable sonority
and richness, with a quality that
is highly orchestral. Our latest
styles of Grands and Uprights
mark a decided advance in the art
of piano-making. We court inves-
tigation. Some territory still open.
CHR1STNAN SONS, Man«l*ctur,r.
FACTORY AND OFF'CK:
869-873 Ewi 137th St.
FEW
WAEEROOMS'
35 W«jt 14
YORK