Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1908 Vol. 47 N. 21

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
6
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ART AS APPLIED TO PIANO DECORATION.
Pianos Conforming These Days to the Artistic Furnishings of the Homes of the Wealthy People
—Steinway & Sons' Great Work in This Especial Art Field.
cessfully tried in the past, as witness the famous
Martin with his delicate lacquers. Indeed, some
fine examples in this kind of decoration are to
be found in the Metropolitan Museum in the
Crosby Brown collection. The eighteenth cen-
tury work of Anton Vatter, of Vienna, exampled
in the dainty harpsichord evidences a high de-
gree of taste and love for the beautiful. Here
also are spinets and more modern cases, some
painted and embellished with pastoral and figure
subjects, rich in color, which may be from the
brush of a Rubens or
Boucher, others carved
with great care in nat-
ural wood, and full of in-
tricate detail—these are
the forerunners of what
must ultimately be the
vogue and displace the
elegant shapeless masses
of varnished wood which
encumber the houses of
to-day.
"The superb instru-
ments which furnish the
illustrations for this ar-
ticle are examples of the
purest styles of Colonial
Art (the art of Ameri-
ca's future) after such
artists as Adam, Shera-
ton and Heppelwhite.
The subject of the Adam
period in England, and
its American reflection
in the delicate purity
and chaste beauty of Col-
onial interiors, cannot
fail to be of utmost in-
terest to both architect
and owner of artistic
homes. This discovery
and adaptation of styles
to meet original con-
ditions
is not
less
worthy of praise than
the creation of a new
STKINWAY COLONIAL INLAID MAHOGANY OKAND AFTER SHERATON AND HEl'PEI.WII ITE.
design would be.
The
catering to this particular trend of artistic de- general outline of the body of a piano
velopment, and have turned out some remarkable are determined by the scale of the instrument.
creations made to order, after accepted schools The possible variations of form exist in the legs,
which have elicited the highest critical praise the music rack and the lyre which carries the
from connoisseurs. Eminent artists and archi- pedals. With these limited possibilities the
tects have been consulted, and their services house of Steinway has succeeded in giving a
employed in this connection, with the result that striking individuality to their work.
the art department of Steinway & Sons to-day is
"To none other than Madame de Pompadour,
one of the most complete of its kind in the world. who sent artists to Pompeii for study and in-
In talking this week with a prominent member spiration, can we ascribe the purity of taste, the
of the artistic department of Steinway & Sons on Roman influence and Pbmpeian refinement of the
this subject he said:
Adam, Sheratan and Chippendale creations. As
"The idea of enlisting the fine arts in adorning mahogany was to Chippendale so was satinwood
household furniture is one that has been suc- to Adam. It was a new wood in his time and
Within recent years the American people have
paid more attention than ever before to artistic
home decoration. The old stilted placing of pic-
tures nnd fruniture, and the lack of sympathy
in the matter of colorings are fast disappearing.
In pianos as in everything else there is mani-
fest a desire to have their architecture in con-
formity with the general style of interior fur-
nishings.
For years, Steinway & Sons have, through
their art department, paid particular attention to
STKINWAY COLONIAL GRAND PIANO IN SATINWM II), SlIOWINl! FliKNCII
especially adapted to his style of work. His
method of decoration differed materially from
that of his predecessors, for in place of carving
his new work his embellishment was painting
and delicate lines of inlay and effects of old
ivory. The effect of these classic designs, with
all the subtleties of lovely flowers, love knots,
pearl chains and ribbon garlands of excessive
daintiness executed in soft colors on the golden
glow of satinwood, has a charm which none can
resist.
"And here it might be fitting to speak of two
or three of the artists whose work Adam used.
One of these was Pergolesi, although his designs
were mainly in relief work. Antonio Zucchi, an
Italian, was another, whose personality is more
interesting because he it was who won the heart
ANMSKl.N'A
KUITMANN.
of Angelica Kauffmann, whose ceiling painting
for Adam is world celebrated. This gifted and
charming young woman was the friend of Sir
Joshua Reynolds." These pianos which have fur-
nished the occasion for adornment of the most
chaste and lavish kind the world of art has ever
seen in any age possess the most majestic and
noble tone, the creation and perfection of which
has been the work of the house of Steinway for
three generations. To the solidity of construc-
tion, the extraordinary perfection of every de-
tail of manufacture and the nature of the ma-
terials used most owners attribute the surprising
smoothness and duration of tone. The secret of
the art of musical instruments lies in the indi-
viduality and art of their inventors, in the same
sense that the grace of Poynter's figures, or Alma
Tadema's exquisite combinations of line and
color are the creations of the genius of these
great artists. Thus in every point are these
unique masterpieces the perfection of science and
beauty.
Ei: WAY IN ADAM DKSIUN, WBITK AlAJJOOASV DECOUATIUI,
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
WHAT THE DEALERS SAY
ABOUT THE BUSINESS FUTURE
Some Opinions That Are Well Worth the Reading—They Are
Mighty Encouraging and Should Strengthen
Confidence All Along the Line.
The morning after the Presidential election we addressed a communication
to dealers in all sections of the country, propounding a few questions
along business lines. W e did this because we felt confident that the
dealers as a whole would view the business future optimistically and we
believed that an interchange of ideas on this subject would be helpful
and would add to general confidence. We believe that a trade paper
which is widely read by dealers can assist materially in helping to bring
about a full return to business prosperity, and the opinions which are
expressed on this and succeeding pages will be inspiring as they are
full of healthy optimism.
The questions asked concerning the trade
situation were:
Would you state just exactly how you regard the future of the piano
industry for the next six months?
What will be the direct effect of the National election upon business ?
What are your views the morning after election ?
Some of the answers appear on this and succeeding pages and are worthy of the closest
perusal. The dealers of this country predict an era of good times. They believe that con-
ditions will grow steadily better in the trade. Read the opinions and renew your confidence
in the future of piano selling.
THE B. DREHER'S SONS CO., Cleveland, O.
After the political settlement in the election of
Mr. Taft, business revived immediately; in fact,
the day after election we sold six pianos. We
certainly regard the future outlook of the piano
business as very satisfactory, and we think that
November and December will be equal to the
enormous business we did a year ago. We think
the settlement of the national election will have
a good effect upon piano business all over the
country.
W. W. KIMBALL CO., (MGR-), Evansville, Ind.
year, and prices for all kinds of farm products
are above the average. In reference to what
effect the national election will have upon busi-
ness, my opinion is that if we had not been in-
formed by the newspapers as to who was elected
on the 3d of November, the great mass of the
American people would never have been able to
judge who occupies the White House by the trend
of business. The opportunities for successful
business enterprises along legitimate lines are as
great as ever, and anybody who conducts his
business in a sane and conservative way need
have no fear as to the outcome. These financial
scares are a good thing for the country. We've
had on too much steam, and need to put the
brakes on until we know just where we are.
I regard the outlook for business of all kinds
exceedingly bright. The way Indiana voted on
national questions shows that her people have
great confidence in Republican doctrines and do
GEORGE JACOBS, Fort Wayn«, Ind.
not desire a change. Our city is largely inter-
The national election will have no immediate
ested in manufacturing, and naturally its inter-
effect upon our business. We expect a slow and
ests are interwoven with national policies.
steady increase for the next six months, and
I would further say that the piano business in
this locality has not suffered from the stringency though 1908 will not compare with 1907, this
that generally prevailed over the country the past year's business will be very satisfactory.
year.
THE EARLY MUSIC HOUSE, Fort Dodge, la.
My business for the ten months just ended was
With the greatest living American as Presi-
much better than it was for the corresponding dent, and a wholesome fear already created in the
ten months last year, and with two of the best hearts of trust promoters; with no black clouds
months yet remaining, I expect this year to show in the financial sky; with the price of produce
a substantial gain over 1907.
making the hearts of farmers glad, and nothing
Our factories are all running full time, our reasonable for the demagogue to howl about, I
farmers are getting better prices for farm prod- can see nothing but success ahead for those who
ucts than they have gotten since the war, labor are willing to work for it, not only in the piano
is well employed in all lines, and money is easy. trade, but in every other legitimate line of busi-
ness. If the manufacturers and dealers will only
J. W. WHEATLEY, Eastern, Md.
So far as I can judge I see no reason why the move forward with moderation and caution, in a
piano trade for the next six months should not very few months we will not know that we had a
be good. The farmers have had good crops this panic.
BREWER
BROTHERS
Haute, Ind.
MUSIC
CO., Terre
We are well pleased with the result of the elec-
tion and think business will get better at once.
In reply to your first question, we think the piano
business will increase greatly the nextsix months,
and believe the election of Mr. Taft will help
restore business more than anything that could
have happened. We had two pianos ordered if
Mr. Taft was elected, so his election has sold two
pianos for us.
MILLIGAN PIANO SALES CO., Council Bluffs,
la.
We feel the trade conditions for the next six
months in the piano industry will show a very
marked improvement. The recent panic, coupled
with the fact that this has been a Presidential
year, has tended to cause a depression in the
trade for the last year, which may be, at a super-
ficial glance, misleading. We believe that condi-
tions will improve in the next six months, owing
to the fact that the people generally are prosper-
ous and that the piano trade in itself is founded
on a perfectly sane and healthy basis. As a good
indication of the fact that business is getting
down to the normal basis, we will state that in
the last six months we have increased our sales
forces from 22 to 31 salesmen, and as we cover
the entire United States, we feel this is a pretty
good indication of piano prosperity; We speak
of the above indications not in a local but in a
general way, as we have operated in thirty dif-
ferent States and territories in the past six
months.
We feel that the direct effect of the election
on business will be beneficial. We learn that a

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