Music Trade Review

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THE:
MUSIC TRADE
U n d e r THE
TALL TOWER
It is said that William H. Maxwell, superintend- for what it is worth. If any manufacturer
ent of the New York public schools, is very much is freezing out instead of freezing on to
impressed with the educational value of automatic orders these days he must be a fit subject for a
musical instruments—in other words, player-pianos lunatic asylum.
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and talking machines—for use in the public
schools. His attention was first directed to them
The relations of the traveling man and the re-
by David Bispham, the famous baritone, who is tail piano dealer were the subject of some very
quite an enthusiast on this subject. In view of the interesting remarks recently by Col. Wylly, of Sa-
fact that the leading universities of the country vannah, Ga. Talking before a body of dealers he
have recognized the importance and value of the said: "As necessary as the traveling salesman is
player-piano it seems only proper that the great to the manufacturer so is he to you, gentlemen of
schools of the metropolis should be equipped with the retail trade. He represents the connecting
these instruments and that suitable demonstrators link. He is, so to speak, the envoy extraordinary
should be engaged at stated periods for the and minister plenipotentiary from the court of the
purpose of giving recitals, thus inculcating wholesaler to that of the retailer, and as the ac-
a love for the best in music. There are so many credited ambassador of commerce you should ac-
"fads and fancies" in the public schools, many of
cord him the same consideration that you would
them of questionable value to the pupil, that no give to a member of his firm. There should be
better move could be undertaken than by installing established a strong bond of mutual confidence
player-pianos to enable the pupils to acquire a between you and the salesman—confidence in him
knowledge of the great compositions of the mas- that he will always watch your interests; an
ters and thus augment the musical culture of our equally strong confidence that you will always give
people. Some musicians, who are antagonistic to him a square deal in your transactions with him
the player-piano, may object, but on the broad and not quote imaginary competing figures to him.
grounds of the benefit to the many it is safe to He is as quick to resent any overcharge made by
say that their views will not be taken seriously his house as he is that of a transportation com-
into consideration.
pany, and often he becomes the medium by
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which these differences are adjusted to your entire
satisfaction. He does not feel that his duty in
At the golf tournament of the piano men, held
some time ago, one of those present who was a life consists alone in selling you goods, but will
use every honest effort to assist you in making
new-comer at the game was presented with a book
of rules. After completing his first round he was your business a success by bringing to you new
asked if he had mastered them. The perspiring ideas and valuable suggestions by which you can
piano man realized the sarcasm of the remark, keep step in the march of progress with other suc-
but proved equal to the occasion. "The rules? cessful merchants, and for all this he will render
Oh, they are quite simple," he replied. "There are no bill. He only asks that you accord him a will-
ing audience in listening to the merits of his line
two I know of, and to my mind they are the most
important. You must hit the ball with your club, and giving him your orders when in need of his
and after you have hit it you must find it, of goods."
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course, before you hit it again. It will take an
honest man several, weeks to master these two
The new building recently erected for the In-
rules. After driving the ball you must hit it stitute of Musical Art, at the corner of Clermont
wherever it lies. Good lies are as important in
avenue and One Hundred and Twenty-second
golf as in fishing. Losing a ball costs you two
street, opposite Grant's Tomb, was formally
strokes and the price of the ball. Hitting a caddie opened last Monday.
Among the attractive
with the ball is justifiable homicide."
features of this imposing building are the three
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handsome organs built for the use of students
and recitals by the Estey Organ Co. Frank Dam-
Some weeks ago James J. Hill, that shrewd and
rosch, the director of the institution, is greatly
successful railroad man, in speaking of the Con-
pleased with these instruments, which are
servation Congress, said it was too bad somebody
equipped with the very latest improved actions.
did not say a word about conserving common
Their general construction reflects the progressive
sense" and added: "That's what this country needs
methods of the Estey institution in the pipe organ
right now. I can see no reason for the fears
domain.
which seem to possess our business men. Money
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and business are, of course, very careful; and it
The Board of Education has arranged quite a
is right that they should be, but not to the extent
of cutting off their noses to spite their faces, musical program for the people of New York
this fall and winter. The free organ recitals in
especially when it is unnecessary and they need
the Great Hall of the City College given by
the noses, too."
Samuel A. Baldwin, head of the department of
«t • ! *
The conservation of common sense reminds us, music, were resumed this week and will continue
hereafter on Sundays and Wednesdays at 4 in the
by the way, of the remark of a piano dealer last
afternoon.
week that New York manufacturers were the
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most pessimistic crowd he "ran into" on his trip
In
addition
to
these
recitals, which, by the way,
from the Far West. In this connection he said:
"When I visited some of them for the purpose might be duplicated to good purposes in our lead-
of placing orders their conversation was such as ing high schools, the auditoriums of which are
to incline me to the belief that there was nothing now equipped with pipe organs, a very interesting
but gloom in the business outlook. If I was in- course of musical lectures for adults has been in-
augurated as part of the free lecture course in
fluenced by their viewpoint I should feel inclined
to withdraw orders and go home at least tem- the night schools. The number of such lectures
porarily discouraged. When one leaves home full has been increased and additions made to the staff
,of hope for the future, intending to place good of lecturers. Among those who will lecture under
(Orders, it is not pleasant to have one's enthusiasm the auspices of the board are Mr. and Mrs. Barclay
so startlingly checked. It is evident that some Dunham, Felix Lamond, Mrs. Mary Gregory Mur-
New York manufacturers are not in touch with ray, Mrs. Mary Hill Brown, Frederick Reddall and
Clarence De Vaux Royer. The character of these
•the conditions throughout the country at large and
are influenced largely by the reports sent out by lectures may be estimated from the program for
stock market brokers, which obtain such prom- the week just closed: On Monday evening Miss
inence in so many Eastern publications." This E. M. S. LaMont spoke on "Folk Music in
America," illustrated by vocal and piano selections,
js certainly a n odd complaint, and it is printed
at Public School 51, on West Forty-fourth street.
Mrs. Mary Hill Brown lectured on "Wagner's
Music Dramas" at the Eastern District High
School, Brooklyn, and Mrs. Mary Gregory Mur-
ray's subject at the Morris High School on the
same evening was "Searchlights in Modern Music
Study." On Tuesday evening Mrs. Katherine
Hand spoke on "Scottish Music," illustrated by
vocal and instrumental selections, in Public School
4, Rivington and Ridge streets. On Thursday
evening Frederick Dean discussed "European Song
Writers," with the assistance of Mrs. Dean, con-
tralto, who sang a number of vocal selections, at
Public School 159, on East 119th Street, and on the
same evening at the Morris High School Mrs.
Murray's opening lecture recital was "Music
Study as a New Keynote in Education." Truly an
educational campaign that must be prolific of re-
sults.
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One of the distinguished candidates on the Dem-
ocratic State ticket recently selected at Rochester
is William Sohmer, brother of Hugo Sohmer, the
distinguished head of the famous house of Sohmer
& Co. Although he has been in the real estate
business for many years, William Sohmer is a
practical piano man and has always been keenly
interested in the development of the music trade
industry. He has long been prominent in Demo-
cratic politics in New York city, and has filled
several public offices with credit. He was one of
the scant number saved from Democratic defeat
in the famous campaign of 1894, when William L.
Strong became Mayor. He was then elected reg-
istrar by a small plurality and in 1897 he was
nominated for County Clerk and elected. He
served four terms in the Assembly, from 1890 to
1894, and in the State Senate in 1907-1908.
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Warren C. Whitney, vice-president of the A. B.
Chase Co., Norwalk, O., is not only one of the pro-
gressive men of the trade, but has opinions which
are worth while. Representing, as he does, one
of the commanding concerns in the trade—one
noted for the all-around excellence of its prod-
ucts—what he says is worth listening to. When
Mr. Whitney talks he runs into broad channels,
and in this respect he reminds one greatly of his
late esteemed father.
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Fernando Wessell, treasurer, and Arthur L.
Wessell, secretary, of Wessell, Nickel & Gross,
were numbered among those who took parties of
friends to Long Island to witness the Vanderbilt
Cup race Saturday last. They left the city before
midnight on Friday and camped out at the
course to be in time to see the start of the race.
F. E. Backer, the piano dealer, Windsor Arcade,
Fifth Avenue and Forty-seventh Street, an auto-
mobile enthusiast, also took a party to the race in
his 50-60 horsepower American racer, and he is
now planning a trip to Philadelphia, Pa., to wit-
ness the coming great championship race at Fair-
mount Park. The trip will be made in his car to
Philadelphia and return.
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At the Worcester Music Festival, held last week
in the famous old Massachusetts town, Mme. Yo-
landa Mero, the Hungarian-American pianiste,
made her debut for the season and scored as usual
a tremendous success with the Steinway piano.
Mme. Mero is remarkably gifted as a pianist and
always impresses by her sincerity and thorough
grasp of the composer's intentions. She will re-
main here the entire season, and her engagements
include appearances with the Boston Symphony,
Philadelphia and Chicago Symphony orchestras.
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One of the prizes offered by the New York
Evening Mail in their BookloYers' contest is a,
Regent grafonola,