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10
THE:
MUSIC TRADE:
RE:VIEW
ences, is the chief of these. The fact that one is
in such intimate connection with every part ot
the control system, with roll, levers and pedals
The Subject of Some Highly Interesting Comments by C. Arthur Longwell of the A. B. Chase
all so closely united in such a small space, and
Co.—Says Lack of Proper Player Exploitation Is Due to Apathy of Dealers—Salesmen
the further fact that the inconvenient player-bench
Should Be Instructed in the Use of the Player Piano-
is eliminated; all this has for the refined and in-
telligent buyer an almost irresistible fascination."
"Speaking with the utmost sincerity, I can say
Ever since the player-piano became a factor in
"What do you think of the player-grand for the
the trade and began to occupy the careful atten- that my recent trip, during which I went as far future?"
tion of manufacturers and dealers, there have as the Pacific Coast, was absolutely the best and
"Of course, there will always, probably, be more
been two distinct schools of thought in the field most fruitful which I have ever undertaken for upright than grand player-pianos sold, for the
of player exploitation. One of these has em- the A. B. Chase interests. In all candor, it seems obvious reason of cost. But I believe firmly that
phasized the musical, educative value of the play- to be plainer and plainer to me that the tide is a perfected player-grand, such as the Artistano,
er and has attempted to demonstrate that the in- setting towards that player, which is built and will continue to have greater and greater attrac-
strument has a distinct value as an individual sold as what a player really is; namely, as a means tion for the cultivated music lovers who, I am con-
music-means, in fact, as an improved and more for technic, not as an automatic interpreter. This, vinced, are more and more coming to dominate
highly developed piano, with a technic of its own, as you well know, the A. B. Chase Artistano has the army of player-piano enthusiasts. To such
and possessing artistic features which put it in a always been, and to the fact that we have never people the limitless possibilities of the player-
class by itself. This school has neither apologized pretended to sell musical brains with our instru- grand appeal, and to them we must look, I feel,
for the player, nor attempted to explain that by ments, but have emphasized the pleasure and for the future of the player-piano as a distinct
its aid a mere approximation to ordinary piano- value of personally controlled interpretation, I at- musical instrument."
playing is possible. On the contrary, it has stoutly
"Then you agree, with The Review, that the
maintained that the player-piano, in its highest
player-piano in its highest developments is not
development, is not merely a means for piano-
alone a sort of incidental piano for non-musical
playing, but an entirely new method for producing
people, but a distinct and definite new departure
music, and especially for teaching appreciation
in music-means, and in fact a higher development
and intelligent comprehension.
of, rather than an appanage to, the piano?"
The other school differs from that which we
"By all means. The player-piano, if properly
have described, in that it has lacked the courage
exploited, is bound to be recognized as being all
of its convictions. Believing that the above facts
you say. But proper exploitation is what the
may be true, it has been unable to persuade itself
player-piano has hitherto lacked."
. that they ought to be trumpeted abroad.
"To what do you attribute this?"
The A. B. Chase Co., of Norwalk, Ohio, stand
"Largely, I think, to the apathy of dealers, and
to-day as one of the foremost exponents of the
to the really misleading advertising that has been
first school. The courageous, eminently sincere
so frequent. There is no use in trying to work
and utterly truthful manner in which this great
up player sentiment with musical people if you
house has gone about its mission of spreading the
are simultaneously advertising that neither musical
new musical gospel is the sort of thing that com-
education nor taste are necessary to master it.
mands The Review's equally sincere admiration.
That is the way to assure music lovers that the
This paper has been outspoken from the first in
player-piano has nothing in it to interest them.
its condemnation of the narrow, the little view in
And this means to give it, in advance, a bad name.
player-piano exploitation.
It has consistently
You know that to give a dog a bad name is al-
stood for the best interests of the industry by tak-
most equivalent to a death sentence."
ing the only position with regard to it that has
"You believe, then, in the most artistic exploita-
any justification either in common sense or in
tion?"
fact; the position, in other words, which has been
"Yes. We have always taken high ground with
outlined above.
the Artistano and have made no appeal to ap-
It is, therefore, always a pleasure for The Re-
petites either degraded or apathetic. In conse-
view to discuss with A. B. Chase representatives
quence the commercial career of this instrument
the details of the splendid work which this house
lias been no less brilliant than its growth in ar-
is so consistently doing. Whatsoever makes for
tistic reputation. I am a firm believer in the ar-
the true interests of the player industry must ever
tistic method. I do not believe, and have never
be near to The Review's own ideas and to the
had reason to believe, that it is necessary, in
player policy which it mapped out so long ago and
player-exploitation, to pander to ignorance or mis-
to which it has so faithfully adhered.
apprehension. There is so little use in it anyway.
These reflections are expressed as a result of a
You tell people that the ten-year old child of the
recent visit paid by The Review's technical repre-
family can produce music with the player-piano
sentative to the New York studio of Z. Arthur
and they at once find that, while technically this
Longwell, director of the A. B. Chase Co., their
is true, actually it is nothing of the sort. This
wholesale representative, and perhaps the most
does the player-piano no good. In fact, it tends
famous living performer on the player-piano. It
even more to contribute towards that feeling of
is not so often that Mr. Longwell can be found
prejudice with which the musical world still re-
in New York, for his duties call him to all parts
gards the instrument. Every misinformed owner
of the United States, while the opportunity of ex-
of a player-piano, who murders music with his
changing views with him is always to be desired
instrument, is a crying advertisement against it.
and siezed whenever possible. So The Review's
"Salesmen and dealers must be instructed in the
technical man journeyed the other day to the
proper use of the player-piano. They must con-
Hotel Royalton, and was welcomed there, not only
sent to learn its possibilities, to study its capacity.
by Mr. Longwell himself, but by his friend and
C. ARTHUR LONGWELL.
Above all, they must themselves undertake to ac-
collaborator, Frank Hemstreet, companion at so
quire something of musical understanding and
many A. B. Chase recitals, and one of the most tribute much of our really phenomenal success."
appreciation. Then, even if their customers are
"Then
you
have
found
it
quite
possible
to
bring
artistic baritone singers in. New York.
oft-times non-musical in the strict sense of the
The object of The Review's visit was to dealers to an understanding of the fact that the term, their own demonstration, their own presen-
Artistano
has
to
be
learned?"
obtain from Mr. Longwell, as an eminent ex-
"Certainly, but you must understand that what tation of the instrument, will have infinitely more
ponent of player-pianism in its highest sense, to
we
emphasize is the fact that the performer on weight and produce infinitely more fruitful re-
say nothing of his forcefulness in the selling game,
sults. Every man who sells player-pianos should
some views as to the future of the industry, the the Artistano actually 'plays.' He learns to feel, understand every point of the instrument in which
through
the
foot-pedals,
phrase
by
phrase,
every
success of his unique methods of demonstration,
he is interested and should be able to. exhibit these
and the merits of the Artistano player in particu- part of the music he is producing. His control is in the highest lights.
absolute,
simply
because
the
Artistano
has
been
lar. C. Arthur Longwell is a modest man and seeks
"And to musical knowledge should be added
no publicity, but The Review's technical man has provided with no extraneous aids. Lacking auto-
constructional familiarity. With the Artistano,
matic
devices
for
expression,
it
must
be
always
always had enough admiration and respect for
of course, as you know, every part is accessible
him and for his instrument to feel that in this subject to the performer's own taste and good sense,
instantly. The whole player mechanism is, in both
and
to
these
alone.
Hence,
one
never
exhausts
its
case undue modesty must be uncovered and forced
grand and upright, absolutely separate from the
capacities,
for
these
are
revealed
only
in
propor-
to stand out once in a while for itself. And so,
piano proper. We build grands in the factory at
with The Review representative doing a good share tion as one's own musical intelligence increases."
"But there certainly are features quite individual Norwalk without knowing whether they are to
of the talking, the following interesting remarks
to
the Artistano to which you can rightly point, be manual pianos purely or Artistanos. When
were coaxed from the reluctant Longwellian lips:
we desire to use a grand piano for an Artistano
"Has your recent long business trip been more are there not?"
"Yes, and I have no doubt that the folding we simply cut a slot in the key-bed and omit the
than usually productive of results, Mr. Long-
tracker-box, with its manifold incidental conveni- usual lyre. Then the piano is packed in one box
well?"
PLAYER APPRECIATION AND COMPREHENSION