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THE: MUSIC TRADE
THE TRUTH ABOUT PLAYER RECITALS.
REVIEW
dealer in town reported within a next twenty-four
hours a sharp rise in the demand for music rolls
and a succession of inquiries from possible pros-
What a Personal Experience Taught—Proper Demonstration of the Player Arouses the Enthusi-
pects. And this account of things is set forth here
asm of a Critical Audience of Musical Experts in the Heat of Midsummer—Some Points
accurately and conservatively, while the writer
About Conducting a Successful Recital That Should Appeal to the Energetic Dealer in
pledges his reputation for truthfulness that it is in
Any Community—The Public Willing and Anxious to Be "Educated."
no least manner exaggerated.
Later on, a similar experience was gone through
which he is familiar and asked for the use of it.
Readers of The Review are aware that the editor
in Ohio. In this case the writer, wishing to test
This was granted, without money and without
of the Player Section has for some time past ex-
price. In fact, the dealer was very glad to loan things out further, suggested the idea to a dealer
pressed very favorahle views on the suhjeet of
as an affair that might be held in his store. The
it. and did not even ask to have his name men-
player recitals as a means for exploitation. He has
dealer consented, and the same method precisely
done this in face of the adverse criticism of men tioned on the program, which, of course, would
was used. The same success attended the affair.
experienced in player wholesaling and retailing, and have been not unjust, though perhaps embarras-
The store was crowded to its utmost capacity, and
has stuck to his guns steadily. Now, the gravamen sing. All that remained was to find an audience.
the audience howled for more after the set pro-
of the criticism leveled against the very confident And here the difficulty, at first, looked big.
grain was finished. Moreover, they came into the
Yet it was solved in a ridiculously easy manner.
belief so often expressed in these columns on the
store in groups for the next several days, asking
The broad-minded and public-spirited piano man
subject of recitals and their immense selling value
for further information, buying music and convert-
who had first suggested the holding of a private
has been that the editor of this section spoke from
ing themselves into good prospects. The Review's
recital, and who did not sell the piano chosen, dim-
the arm-chair viewpoint. It has been alleged that
ply sat down to his telephone and stayed there for man stayed around that town long enough to see
he was merely theorizing. It has been confidently
two hours. He called up the officials of the these things with his own eyes. Incidentally, it
asserted that he had never tried out practically that
might be stated that the weather was even hotter
which he so calmly claimed was an infallible proc- Woman's Music Club, the musical faculty of the
the second time than the first.
local college (such of them as were in town), the
ess. And, finally, it has been said that if he ever
Now, what was the secret e)f this success? First,
music teachers, and all the sincere music lover.-
had to experience the trials of a practical player
that
the proposition was put forth in a dignified and
that
he
knew.
To
each
he
said
something
like
this
:
man, he would change his opinion.
confident manner. Seconel, that the audience was
"You are a musician or music lover. I have a
It has further been alleged by friendly critics that
made to see, each one individually, that a favor
the idea of using "educational" methods (as they tieat for you. A recital is to be given to-night, to
was being rendered as much as asked. Third, that
may be described) in selling players to the public which I am privileged to invite those only who will
appreciate it. It is a phiyer-piano rec'tal, but one a few appropriate words were said before the pro-
is all wrong. The public, we have been told, do not
of a kind such as you have never either heard or gram began, explaining the significance of such a
want to be "educated." They resent that sort of
recital and treating of the player-piano in a broad
dreamed of before. We are asking only appre-
thing. They want a player-piano because they want
and dignified manner. Fourth, that the more diffi-
ciative people, and I personally will guarantee that
it, and not for any other reason. And much more
cult and recondite numbers were carefully, though
you will not only not regret, but will actually be
to the same effect.
briefly anel popularly, explained and analyzed be-
Notwithstanding the great plausibility of these immensely glad, if you come. But yoi: must tell
me now, as accommodations are strictly limited. fore they were played. Fifth, that wherever pos-
allegations, and the fair success of the selling
sible some engaging story or incident about each
Ycu may bring your family, or friends, or pupils,
methods based on them, the fact has remained that
composer
or composition was related. Sixth, that
but you must tell'me now about how many you
the sales of player-pianos do not reach the point
the actual music itself was good and the playing
expect to bring with you."
which they should. Something plainly is not quite
Did they come? They came in flocks and droves. sincerely intended to set forth to the full the ut-
right. Somewhere there is indifference. Why not
The
writer knew nothing of what success had at- most artistic capacity of the player-piano.
investigate and find out? Why not attempt prac-
Now, no one who is not a fool will deny that the
tended the endeavor to obtain an audience. And
tically to discover whether the views so often set
results
attained in these two recitals were remark-
when,
after
a
little
dinner
at
which
he
had
been
forth, in these articles have, or have not, any basis
able.
Player-pianos
had been sold for ten years
entertained by this same piano man and some
in fact? The idea seemed good, and it only re-
and
more
in
these
two
cities. Yet the mass of the
rollers,
he
stepped
out
into
the
big
gallery
on
the
mained to find some means of carrying it out.
public either despised them or thought of them as
As things happened, the opportunity came in a second floor of the hotel and found the space
merely fit for ragtime and coon songs. Musicians
packed
with people.
You could
short time after the resolution was formed. For literally
have knocked him down with a feather, either ignored or condemned. Now all is different.
reasons which need not be enlarged on here, the
Dealers have been enthused, the musicians enlight-
writer recently found himself traveling through as the old saying goes. There were 250
ened and the public forced to admire. And it was
Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Ohio. During this people there. Apparently every musician in
not as if the conditions were either favorable or
trip he was constantly in the company of piano town was on hand. Every music teacher, every
music lover, almost the entire membership of the even practicable. To hold an audience for over two
men, dealers, tuners and salesmen. As an unoffi-
hours, in the hottest of hot summer weather, to get
swell Indies' music club, even the musical faculty
cial apostle he talked with these gentlemen, dis-
from the college—the whole crowd was there. And them to listen to a recital of important and serious
cussed player problems with them and urged his
music—and given with a "player-piano" at that—
own views with some persistency. When he dis- they were buzzing with expectation. And this,
was an achievement that must not hurriedly be put
covered their views as to the player-piano and the mark vou, in a temperature 'way above 90 degrees
aside.
For it proves certain things quite plainly.
And the program? It went with a rush. The
ways to be adopted in selling it, they were set forth
It tends, at least, to prove that the public is per-
under the title, "The Player in the Middle West," audience applauded, stamped their feet, and shouted
fectly willing to be "educated." It proves that
fcr more. This is a fact. There is no exaggera-
in the Player Section of The Review for July. But
people are anxious to know something about music,
that article did not by any means tell the whole tion. And after it was all over they demanded en-
and that they will jump at the chance of producing
core'.. To put the matter in a nutshel', an audience
story.
music
well, according to their tastes, if they can
of
clever
people
was
kept
for
two
hours,
in
swelter-
The first chance to put his ideas into practical
only
be
brought to believe that the player-piano will
shape came to the writer during his Iowa Odyssy. ing weather, listening to a player recital, of :ul
make
this
possible for them. And, what is more,
things
in
creation,
.-md
asking
for
more.
And
after
At a pretty little city, the name of which is in
it
seems
clearly
to show that there is something,'
nowise important, certain piano men who knew all was over there was an impromptu reception, quite
after
all,
in
the
theories that the editor of this
spontaneous
anel
unforced,
during
wlrch
the
writer
something of the intruding person from New York,
section has so persistently advocated.
found himself compelled to demonstrate just how-
asked him to give them a private player recital.
Truly, one should not perhaps attach too much
After he had expressed willingness to do this, he lie did it, and to answer a thousand anel one ques-
importance to the results arising from separated
wanted to know why the public would not be in- tions as to the player, its artistic capacity, how
long it would take to marter it, and so on. To and impromptu affairs like these. But the very
vited also, so that the affair might be turned into a
fact that all the conditions were so thoroughly un-
truly valuable and educational occasion, in such a complete the story, here is the program :
favorable, and that the whole thing, in each case,
1.
Scherzo
in
B
flat
minor
I\
Chopin
manner as to do good to everybody who had ever
was undertaken against the friendly advice of
thought of players, to say nothing of the advantages "J.' (a) Dondo Capriccioso in E flar
everybody who might be supposed to have knowl-
F. Mendelssohn
accruing to the dealers from the spread of player
edge and experience of local conditions, certainly
(b) The Two Skylarks
T. Leschetizky
appreciation which would inevitably follow.
proves something. To our mind, it shows, at least,
(c) 7th Humoreske
A. Dvorak
It is violating to state secrets to say that every-
that we were not entirely wrong in the whole cam-
3. (a) "Hark. Hark. The Lark/'. .Echubert-Liszt
bddy simply laughed at the whole idea. The month
paign we Jiave undertaken.
(b) "If I Were a Bird" (Study)..A. Henselt
\ijiis July, the weather was too hot, everybody was
Lastly, let it be said that no attempt need be
(c) Butterflies
Edvard Grieg
out of town, nobody cared for "that classical stuff"
made
now to draw further lessons from this plain
anyway, the people did not want anything but to 4. (a) Spinning Chorus, from "The Flying
and truthful record of facts. The editor of this
Dutchman"
Wagner-Liszt
kick out the latest "rag"' on the player-piano, and
section will gladly furnish newspaper clippings,
(b) 8th Hungarian Dance. .. .Johannes Brahms
so on ad nauseam. The writer's persistency finally
dates, names, and so on, to those who may be in-
(c) Midsummer (New England Idyls) . . . .
prevailed, however; the parlor floor of the best
clined
to believe that these words are merely the
Edward Macdowell
hotel was engaged, music rolls were borrowed here
outpourings of a too enthusiastic spirit. Some of
(d) The Joy of Autumn (New England
and there, and a program arranged. The next
the lessons that may be drawn have been briefly
Idyls)
Edward Macdowell
thing was to get a piano and an audience. Only
indicated. The rest we leave to the imagination of
5
Rhapsody
in
C
sharp
minor
F.
Liszt
forty-eight hours of time were available. The task
those
who read this article.
The next morning both of the local daily papers
looked big. And, incidentally, the temperature was
had
considerable
stories
of
the
recital,
while
not
hovering around 98 degrees Fahr.
Loggic & Jelley are a new firm of piano dealers
only the dealer who had loaned the piano—anel
The matter of getting a piano was not difficult.
in
Steubenville, O.
whose
name
was
in
no
way
brought
in—but
every
The writer picked out a certain instrument with