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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
BRITISH PIANO TRADE NOTES
Pianos Have Played no Unimportant Part In the Great Demand Experienced by Merchants of
England During the Holiday Season—Player Piano a Great Factor in Interesting the Public
—American Creations of All Kinds in Favor—A Visit to the Establishment of the Orches-
trelle Co.—Jack Haynes Speaks of the Growth of the Export Trade of the Orchestrelle Co.
—Busy Times at the Orchestrelle Factory at Hayes, Near London.
(Special to The Review.)
London, Eng., Dec. 22, 1911.
The occurrence of the holiday season has un-
doubtedly stimulated the demand for pianos in a
very remarkable way. All the great houses in
Great Britain are doing a bumper business at the
moment and the pressure shows every sign of
continuance until well on into the new year. Many
dealers can now only accept orders for forward
delivery some considerable time ahead, so con-
gested are the order books, which, of course, is a
hopeful sign with which to start 1912.
Popularity of the Piano.
It is a fact that the piano is becoming more and
more an absolute necessity in the modern middle-
class dwelling. There was a time, not many years
ago, when this instrument was regarded as more
or less of a luxury, and even where it was present
it was still often nothing much else than an orna-
mental accessory to the drawing room or boudoir.
People who played really well were few and far
between and the day of the player-piano had yet
to dawn. Nowadays, however, thanks to this mar-
velous invention which enables the veriest tyro
to master and enjoy the piano without the long
years of arduous study formerly necessitated, there
can be music—and music of the best—in every
home. The works of the great composers, so far
as the general public was concerned, were until re-
cently a treasure sealed. Many people were for-
merly vaguely aware that such musical geniuses
as Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt and Schumann did
exist, but beyond that they had no information.
The advent of the Pianola and player-piano in-
stantaneously changed all that. Nowadays the best
works of the great composers interpreted by such
skilful musicians as Paderewski, Janotha and Mark
Hambourg are to be heard in every home in Eng-
land, and for this the British public at large has
the Pianola and its congeners in the domain of
mechanical musical appliances solely to thank.
How Instalment Sales Help.
Another factor that has aided in the popularity
of the piano is the enormous development of the
"purchase by instalment" plan as adopted in the
musical instrument trade of recent years. For a
matter of 60 cents a week everybody can become
the proud proprietor of an instrument which for
every-day purposes is all that need be wished for,
and that is as much as to say that the musical
taste of this nation has largely improved and ad-
vanced within the same space of time. Not only
so, but the prices for pianos purchased on this
plan are cut so fine that it is no uncommon thing
to see a sign in the window of a dealer in musical
instruments running to some such effect as this:
"One of these pianos becomes your property by
the payment of fourpence (8 cents) a day."
Demand for Piano Accessories.
Synchronizing with this largely increased demand
comes, of course, a similar one for musical acces-
sories of every kind. Sales of music cabinets,
stands and piano furniture generally have pro-
ceeded in this country pari passu with that for
pianos. Indeed there are many firms now which
specialize in such things almost to the exclusion
of every other kind of goods, and they do a roar-
ing trade. One of the developments which has
come along since the invention of the player-piano
has been, of course, the "record" cabinet, and as
more and more of these are added to the pur-
chaser's musical repertoire (if that be the right
name in. this connection) such cabinets have need,
of course, to be enlarged or duplicated in degree
proportionate.
American Products Popular.
A round of the principal piano firms in this
city confirms seriatim the general remarks set
down above as to the excellent business done in
J911 and the hopeful prosepects for the ensuing
twelve months. Other trades may have languished
during the past year, but the piano trade seems
to have gone on steadily prosepring all through
that period with never the smallest setback to its
progress. Not only has this been the case with
regard to the home market, but demands from
abroad have been excellent also, and here it may
conveniently be remarked that among all makes
exported by England piano dealers the Continent
of Europe over none are more popular upon the
whole nor more universally appreciated for their
true musical qualities than the instruments sup-
plied by Anglo-American firms. The fact that so
many pianos and player-pianos of American origin
are now to be met with in musical educational
establishments in London and elsewhere on the
European Continent is testimony of itself to the
inherent qualities of the transatlantic instrument,
and we even learn now of American-
built pianos finding their way into such institu-
tions as we have named so far away as Australia
itself.
American Player Actions Liked.
One prime reason of this popularity is the su-
perior player actions introduced into pianos of
transatlantic make. These are always far and
away in advance of the British-made player, which
is a cheaper sort of thing altogether and absolutely
devoid of the delicacy and points which make for
American superiority.
Orchestrelle Co.'s Great Establishment.
Among the most beautiful "player" instruments
that we have seen recently must certainly be
classed those produced by the Orchestrelle Co., of
New Bond street. Here, in the heart of London's
fashionable shopping quarter, has arisen a very
temple of music, and a tour of the Orchestrelle
premises is a very educational as well as an ex-
ceedingly agreeable manner of spending an after-
noon at this season of the year. Here in the
various departments over 300 employes obtain a
livelihood, a large proportion of them being skilled
musicians able to afford to clients a practical as
well as theoretical demonstration of the musical
capacities of the various instruments, mechanical
and otherwise, on view. During our recent call
at 135 New Bond street we had the privilege of
making the acquaintance of Jack Haynes, who is
in charge of one of the most important depart-
ments, namely, the export, of the Orchestrelle
company's great business. Under the guidance of
this gentleman, your correspondent made a lengthy
tour of the Orchestrelle building, which includes
the Aeolian Hall, itself one of the most famous
concert rooms in London. Here he saw the great
organ fitted with the Aeolian automatic player,
and which, by an ingenious mechanical contrivance,
is able to communicate a "voice" to the echo
organ established in an adjoining chamber.
In the various salesrooms of this establishment—
and their number appeared almost uncountable—
were to be seen examples of all the newest cham-
ber organs, grand and upright pianos and Pianolas
turned out by this enterprising company.
Instruments there were ranging all the way in
price from $300 to $4,200—a magnificent collection
truly. In the white hall in another part of the
building clients of the firm were busy selecting
"records" adaptable to the firm's Pianolas; and
of these records, it is worth while mentioning, the
firm keep a stock running into many hundreds of
thousands and including the interpretations of the
best chamber music by all the most famous modern
musicians.
Of Pianolas we saw innumerable
specimens, all of the most modern type, and the
"demonstrations" from our cicerone, to which we
were privileged to listen, exemplified in an unmis-
takable manner their superlative excellencies.
"Why, the Pianola fairly talks!" was our ad-
miring remark at the conclusion of a magnificent
aria played on one of them. "Yes, don't they?"
answered Manager Haynes with perhaps the faint-
est trace of gratification in his tone, and he quoted
on the instant a Spanish proverb to the same effect,
for be it known that our guide on this occasion
has traveled during his twenty-five or thirty years'
association with the house a matter of something
not so much under a million miles in "Orchestrelle"
interests, a large proportion of the ground covered
having lain in Central and South America and on
the Continent, where the Orchestrelle products
are as well known as in London or New York.
Trade, he subsequently stated when we came to
anchor in his cozy office, is booming everywhere
in the firm's special production. Not only in the
large centers of the two Americas has the Pianola
established itself firmly, but in many a small and
remote up-country town besides.
New Factories Erected. x
With a head establishment situated in New York,
exigencies of the British trade long since de-
manded the erection of a factory in this country,
and quite recently the first of these, erected at
Hayes, near London, has been supplemented by a
second, both equipped with the most delicate and
up-to-date machinery and run, so far as the work-
people are concerned, with the most approved hy-
gienic principles. During our recent visit, Man-
ager Haynes extended to us a courteous invitation
to visit the sources of supply down there at
Hayes in the interest of the Music Trade Review,
so that we hope ere long to be in a position to
give a full account of how the Orchestrelle instru-
ments are built and fashioned.
Woodford & Bill, piano merchants, of Green
Bay, Wis., have leased new premises in that city.
Fred Bagby, of Macomb, 111., has recently pur-
chased the music store of Mrs. Claud Walker. ,
We propose to give five dollars a week for a
short, chatty expression of views upon interesting
topics. Consult our special announcement else-
where.
A satisfied customer
is a real profit maker
—the best salesman a
piano dealer can possibly
have
Every Packard owner is a Packard
booster. H e is more than satis-
fied—for he has received more
than "full value" for his money
That's the reason Packard pianos
are easy to sell—and that's the
reason you will find profit and
pleasure in selling them. Also it's
the reason why we are finding it
easy ,to get the better dealers
everywhere to handle them. Write
The Packard Company, Fort
Wayne, Indiana—to-day. If we
are not already represented in
your territory, we may be glad
to make agency arrangements
with you—and it may mean for
you the one big opportunity.