Music Trade Review

Issue: 1915 Vol. 61 N. 18

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
MUSICALLY
SPEAKING.
{Continued from page 8.)
out in the least indulging in eccentricites of tempo
lever control. Play in time, play to get beautiful
tone, play unhurriedly, play it as you would sing
it; these are the instructions that alone one can
give.
The greatest of the nocturnes, however, is, in
our opinion, the piece in G minor (op. 48, No. 1).
For one thing, it is technically, perhaps, the most
formidable to the manual pianist, demanding from
him complete technical mastery, while emo-
tionally it is undoubtedly Chopin's most profound
work in this genre. Chopin's melodies are always
grateful to the ear, always lovely, always exqui-
sitely polished; but they are very seldom "strong,"
; as we apply that word to the opening of Beetho-
ven's Fifth Symphony, for instance. This asser-
tion is amply confirmed in the thematic structure
of the C minor Nocturne. The treatment is cer-
tainly virile, but the opening theme is shorn of
rude; strength. The second melody is quieter, yet
iicertainly more definite and significant. The nub of
i;the'Nocturne is, of course, the repetition of the first
ijtheme in most elaborate part-writing, where each
'imelody note seems to be the tip of a great surging
wave of sound below it. Technically, it is to the
manual pianist extremely difficult, but to the player-
pianist the chief interest is in the development of
ithe thematic ideas. After all, the player-piano is
•most useful and fulfils its mission best when it is
i disentangling an elaborate complex of writing
which embarrasses and perhaps defies the best ef-
forfs of the fingers. The accenting of the melody
Jin this nocturne presents a nice problem to the
!player-pianist, perhaps beyond the reach of all but
ithose who have really mastered and love their in-
jstrument.
i These short notes on the Chopin nocturnes will
serve, we hope, a useful purpose in stimulating
the interest of player-pianists in some of the most
beautiful music ever written.
AN ATTACHABLE MUSIC ROLL
Is the Subject of a Patent Just Granted Geo.
;,
Howlett Davis, West Orange, N. J.
(Special to The Review.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, October 25.—Patent No. 1,-
156,891 was last week granted to George Howlett
\ Davis, West Orange, N. J., for a music roll, which
• is termed "an attachable music roll"; that is to
say, a perforated music roll which has an attaching
hook at its rear end, and the usual attaching ring
at the frotit end so arranged that the hook fastener
may be connected to the ring fastener of an ordi-
nary music roll, and the attachable music roll
wound upon a spooled music roll, the purpose be-
ing to connect two or more such rolls in tandem
and wind the same upon a spool, so that the en-
tire collection of rolls may be mounted in a player
instrument and played consecutively in the ordi-
nary way. The result of such structure is to very
materially reduce the cost of music rolls, inasmuch
as the cost of the spool constitutes a material item
in the manufacture.
The present application discloses an improvement
upon the structure of the above-named prior appli-
cation, and it has for its object the provision of a
substitute for the spool of a music roll, and at the
same time the provision of improved attaching de-
vices whereby all of the results accomplished by
the structure of prior application are accomplished
by this present improvement.
Royal Music Rolls
are made in the most
efficient and clean-cut
plant in the country—
modernized in every par-
ticular. Machinery, men
and methods are para-
mount to achieve quality.
When you sell Royal
Rolls you sell music, and
you make a customer
who likes to buy and to
play his rolls.
Just say '.'prove it
to us" on a postcard
so we can give you
details.
ROYAL MUSICRfJLL CO.
3333 MAIN STREET
BUFPAtO, N, Y.
tance to make the sheet as short as possible, and
accordingly the margin of waste paper between the
For Improvement in Player-Pianos Whereby last perforations of one piece and the first perfora-
the Travel of the Music Sheet Can Be tions of the following piece must be as narrow as
Stopped at a Predetermined Point.
possible. However, it is a matter of equal impor-
tance to stop the movement of the sheet before
(Special to The Review.)
the perforations of the piece next to be played
WASHINGTON, D. C , October 25.—John A. We- reach the vents in the tracker board and when the
ser, New York, is the inventor of an automatic
vents in the tracker board are covered, in order
player-piano, patent No. 1,156,956 for which was
that the operating devices may again be set in mo-
granted last week, and has for its object to pro- tion by automatic devices.
vide automatically operated means controlled by a
It is an object of this invention to provide means
perforation in the music sheet, to stop the travel
operated and controlled by the music sheet, which
of the music sheet at a predetermined point when
shall stop the travel of the music sheet quickly,
desired.
shall be invariable in their operation and shall per-
The invention is designed with particular refer- mit the mechanism to be started again automati-
ence to player-pianos in which is used a music
cally.
sheet provided with perforations to form a series
A further object is to provide in combination
of musical compositions adapted to be rendered
with the means just referred to devices controlled
successively, either upon the introduction of a coin
by the same perforation which initiates the move-
for each piece or upon the proper manipulation of
ment of the pneumatic stopping devices and opera-
manually controlled devices. In the use of a sin- ble substantially simultaneously with the latter to
gle sheet having thereon several independent musi-
render inoperative the primary power means em-
cal compositions it is a matter of primary impor-
ployed in the piano player.
JOHN A. WESER SECURES PATENT
Do You Know How We
Help Our Dealers?
No doubt you have heard of SCHULZ player-pianos. No
doubt you have seen them: but have you ever realized just
how big a proposition the SCHULZ PLAYER proposition
is? Do you know, for instance, how we look after the
interests of those who sell our players? If you do not,
then read what follows:
FOR THE PROSPECT.
FOR THE REPAIRMAN AND TUNER.
The Schulz Player Book; the most
Practical guide to the construc-
tion, regulation and care of
the M. Schulz Co. Player Mech-
efficient piece of sales argument ever put
out for the dealer to hand to his prospect.
It tells the things the prospect wants to
}(non>; a n d nothing else.
Musical News; a Schulz periodical
filled with interesting reading matter and
preaching the Schulz
gospel without
!
"knocking."
'
anism;
a complete treatise on player
pneumatics, so easy a child can under-
stand, so accurate an expert will approve.
Tells the tuner all he needs to know; and
shows him how to do what he needs to do.
For Our Dealers and For Their Salesmen
Not alone the books mentioned and described
above, but the following unique publications:
Advertising
Cuts and Copy for
Schulz Dealers; containing selections
from the best recent work of our adver-
tising department, including many illus-
trated ads.; all ready for immediate use,
suitable for newspaper work, and FREE.
Rubber vs. Metal Tubing; a state-
ment of our position in this respect; for the
dealer who has to meet arguments.
Talking Points on M. Schulz Co.
Player-Pianos;
a little statement of the
big features which give our players their
salable qualities.
These are but the most recent among the many features which
make the work of our Service Department so valuable to those
who sell Schulz Players. WE HELP OUR DEALERS!
Why not get in touch with us?
M. SCHULZ COMPANY
General Offices: 711 Milwaukee Ave., CHICAGO
SOUTHERN WHOLESALE BRANCH:
730 Candler Building, Atlanta, Ga.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
HE hopelessly bourgeois attitude which most of us take toward
the world in general is doubtless to be explained on educa-
tional and environmental grounds. The atmosphere of an office,
a wareroom or a factory is not, be it confessed, particularly con-
ducive to clear thought. Yet it is plain that the world is to-day
going through a period of deep self-searching, and in the process
is due, no doubt, to find the soul which so long ago it lost. We in
the United States are sitting as lookers on at a marvelous, an awful,
cataclysm. How it will end no man knows, save that the right
will triumph. But the point is, that nearly all Americans insist
on regarding it as a sort of game where the interest is in who will
win. The world-war is not a game, and when it is over and the
world, which has been reorganized during its continuance, looks
around with clearer vision, though from the midst of wounds, upon
the still standing earth and plans for the future, we are due to be
strongly and sharply reminded that we have failed to see the great
lessons offered us at no cost and in prodigal quantity. The demo-
cratic among the warring powers are learning the sharp lesson
that democracy and license are not convertible terms; that democ-
racy does not mean, "I am as good as you," with all the degrading
implications of that idea, but "y° u are as good as I am, if not now
then to-morrow to be made as good," with all that thought's splen-
did and exalting significance. Organization and service; shall we
learn these lessons in our own nation, nay, even in our own
business ?
T
A SIMPLE thought is suggested by this word, organization. It
J~\ is a triple-armored misfortune of our trade that we so gen-
erally distrust organization. Consider some conditions we all
recognize in the player industry. There is absolutely nothing
gained by a state of affairs in which fifty types of player mecha-
nism struggle for mastery when each and every one has all the
weakness directly derivable from the fact that it is the jealous pos-
session of one man or one group. These, of course, cling to indi-
vidual peculiarities of their own inside as if they were in them-
selves virtues, and so perpetuate defects not so much because they
do not recognize others' skill as because they are jealous and there-
fore weak. Not a player mechanism exists to-day which would
not be better for being subjected to. criticism by some standard
method of comparison. Consider what immense use would be
found for some sort of bureau of pneumatic engineering, supported
just as the freight bureau of the Piano Manufacturers' Association
has been supported and existing to give expert advice to those who
are engaged in the manufacture of pneumatic mechanisms! Of
course, it is true that any house which is more or less successful
in selling its goods tends at once to think that it possesses all the
mechanical and scientific genius in the industry, and only too often
11
supposes itself to have discovered mysterious, natural secrets, when
in fact it has merely made a lucky stumble on to some small part
of scientific truth. The amount of positive mechanical stupidity
not only marketed, but actually made the subject of boast, would
appall if it were once computed. Here, as in many another place,
organization would be salvation to the future of the player trade.
T is as pleasant to record some approach to standards that are
perceived to be right as it is unpleasant to see persistent disre-
gard of them. The idea that underlies organization in general,
namely, that in serving others we are really serving ourselves best
of all, and that in fact, as a great woman has written, "what blesses
one blesses all," is clearly to be seen in all really successful move-
ments. This idea is now struggling to find expression in our trade
in connection with the as yet unorganized, but significantly alive,
movement to bring about community of action in advertising the
merits of the piano and player-piano as desirable possessions in
themselves, without special regard to controversy over the merits
of any special makes as opposed to others. We speak of the agita-
tion first brought about through the efforts of Mr. Edward Lyman
Bill in this paper, and directed toward educating the trade to the
thought that the public ought to be reminded vigorously through
some sort of common action that the piano and player-piano are
in themselves, as themselves, worthy of more attention, are more
desirable objects of family possession than is sometimes supposed
and are in danger of falling into neglect through the indifference
of a lazy generation. This movement deserves all support and
we hope it will get it.
I
T is not to be supposed that a national campaign will be easily
organized, but it is not difficult to see that the existing associa-
tions might do much to secure community of action in this respect.
There is nothing to prevent piano and player manufacturers from
taking steps to see that adequate publicity for their products is
obtained at the hands of dealers; nor would it be difficult to prepare
general outlines which could be used for the presentation of gen-
eralized arguments applicable to any make of piano, but stressing
general desirability and giving real reasons in support thereof.
Already this idea is being carefully considered by many manufac-
turers and a recent example of definite thought along that line is
found in the newly published bulletin of suggested advertisements
which the M. Schulz Co. is offering to its agents. These stress
above all things the general desirability argument and at the same
time present reasons for the claimed superiority of the Schulz
piano and players. The idea is not new, but it is good; very good
The new house organ, also being published at intervals by this
company, contains much valuable suggestive matter along these
lines. Here is something concrete for the trade to look into.
I
HOW MANY BENCHES
On the market today can boast the
same grace of line and finish as this
No. 100 Standard Style ?
This bench harmonizes handsomely with numerous piano
case designs—and as for finish—well, it's STANDARD-
FINISHED and we'll leave it to your customer.
Duet Piano Bench with Music Compartment
Round Tapered Truss; 5-ply Veneer Top, 37x15 inches. 3-ply Veneer Bird's-eye
Maple Bottom Music Compartment. Height, 20^4 inches. Hand Rubbed and Polished
all over.
£";- [vTvl
;'
Sendpor Catalog
STANDARD PIANO BENCH MFG. CO.
Made in Mahogany, Walnut or Oak. Also Made Convertible for 1223JW. L a k e S t r e e t
Player Pianos.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
CHICAGO

Download Page 10: PDF File | Image

Download Page 11 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.