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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
11
DEALERS FEEL BUOYANT OVER CONDITIONS IN BALTIMORE
Close of the Year Shows Wonderful Increase in All Lines, But Special Emphasis Is Laid on the
Demand for Players, Which Has Been One of the Features of the Year—News of the Week
BALTIMORE, MD., January 2.—Baltimore piano
dealers experienced one of the best in-between
Christmas and New Year's business that they
have ever had. This was particularly true of the
player sales, which showed some exceptionally
good results. Some of the houses were cleaned
out of the cheap and moderate-priced players,
and were thus able to sell in some instances bet-
ter grades of instruments.
A general survey of the field shows that more
pianos and players were sold in Baltimore dur-
ing 1916 than any previous year. The busi-
ness would have been even greater if some of
the firms had been able to have the class of
instruments on hand for which they had sales
This will more than likely result in good busi-
ness dealings throughout the month of Jan-
uary.
Advertising while not as large has been kept
up by some of the dealers, who were wise
enough to take advantage of the prosperous
times, and it resulted in these firms cashing in.
All of the dealers looked forward to business
keeping up well, and are optimistic as to what
1917 holds in store for them.
I. Son Cohen, of Cohen & Hughes, who were
the heaviest advertisers in 1916, expressed him-
self as well pleased with the piano and player
business, which he said was the greatest in
the history of the firm. The new home of the
firm at 220 North Howard street is rapidly
Hearing completion, and the piano departments
will soon be ready for use. Rooms to show the va-
rious high-grade instruments that the firm now
carries in addition to its popular priced instru-
ments are expected to be handsomer and more
individual than anything of its kind in the coun-
try.
Big business was done last week by Charles
M. Stieff in spite of the fact that the Christ-
mas rush was supposed to be over.- J. G.
Schnepfe, general auditor for the firm, reports
that some excellent reports have come in from
the branch stores, and during the week many
of the branches sent in some excellent orders
which they wanted filled immediately. It kept
the firm on the go getting out the instruments.
By the time all the reports from the branches
are received it is believed that the week will
measure up very well with some of the weeks
before Christmas when business which was lit-
tle short of remarkable was done.
S. P. Walker, the general manager for the
firm, is on a business trip to Lancaster and
Harrisburg.
Miss Ethel Dryden will use one of the Stieff
orchestral grand pianos at a recital she will
give at the Peabody Conservatory of Music on
Friday afternoon.
E. C. Taylor, sales manager for William
Kna'be & Co., while not finding any fault with
conditions, reports that things have fallen off
considerably since Christmas. But this house
did a wonderful business during the Christmas
buying period and hardly could look for it to
continue. Louis Haebler won the first prize
offered by the company to the outside salesmen
each week for the greatest amount of business
at the least percentage of cost. Walter Yinger
was second, and R. G. Lobb was third.
B. L. Anderson, the manager, and Mr. Taylor
ETTER Piano or Player-
Piano value cannot be
found. You had better
investigate the Schmidt-
Dauber instruments.
B
409 W E S T 14TH S T . NEW YORK
will leave Baltimore to-morrow evening for a
trip to New York.
C. B. Noon, manager of the piano department
of The Hub, local representatives of the
Kranich & Bach and Hardman instruments, re-
ports that he did some good business during last
week, and he also expressed himself as more
than pleased with what business was done dur-
ing the big rush. He looks for the present fine
conditions to continue.
Joseph M. Mann, of the Mann Piano Co.,
Cable Company representatives, says the busi-
ness of 1916 was in excess of the previous year
by a wide margin, although the final details
have not as yet been figured out. The business
the past week was exceptionally large, and even
greater than was expected.
H. D. French, of the H. D. French Piano Co.,
was given quite a shock, while taking his an-
nual holiday sojourn at Chicago last week, when
he was hurriedly called to Cincinnati by the ill-
ness of his mother, who passed away. Mr.
French is expected to return to Baltimore the
early part of this week. Business with the firm
was exceptionally good throughout the year.
Leon Rosenstein, of the Hub Piano Co., rep-
resentatives of the Christman, Smith & Barnes
and Milton pianos, remarked: "We have abso-
lutely no fault to find with the business since
Christmas," he said. "Some of the sales dur-
ing the week were for the highest-priced instru-
ments. If things continue along that line we
will have no complaint whatever."
Cupid has invaded the office of the National
Piano Co., and the engagement of Miss Mildred
Rippel, the firm's cashier, to John Lorenz, is
announced.
The marriage will take place in
the near future, and it is reported that "Cupid"
will also send his dart into another member
of the establishment.
Jesse Rosenstein, of the National Piano Co.,
says the business was greater than expectations
for the year, particularly in popular-priced
players.
C. J. Levin, of Hammann-Levin Co., reports
the greatest business in the firm's history
throughout the year, and this December being
truly wonderful.
Victrola XI, $100
Mahogany or oak
Other styles $15 to $400
Victrola
supremacy
The supremacy of the
Victrola is as evident in
the prosperity of Victor
dealers as in the great
musical accomplishments
of the instrument itself.
THE VALUER THE PIANO
A Great Factor in Musical Development, Says
Leopold Stokowski, in Recent Interview
PHILADELPHIA, PA'., January 2.—The North
American has been running, under the super-
vision of William Neville, manager of piano ad-
vertising, a series of articles featuring the piano
and player-piano which has attracted much fav-
orable attention. The latest article in this series
consisted of an interview with Leopold Stokow-
ski, director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, who
gave expression to his opinion of the value of
the piano in the following words:
"The piano has been an important factor in
musical development in many ways besides this.
It has been the right hand assistant of innumer-
able composers. Ideas come to composers al-
most any time and anywhere, you know. They
are likely to appear in the middle of the night,
and be gone before morning. If they can get
to the piano they are sure to clinch them, and
many have adopted this method.
"Most great orchestral composers think
clearly, of course, in the terms of the orchestra.
The piano is simply a convenient means. But
there are many composers who have been af-
fected by their means and composed pianistically
for the orchestra. That is another phase of the
piano's influence upon music. The best ex-
amples of this are Schumann and Chopin. Some
of Schumann's material is very pianistic. That's
bad, of course. Chopin was really unable to
write for anything but piano, as his orchestra
score for his two concertos prove. It -is im-
possible to run down all the ramifications of the
piano's influence upon musical development. It
has been too devious."
Victrola supremacy
means dealer success.
Victor Talking Machine Co.,
Camden, N. J., U. S. A.
Berliner Gramophone Co.. Montreal,
Canadian Distributors
Important Notice. All Victor Talking Machines are
patented and are only licensed, and with right of use with
Victor Records only. All Victor Records are patented and
are only licensed, and with right of use on Victor Talk-
ing Machines only.
Victor Records and Victor Machines are scientifically
coordinated and synchronized by our special processes of
manufacture; and their use, except with each other; is
not only unauthorized, but damaging and unsatisfactory.