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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President, J. B. Spillane,
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
Plavoi*
Piann and
Ild
JCl -riallU
allU
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
are dealt with, will be found in another section of
this paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concern-
ing which will be cheerfully given upon request.
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NEW Y O R K ,
DECEMBER
1, 1 9 1 7
EDITORIAL
REVIEW
It is the intention of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce to co-operate with the Government in the closest possible
way and to present the claims of the music trade industry for the
consideration of the authorities.
DISTINCT forward move in the progress of trade accept-
A ances
throughout the country was revealed at the meeting
of the American Trade Acceptance Council held in New York
last week. The council has been in existence only since the
business war convention held at Atlantic City in September,
yet since that time much has been accomplished toward estab-
lishing an organization, national in scope, to advance the move-
ment. Numerous committees have been formed and are actively
campaigning, and this is regarded as only a beginning. Every
effort will be put forth during the next few months to arouse
general interest in the trade acceptance and introduce it as a
means of aiding large and small business over the period of
financial strain which the Government's war program will in-
volve.
preparations for trade after the war are being
G ERMAN
scrutinized carefully by experts in the Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce, of the Department of Commerce, and
the recent important report on the subject of "German Foreign-
Trade Organization," by Chauncey D. Snow, which touched on
this point, has been in such great demand as to establish a new
sales record for Government trade reports.
Since the war eliminated Germany from world trade, the
United States has improved its position in foreign markets in
spite of the shipping shortage and other abnormal restrictive
factors. Department officials point out that the future prosperity
of the country will depend in part on Germany's loss of good-
will in practically all foreign markets and in part upon American
ability to maintain our new prestige. American business must
not make the mistake of seeing only one side of this situation
and thus underestimating the German capacity for foreign trade,
nor the energy, application and craft with which German busi-
ness will address itself to the task of regaining favor in markets
in which it once prospered.
N
OTHING in the history of music or musical instrument cre-
HERE is no need to indulge in hysteria in considering the
ation in America parallels the success scored by the repro-
attitude of the Government toward the music trade industry.
ducing type of piano introduced in two concerts recently held in
R. S. Lovett, the chairman of the Priority Board, and H. A. Gar- New York. As already recorded reportorially in The Review,
field, the Fuel Administrator in Washington, are on record as
the Duo-Art piano was the soloist with the New York Sym-
stating that they will place every safeguard about industry, and
phony Orchestra, directed by Walter Damrosch, in the Saint-
that no action will be taken "without reasonable notice and an Saens Concerto in G Minor from a Duo-Art recording made by
opportunity to be heard."
Harold Bauer, while the Ampico Reproducing piano, assisted by
Meanwhile, it is now up to the members of the entire in-
the Rialto Symphony Orchestra, led by Dr. Hugo RiesenfehL
dustry, whether manufacturers, dealers, traveling men, sales- "was heard in an Ampico record of the Grieg A Minor Concerto,
men, or anybody else interested, to get right behind the Music
made by Marguerite Volavy.
Industries Chamber of Commerce and its general manager, Geo.
Both occasions were not only novel, but historical, for they
W. Pound, so that they may present to the Government such
chronicle the first public appearance of the reproducing piano as
facts as will convince those in, authority that musical instru-
soloist with a great musical organization in America. Those
ment production is an absolute necessity during war times.
who had the privilege of being present, apart from the critics
The facts in favor of music as an essential to the morale of of the daily press, were a unit in declaring that the instruments
our army and navy, and a necessity in the home, are so over-
filled the role of soloists in a manner so perfect and so satisfac-
whelming that they only need collating and presentation, backed
tory as to inspire the audiences to extremes of enthusiasm.
with such figures as will be deemed authoritative, to secure the
The recordings of both Bauer and Volavy were so personal,
favorable consideration which they merit from the Government.
so exactingly accurate in every nuance, in every shade of artistic
Whatever is done, however, must be done quickly, and no finish, in sublimity and grandeur of expression, with that
one having the interests of the industry at heart should neglect
union between orchestra and artist that one would hardly ex-
to extend his best support and manifest a keen personal inter-
pect when the soloist happens to be an inanimate object, that it
est in the work of the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
aroused not only surprise, but established beyond peradventure
and its manager, Mr. Pound.
that we had entered upon a new era in the musical domain. For
This whole subject, however, can be considered without in-
instance, one noted critic stated that Mr. Bauer himself might
dulging in sensational statements that tend to unsettle the in- have been sitting at the keyboard, so extraordinarily faithful to
dustry. It means the application of common sense and good
the original, so photographically correct, one might say, was
judgment, and what is most necessary, immediate action. It is
this Duo-Art achievement, while Bodanzky, the conductor of
not the time when the alarmist should be in the saddle.
the Metropolitan Opera Co., in referring to the Knabe-Ampico
It is absurd to consider that the Government desires to ruin
reproducing piano entitled it—"a great phenomenon in the world
the industries of the country despite the exaggerated stories
of miracles."
reaching the daily newspapers from Washington. Their regula-
Nothing that has ever occurred in trade history can equal
tion by the Government is, of course, necessary to meet war con- these concerts as a means of bringing to public attention the
ditions.
amazing advance made in the art of reproducing or photograph-
T