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The Music Trade Review
JANUARY, 1931
Twelve Grands, Twenty-four Pianists,
In Little Rock Steinway Ensemble
T I T T L E ROCK, ARK.—The annual Stein-
*—' way Ensemble has apparently become a
definite institution among music lovers of Little
Rock and vicinity judging from the size of the
audience which attended the fourth annual con-
cert of the group held in the auditorium of
the Senior High School on November 23, under
the auspices of W. P. Hamilton of the O. K.
Houck Piano Co.
It was estimated that over 2,500 people
Gray, Mrs. W. P. Hamilton, Miss Beattie Hin-
ton (Pine Bluff), Mrs. George W. Hawbecker,
Mrs. Morris Jessup, Mrs. Bernard Jansen, Miss
Ila Johnson, Mrs. D. A. Morton, Mrs. Howard
Merrill, Mrs. G. H. Mathis, Mrs. Ray Patter-
son (Pine Bluff), Mrs. Earl Saunders, Mrs.
Chas. E. Shoemaker, Miss Leonore Swearingen,
Mrs. E. A. Stanley, Mrs. Hugh Barclay Tucker,
Miss Linda Wiles, Mrs. Lawrence Witherspoon.
The program, which was particularly well
21
in the future of the piano and the outlook for
business.
Mr. Randall first warned that he is not sound-
ing false notes of optimism, but he points to
some distinct signs that piano business is com-
ing back. The prolonged business depression
has had the effect of making people return to
their homes to seek enjoyment, and they have
become better acquainted with their families,
Mr. Randall points out. As a result they have
seen in many cases that their children are not
having the advantages of music lessons. They
have also seen that there is much pleasure in
music in the home.
These are not mere guesses, as to an impor-
tant social condition, but are backed up by the
fact that there are more students studying piano
now than before. Another thing, in Mr. Ran-
dall's own experience, there are people buying
recordings for their piano now who have not
made such a purchase in two years. The tuning
department has been exceptionally busy and
working day and evening at a steady pace.
There has been an evident desire to get pianos
in good condition before the Christmas holi-
days.
Booklet Outlines History
of Grotrian-Steinweg Piano
The Curtis Distributing Co., Inc., New York,
sole distributors in the United States for the
Grotrian-Steinweg piano, has just issued an in-
teresting booklet entitled "The Truth About the
Grotrian-Steinweg Piano." The book is de-
voted to a history of the instrument and to the
history of those who founded it and carried on
its manufacture. Pertinent facts regarding ex-
clusive structural features are also presented,
as are lists of noted artists who have used and
endorsed those pianos and members of Eu-
ropean Courts to whom Grotrian-Steinweg have
been supplied.
The Annual Steinway Ensemble in Little Rock, Ark. Inset—View of the Vast Audience
crowded into the auditorium for the concert,
many of them being forced to stand back of
the stage, while several hundred were turned
chosen to exhibit the possibilities of ensemble
piano playing, was as follows:
Mozart—Sonata Op. 3—No. l—
{
awav IIPPJIISP nf larlr of e m c p .'noHp
away Decause ot lack oi space inside.
Allegro, Andante, Allegro Molto
Kuhlau—Sonata Op. 44—No. 1—
AHmic
Admis-
sion was by invitation and the demand for
tickets was little short of enormous.
The Piano Ensemble organized by Mr. Ham-
iltnn anrl trainpri n n r W trip Hi'rprrinn r>f Mice
uton and trained under tne direction ot Miss
Martha May Cline is strictly a piano group and
would attract attention anywhere for the fact
,
,
,
.
that twelve grand pianos a r e played simultane-
ously by twenty-four pianists in several num-
hers. All the pianists in this year's concert
T • i i-v i
J • • •
J
r
were from
Little Rock and vicinity and spent
two months in rehearsal without compensation
before their public appearance. Last year nine
Steinway pianos were used and the addition of
three instruments this year led to the belief
.
that It was the largest group of non-profes-
sional pianists that has yet appeared on a single
stage at one time.
The participating artists included: Mrs. A.
,,
_ _, .,
.,
» T ,
T _ .
T
L.
Barber, Mrs. James
E. Bradley, Mrs. Nathan
Bright, Miss Catherine Dalrymple, Mrs. Law-
son Delony, Mrs. H. A. Emerson, Miss Frances
Conn's Music Shoppe
Enjoys Quick Success
SAN p-RANcisco, CAL.—Conn's Music Shoppe is
one of the show places in the Mission business
district of San Francisco.
But a one-story
building, four large skylights down its length
furnish a flood of daylight. Before E. J. Conn
took possession several months ago the store
was richly and attractively redecorated. Walls
are of a French gray tinctured with touches
of color and the cabinet work of the room is
shaded to harmonize. Against this background
the finish of the pianos stands out beautifully.
"Yes, the piano is something nice, and it needs
I 12 Pianos
\ 48 Hands
Death of Emile Cruells,
Veteran Music Dealer
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.—The long music career of
Emile Cruells was recently ended by death.
The end came rather suddenly as he had pre-
Mrs
- Morton, Mrs. Merrill, Mrs. Tucker,
viously been in very good health. A native of
M r s B a r b e r j M i s s D a | r y m p i e ] M r s . Em-
Barcelona, Spain, music had been his theme
erson, Miss Hinton, Miss S'wearingen,
from boyhood. Thirty years ago he opened his
Miss ^Vilcs
first music merchandise store in the down-town
„ . < - , . , '
district of San Francisco. Burned out by the
Nevin—Gondoliers—From A Day in Venice" |
fire in 1906, he moved out to the Mission Dis-
(Venetian Love Song)
1 10 Pianos
trict. Here he did an enormous business in
^ " ^ ] t f ^ 8?i. B « b £ Miss 'iMr^ l 2 °
^
P e, Mrs. Emerson, Mrs. Saunders, Mrs.
pianos and sheet music, and later in phono-
Hamilton, Mrs. Merrill, Mrs. Tucker,
Miss Swearingea, Miss Wiles.
graphs. At one time he had several hun-dred
Weber—Invitation to the Dance
(12 Pianos pianos rented out, all makes and values.
48 Han s
'
"
Mrs. Cruells is continuing the business, oper-
E S ^ e f e S m ^ s ^AW
\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ 9 P.anos ating under the name of the Mission Phono-
Schubert—Heller—The Trout Op. 32
[ 18 Hands
Mrs. Delony, Mrs. Patterson, Mrs. With-
graph and Piano Co. at 2226 Mission street. As
erspoon, Miss Johnson, Miss Gray, Mrs.
she
has always been associated in the business
tO
S Bright> M
Shoemaker>
M?s. j4ss5fp. '
^
Chaminade—Interlude Op. 36—No. 1
S 8 Pianos this is not a special hardship, the more so as
there are no outstanding obligations.
Mendelssohn—Rondo
Capriccioso Op. 14
Mrs
- Delony, Mrs. Patterson, Mrs. Shoe-
maker, Mrs. Jessup, Mrs. Mathis, Mrs.
Witherspoon, Mrs. Bright, Miss Wiles.
Allegro, Arioso, Rondo, Allegro
[
Pirani—Airs Bohemiens Op. 35
( 12 Pianos
Mrs. Bradleyi, Miss Gray, Mrs. Hamilton,
Dvorak
SI C D n S
P 46> N S
1
VI
Business of D. W. Lerch
Co., Canton, O., Is Sold
. ? " to
7?. sell
;. right,"
. ° ; T"
'. . Conn.
{ M S He
S
a 7 d r.
the right
setting
says
specializes in the Francis Bacon and the
Schulz. Conn was for several years manager
of the Sherman Clay branches in the Mission
District and the Filmore District, so he had a
CANTON, O.—The sale of the D. W. Lerch Co.,
ready-built acquaintance with which to start one of the oldest and best known music houses
business, and that accounts for the fact that he in eastern Ohio, to T. A. Rice, Wooster, O.,
has proven successful from the start.
music merchant, and A. L. Ebert, of Rittman,
has been announced by D. W. Lerch, president
of the company.
The Lerch Co. has been located in Market
avenue, N. Canton, since 1895. It carries one
of the largest stocks of pianos, radios, musical
merchandise and records of any store in this
MILWAUKEE, WIS.—Looking forward into 1930, section. The new owners will assume immed-
Hugh W. Randall, president of the J. B. Brad- iate possession. No changes in policy or per-
ford Piano Co., expressed renewed confidence sonnel will be made at this time.
Hugh W. Randall Expresses
Confidence in 1931