Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW,
sivity. The large demand is for noisy music,
noisy dancing, silly, noisy amusement. But
suppose that some of those who have been
complaining about the unhappy condition of
the piano business should get themselves to-
gether and make up their minds to think out
afresh the whole player-piano problem. Sup-
pose that they should proceed somewhat in
the manner following:
The player-piano derives its right to exist
solely from its ability to give to an amateur
who loves the piano a surpassing capacity
for playing it. The player-piano will not, in
any circumstances, impart taste; but it will
give untrained taste a chance. Any person,
man or woman, who will take the trouble
to learn the simple principles of the foot-
work can learn quickly to play well, and
so give vent to his or her desire to have
personal part in the production of music. It
is, however, obvious that the masses are not,
at the present time certainly, interested in
any such appeal to intelligence and taste.
On the other hand, there is a pretty well-
estimated minority which is already inter-
ested in just such an appeal, and to which
the appeal could properly and fruitfully be
made. In a word, if a player-piano designed
for the sole purpose of giving to the intelli-
gent amateur power over the resources of the
greatest of musical instruments were brought
out at this time, it might succeed and might
even succeed on a large scale.
What would this instrument have to in-
clude? Obviously it ought to be founded
on a grand piano tonally and mechanically
good, or else upon an upright, small, beau-
tiful to look at and tonally satisfactory for
the small apartment. But the crucial factor
must be the design and construction of the
player action. This must, as it easily can,
be designed for the sole purpose of offering
to its user every possible playing conven-
ience and responsiveness. All non-speaking
parts should be operated without calling on
the foot, which should therefore be devoted
entirely to controlling the touch. The music-
roll should be improved until it has become
virtually a score. The whole effort should
be to give to the user the utmost in the way
of ability to play and of the feeling that
he is playing and not "operating" or "driv-
ing." Such an instrument, built not for mass
production or for sale to the masses, but for
quality and for sale to those two or three
millions who throughout the country love the
Guarantees
Quality
ps
kN
PFRIEMER HAMMERS
Always Found in Pianos
of the Highest Quality
Originators of the Re-enforced Tone
Producing Hammer
piano and would like to play, can be made,
and made at a fair price. It ought to be
made. It would be salable. It might foTin
the foundation of a new and high-class
branch to the piano industry. It might even
lead to many technical tonal improvements
in the piano itself.
One more thing: The name "player-piano"
would simply have to go. I offer another
name: "Clavilude," which means "keyboard
player."
Of course, if you still think that all this is
asinine I cannot help it. But I am still con-
vinced that while it may be and is radical
it is not silly.
The Merthenot Instrument
The other day I had the great pleasure of
talking with M. Merthenot, the talented
young French engineer and violoncellist, who
is over in this country exhibiting his new
oscillator-tube keyboard musical instrument.
He has played it in New York, in Phila-
delphia, in Chicago and elsewhere. He has
made a very interesting and possibly very
important development.
M. Merthenot and I are much alike in
one way. He can read and write English;
I can read and write French, quite easily.
But, alas, we both found that reading and
writing are not talking.
His rapid and
beautiful French had to be toned down to a
slow measured delivery before I could under-
stand him. My rapid but not so beautiful
English had to be bridled in the same way.
But we got along very well.
M. Merthenot is, in my opinion, ahead of
the Russian engineer, Theremin. He utilizes
an endless ribbon made of two equal lengths
of material joined, one-half being electrically
conductive and the other non-conductive. By
holding this ribbon at a point immediately
opposite one of the joints between the two
materials and moving it to the right or left
across his electric field, he controls the ca-
pacity and so the beat-tone produced be-
tween the two oscillators. The instrument
is provided with a keyboard of five oc-
taves, although its actual compass is more
than an octave higher and lower than this.
By moving the ribbon along in front of the
keys the player can select the exactly right
point at which to stop in order to produce
each beat-tone corresponding to a tone of
the musical scale. The performer thus runs
up and down the scale, using the keys merely
as resting places for the fingers with which
he manipulates the ribbon. The keys may
also be used for playing, on the same prin-
ciple, and are useful when a staccato effect
is needed.
Intensity is controlled by a rheostat under
the guidance of a tilting table manipulated
by the left hand. Inductance circuits en-
able the player to alter the composition of
the electric wave sent into the loud speaker,
so as to obtain some variation in quality.
The instrument is a considerable improve-
ment on that of Theremin, in my opinion.
A large American music house is negotiating
for the American rights.
CHAS. PFRIEMER, INC.
Fire in Organ Plant
Wales Ave. & 142nd St., New York
Lytton Building, Chicago
Fire caused a damage of $10,000 to the
plant of the Hillgren-Lane Co., pipe organ
manufacturers of Alliance, O., on January 15.
J
43
February, 1931
WM. G. SCHAFF BUYS
PIANO STRING CO.
The machinery and material of the Schaff
Piano String Co., Chicago, which made an
assignment a short time ago, was recently
purchased by William G. Schaff for $2,500.
The metal chair department of this company
was bought by the mother of E. C. Johnson,
former manager of the company, for $1,700.
The Schaff Piano String Corp. has been
formed and the plant will be operated as
heretofore.
Incorporation
The Schaff Piano String Corp., 211 Cly-
bourn avenue, Chicago, has been incorporat-
ed with a capital stock of $10,000 to deal in
pianos and musical instruments. The incor-
porators are A. L. Lienthal, Charles Mylea
and Louise M. Johnson, all residents of
Chicago.
DISTINCTIVE
TONE QUALITY
For generations Poehlmann
Music Wire and Fly Brand
Tuning Pins have made many
pianos famous for their re-
nowned tonal qualities.
The continued prestige of Fly Brand Pins
and Poehlmann Wire is due solely to
quality. Every detail is watched minutely.
Made from special drawn wire by men
who have done nothing else for a lifetime,
they embody every known requisite for
quality. That is why many manufacturers
of high-grade pianos demand Poehlmann
Wire and Fly Brand Pins.
SOLE AGENT U. S. A.
American Piano Supply Co.
Division of
HAMMACHER-SCHLEMMER
& COMPANY
104-106 East 13th Street
New York, N. Y.