Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1920 1751

Page 6 Text:

RE8TO
PRESTO
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT 407 SOUTH DEAR-
BORN STREET, OLD COLONY BUILDING, CHICAGO, ILL.
A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT
Editor*
Telephones: Chicago Tel. Co., Harrison 234; Auto. Tel. Co., Automatic 61-703.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Commercial Cable Co.'s Code),
"PRESTO," Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the Post Office, Chicago. Illinois.
•
under Act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1; Foreign, $4. Payable In advance. J No «xtr»
ffe in U. S. possensions, Canada, Cuba and Mexico '
~
Address all communications for the editorial or business departments to PRESTO
PUBLISHING CO., Chicago, III.
Advertising RatetfcWThree dollars per inch (13 ems pica) for single insertions.
Six dollars per inch p'er month, less twenty-flve per cent on yearly contracts. Th«
Presto does not sell its editorial space. Payment Is not accepted for articles of de-
scriptive character or other matter appearing In the news columns. Business notices
will be Indicated by the word "advertisement" In accordance with the Act of August
84, 1912.
Rates for advertising in th© Tear Book issue and Export Supplements of The
Presto Will be made known upon application. The Presto Year Book and Export
issues b4ye the most extensive' circulation of any periodicals devoted to the musical
Instrument trades and industries in all parts of the world, and reach completely and
effectually all the houses handling musical instruments of both the Eastern and West-
ern hemispheres.
>
The Presto Buyeis' Guide is the only reliable index to the American Musical
Instruments; it analyzes all Pianos and Player-Pianos, gives accurate estimates m
their values and contains a directory of their manufacturers.
® Items of news, photographs and other matter of general interest to the muiM
trades are invited and when accepted will be paid for. Address all communications to
f*r«st» Publishing Co.i Chicago, III.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1920.
TO CORRESPONDENTS.
PRESTO IS ALWAYS GLAD TO RECEIVE NEWS OF THE
TRADE—ALL KINDS OF NEWS EXCEPT PERSONAL SLANDER
AND STORIES OF PETTY MISDEEDS BY INDIVIDUALS. PRESTO
WILL PRINT THE NAMES OF CORRESPONDENTS WHO SEND IN
"GOOD STUFF" OR ARE ON THE REGULAR STAFF. DON'T SEND
ANY PRETTY SKETCHES, LITERARY ARTICLES OR "PEN-PIC-
TURES." JUST PLAIN NEWS ABOUT THE TRADE—NOT ABOUT
CONCERTS OR AMATEUR MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENTS, BUT
ABOUT THE MEN WHO MAKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND
THOSE WHO SELL THEM. REPORTS OF NEW STORES AND
THE MEN WHO MAKE RECORDS AS SALESMEN ARE GOOD. OF-
TEN THE PIANO SALESMEN ARE THE BEST CORRESPONDENTS
BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY LIKE TO READ AND HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FINDING OUT WHAT IS "DOING" IN
THE TRADE IN THEIR VICINITY. SEND IN THE N E W S -
ALL YOU CAN GET OF IT—ESPECIALLY ABOUT YOUR OWN
BUSINESS.
A MUSICAL MIRACLE
This is certainly a wonderful age. Heard so before, have you?
But not in connection with affairs musical. Nevertheless, among all
the wonders of the time we do not know of another that much sur-
passes, in its all but unbelievable demonstration, the instrument which
in multiplication of effects transcends in its performances any and
all pianists that ever lived!
The world has known many divinely gifted pianists. From the
days of Thalberg and Gottschalk to Von Bulow, Rubinstein, Liszt,
DePachman and Paderewski, on to such wizards of today as Godow-
sky, Ornstein and Moiseiwitsch, the list has been a long one. But
each of the great ones has possessed his limitations in individuality,
idiosyncracies and endurance. There have been no two who could
follow precisely the interpretative genius of the other. And all have
had their special powers of execution, or of expression. What, then,
of an instrument of wood, metal and felt, that can reproduce at will
the powers of any performer—every effect of the master genius of
any or all of the great pianists? Who would have believed, say ten
years ago, that such a thing would ever be possible?
Last week, in Carnegie Hall, New York, the miracle was accom-
plished before an audience consisting of cold critics and, possibly,
skeptical piano experts and members of the trade. And no fewer than
five of the greatest living pianists contributed to the most remark-
able recital ever listened to by those in the audience. The wizardry
of Godowsky, the power of Ornstein, the delicacy of Moiseiwitsch,
were demonstrated in the flesh-and-blood performances of some of
the modern compositions, and then repeated by an insensate handi-
work of man, in a manner far beyond the skill of any save the greatest
of pianists.
And the marvelous touch and tone of the artistic human per-
formances were faithfully reproduced by the wonderful Ampico! It
must have been an event almost weird in its incomprehensible effects.
February 12, 1920.
The living artist wooing from the keyboard the most perfect effects,
or crashing the chords of the Liszt Rhapsody. And the seemingly
lifeless piano waking to the same thrill and the identical tonal results
at the gentle pressure of the controling pedals.
Surely the inventive genius of man has not of late all been ex-
pended in chaining the lightning or in the devices of destruction. The
Ampico is an evidence that "peace hath her victories no less re-
nowned than war."
Piano men who attended the remarkable Ampico demonstration
at Carnegie Hall, last week Wednesday, were by that alone well
repaid for the trip to New York. And the music loving public no
less have in store for them the evidence of another miracle, as well
as a musical delight, many times to be repeated through the years
still to come.
J. HARRY ESTEY
An active and influential representative of the third generation
of a distinguished family is lost to the American musical instrument
industry in the death of Mr. J. Harry Estey. So far as concerns
the present contemporaneous energies in the music trade, the name
of Estey seems to run back through to the very first beginning of
the industry. And this is not only because of the remote date at
which the house of Estey was founded, but even, more because of the
prominence which the succeeding members of the family have occu-
pied as leaders in enterprise.
Mr. J. Harry Estey was the grandson of Jacob Estey who, about
the year 1848, established the reed organ industry at Brattleboro, Vt.,
which has retained the name to this day. Jacob Estey was followed
by his son, Col. Julius J. Estey, father of the late J. Harry Estey,
who, in turn, had taken his place in the work of perpetuating the
famous organ industry. But while he retained his activities in the
Brattleboro industry, Mr. Estey was long active in the affairs of the
Estey Piano Co., in New York City, the beginning of which also was
due to the activities of his ancestors.
Mr. J. Harry Estey was of the quiet and earnest order of men.
He has made his mark in the industry, and his place will be hard
to fill in circles which have known him almost from childhood. In his
going there is a significant reminder of the changes which come, often,
unexpectedly in the larger affairs of the industry. And while the old
Brattleboro house will move right along as before, the energetic
counsel of a man who was by nature a positive influence in all that
he undertook, must be sadly missed for a long time to come. And
while Mr. Estey was personally not widely known in the trade gen-
erally, his place in the world of musical instruments has been every-
where recognized, and his incisive expressions of opinion have com-
manded respect always.
Like his father and his grandfather, too, Mr. Estey was a man
who liked to delve into the scientific sides of his industry. How
much his personal interest and activity have done in the further
shaping of the old house in which he was active is not known to
many in the business. But to those who knew J. Harry Estey well
there is nothing but regret at his passing.
PLAYER-ROLL POSSIBILITIES
There was an infelicitous expression in last week's editorial on
"Music Store Changes." And only a few hours had elapsed after
publication when attention was called toi it. In the editorial referred
to the statement was made that "all of the music rolls are cut from
printed sheets or arrangements specially made from printed sheets."
It would have been strange had there not been criticism of that very
obvious mistake. For some of the keenest critics of the trade press
are among the experts who know all about' the methods of music-roll
manufacturers.
Of course it must be a very poor trade paper that calls forth
neither criticism nor commendation. The fact that what is said in this
trade paper suggests discussion is ample recompense for any indi-
cated errors of either judgment or technical information. And while,
perhaps, not many in the trade may know it, the music roll industry
has already passed the point suggested by the statement quoted from
last week's Presto. And the very highest evidence of it is seen
in such remarkable events as the Ampico recitals in New York last
week, and which was also reviewed in this paper. It was the climax
of other similar performances, in which the reproducing piano has
reflected the actual pianism of artists of world-wide distinction.
Of course the music rolls by which such effects are possible could
not be created by any merely mechanical process. They must be the
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
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Page 7 Text:

PRESTO
February 12, 1920.
results of the actual contact of genius—the red-hot sparks from the
anvil of inspiration. Nor is this the only great attainment of music
roll production in its highest, almost miraculous development.
It was true, a few years ago, that the player rolls were "cut from
printed or manuscript notes." Many of them are still so made. But
today the most inspirational or casual improvisations of the creative
pianist may be recorded in the music rolls direct, to be repeated again
just as the player sent them forth. It is even said that some of the
great song "hits" of recent publication were first recorded by the re-
producing piano.
It is clear to anyone who has knowledge of such things, that
often the very best work of the melodist and composer has been
lost before the fleeting inspiration could be chained by pen and paper.
So that to any musician who has also the creative gift, the possibili-
ties of the modern music roll are easily conceivable. And it is equally
clear that the musical world of the future will owe a debt beyond
computation to the genius of the present which has made the music
roll and its permanent results a part of the everyday life.
And yet, and nevertheless, the article of last week, on "Music
Store Changes," was in the main accurate. It displayed no lack of
understanding more serious than a somewhat unhappy mode of
expression at the point where player music roll cutting was referred
to.
JUST THE SAME IN THE PIANO TRADE
IN TIMES AHEAD
Let us take a look into the future. For a long time to come it
will be customary to tell of the past four years, and conditions in
trade as they now exist will be the basis of warning, exclamation and
comparison. But what of the future with respect to what it may
bring to the piano and kindred industries and trades?
So far as concerns the immediate future, nothing could be more
significant than the kind of comment that followed the publication
of Mr. C. G. Steger's announcement that there would be no further
advance in the prices of the products of the industry of which he is
the head. As might have been anticipated, adverse criticism of Mr.
Steger's article was frequent among piano manufacturers and travel-
ing salesmen. On the other hand, members of the retail trade were
warm in praise of the piano manufacturer's attitude. And why this
was so is clear enough. On one side was the fear that conditions
might force an advance, while on the other was the satisfactory assur-
ance, or intimation, that there already existed a sufficient margin of
profit for the protection of the factory end of it.
Consequently, Mr. Steger was the object of both criticism and
commendation. And in that alone what he said must have accom-
plished a good purpose. For it is what makes men think that exerts
influence, and the piano trade needs the stimulus of intellectual shock
to keep it alert and progressive.
Nor are the critics of Mr. Steger justified in attributing specially
selfish motives to what he said. It may be that the somewhat un-
usually frank declarations set forth may have a tendency to bring a
deeper kind of attention among dealers than the ordinary interview,
or discussion, could induce. But that fact doesn't, in itself, suggest
anything less than the utmost sincerity.
It has been said, by more than one letter-writer to Presto, that
Mr. Steger's article will make it more difficult for salesmen to apply
increased prices to customers who have been paying too little. We
fail to see the force of the argument. The piano trade is not unlike
other lines in the fundamentals. If a piano has been selling at whole-
sale for prices too low, the dealer is the very one who knows it. If
he is at all equipped to do the piano business successfully, he knows
when he is paying too little, and he very rarely pays too much. The
small margin of manufacturer's profit has been responsible for the
unsatisfactory condition of the piano business during all of the past
twenty years.
When the manufacturers were openly declaring that they were
selling on a margin of $5, the retailers were likewise making little or
no money. They came to regard the piano as an article of ordinary
commerce and sold it just as the grocer sold flour, sugar, or other
perishables. And the idea of cheapness was passed along to the
public, until it was common for a prospect to boldly offer to "pay the
cash" if he could buy at cost! And, not infrequently, the dealer was
foolish enough to show his bills to convince the customer of the sacri-
fice, and to invoke the utmost "confidence"—which was, of course,
violated before noon the next day!
The future will be the better because the prices have been forced
up. It is the tonic of bitter taste to the run-down constitution. And
should the producing cost of pianos soon begin to decline, it is to be
"•.V '^• r '*''*tr%." l s\
'"'•' ;•'-<"•»'- V ^^"'ii'^^'r^'''-'" 1 ;.-'--^''^^*^-^^^
m
'Now, gentlemen, when a customer kicks on the price of an article
don't forget our slogan: 'The next lot will be higher.' "
—The Milwaukee Sentinel.
hoped that the manufacturers will not hasten to tell the dealers, and
that when the dealers do find it out, they will forget to impart the
sweet wisdom to the public.
The future of the piano business is in the hands of the present.
We hope that the time will never again come when the men who
make the piano business will also be the ones to work its ruin, or
nearly 1 that. High prices in the essentials of life just now work hard-
ship. But in the piano business the increase prevents the elements of
betterment in the future. The dignity of the instrument is, in a meas-
ure, restored and the methods of the business have been proportion-
ately elevated. Let's keep it that way.
BAD FOR BRITAIN
The unreasoning demands of labor have brought a great loss
to the musical interests of Great Britain. As a result of the great
increase in the cost of labor, and the even greater reduction in the
amount of work done, one of England's greatest and oldest piano
industries has suspended and threatens to remain closed for all time
to come.
Following the statement that it now requires 26 high-priced
workers to produce a piano once created by six low-priced workers,
the house of Brinsmead of London has declared its purpose to quit.
The impossibility of manufacturing high-grade; pianos at a profit was
given as the cause of suspension. And so fades out the fame and
the experience of nearly a hundred years in the British piano industry.
The house of John Brinsmead & Sons was founded in 1836. The
Brinsmead piano has been regarded as/ one of the most representative
in all Europe, and vied with the Broadwood in its claims upon the
attention of great pianists. It has sold for good prices, and there was
a time when it had some sale on this side of the Atlantic. When
there was a serious attempt to form a "trust" of pianos in this country,
and the Steinways held out, there were two or three foreign instru-
ments considered with a view to their establishing American factories
for purposes of the "trust." One of them was the Brinsmead, and
another was the Bechstein. The latter had been about settled upon
when the "trust" blew up.
Is there any possibility of the Brinsmead incident having a coun-
terpart in the United States? We do not think so. Improved meth-
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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