PRESTO
The American Music Trade Weekly
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SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1923
PRESTO CORRESPONDENCE
IT IS NOT CUSTOMARY WITH THIS PAPER TO PUBLISH REGU-
LAR CORRESPONDENCE FROM ANY POINTS. WE, HOWEVER,
HAVE RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVES IN NEW YORK, BOSTON,
SAN FRANCISCO, PORTLAND, CINCINNATI, INDIANAPOLIS, MIL-
WAUKEE AND OTHER LEADING MUSIC TRADE CENTERS, WHO
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A LOST PIANO CENTER
With the departure for a new and more splendid establishment
of Steinway & Sons, the one-time greatest of New York's piano
centers will reach the end of its fast fading glory in matters musical.
There was a time when no piano man thought of visiting New York
without descending the elevated stairs at Fourteenth street. A good
share of the most distinguished of the world's piano industries had
their headquarters within a radius of four or five blocks from Union
Square, and the popular hotels of the metropolis, where the piano
men were wont to gather, were in that vicinity. It was the very
heart of the nation's musical life.
But how changed today. The beautiful, if inadequate Steinway
Hall, at Fourteenth street and Fourth avenue, is the last of the piano
houses and music centers of New York's old-time cluster of famous
mid-city headquarters. When it was built Union Square was "fenced
in" by tall, spear-like pickets* with gates at the four sides. Opposite
the south gate was the Morton House of later days; on the east
the Union Square Hotel was for years the piano men's meeting
place, and other popular resorts and gathering places were on all
sides.
Within the recollection of many piano men, still active in the
business, Steinway Hall has had for its neighbors the Sohmer fac-
tory, at the Third avenue corner, Decker Bros., Mason & Hamlin,
Lighte & Ernst, Paul G. Mehlin & Sons, George Steck & Co., Kra-
kauer Bros., Weber Piano Co., Hazelton Bros., F. G. Smith and the
April 28, 1923
"Bradbury"; and a number of others—all within a block or two.
The Broadway side of Union Square presented a good deal the same
piano store aspect as Wabash avenue, Chicago, between Jackson
boulevard and Van Buren street.
And through the years the stately Steinway Hall has stood as the
very heart of the musical metropolis. Within its walls have been
heard the first American performances of a very large proportion of
the pianists who have won fame and passed out, or are still with
us. The list of names of the artists who have started their careers
from the white marble piano house on Fourteenth street would fill
a page in Presto. And it would be a page to reflect the glory which
music, and the piano, alone can suggest. Through the sturdy doors
of Steinway Hall have passed every musician of note that has visited
this country, and native pianists of ambition would.no more think
of visiting New York without going to Steinway H"aH"thaiv'an art
student in Paris would miss the Louvre.
In this progressive age, and in a great city like New York, the
change from one location to another of a single establishment,
however important, can not be a matter of vital consequence. But
the uprooting of Steinway Hall from the place it has so long occu-
pied, comes as near to being a locality disaster as any move could
be. It will divert the element of pianistic art and enthusiasm, and it
will leave the old Union Square center silent and wholly deserted in
this particular field of high endeavor. And that is a great deal.
There will remain a cluster of the largest piano supply houses, for
within a block of Steinway Hall are located the establishments of
Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co., the American Piano Supply Co., and
C. F. Goepel & Co., all at Thirteenth street.
An account of the early removal of Steinway & Sons appears
on another page this week. It is in keeping with the steadily north-
ward movement of New York's business center. And the new loca-
tion will be in the heart of the steadily growing piano center of
the metropolis. As must be expected, the new Steinway Hall will
sustain the reputation of the fine old industry, the career of which
has been one of unbroken progress and power.
The old Steinway Hall, at first considered equal to every possible
demand, has been outgrown. The business has gradually embraced
the adjoining buildings, with the marble structure of classic archi-
tecture as the center. All departments will find ample room in the
new uptown quarters on 57th street, and the almost countless Stein-
way representatives throughout the country will have a new objec-
tive when they visit the metropolis.
There is no name in the world of art and music that means more,
or exerts a greater influence the world over, than Steinway. It is
a name and an instrument in which all other pianos of ambition and
-every aspiring student and performer, finds inspiration. Therefore,
the removal of Steinway & Sons from the place which has so long
been its home is a matter of no small interest to the entire trade and
world of music.
THE DEALER'S DILEMMA
Both of the piano association presidents have made special ap-
peals to dealers, who expect to be at the June convention, urging that
the exhibits shall not be permitted to interfere with the business
meetings. The purposes of the convention are, first and most of all,
to enable members of the trade to get acquainted, to consider the
concerns of their business, and to discuss ways and means to pros-
perity and the best methods of winning it and enjoying its results.
The piano shows must not upset the best plans of the various com-
mittees, and the time required for deliberations and discussions must
not be devoted to buying and taking orders.
The suggestions of Messrs. Chickering and Butler, presidents of
the two piano associations, respectively, are good and timely. But
this array of piano displays will be very tempting. There will be
more of them than ever before during convention time. The con-
dition proves that it is not possible to regulate "commercialism" in
connection with meetings of business men. The ultimate ends of the
meetings are to do more business. The big expositions, where "con-
fusion is worse confounded," did not meet with approval. They
were not successful. But the cozy displays in small rooms, apart
from the mixup of competition, and in a sort of semi-privacy,' meet
with favor, as the list in last week's Presto proves.
No visitor at the June convention can give time to all of the
displays. It will be well, therefore, to decide in advance just what
pianos you believe will interest you. A single week will not be time
enough to inspect forty or fifty displays, to say nothing of the need
of listening to the eloquence of the gentlemen in charge. A good
way will be put to put down the names, with room locations, of the
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