Music Trade Review

THE
MUSIC
TRADE
JOTTRN-AXu
9
Little would such a person appreciate the works of the great masters—the sublime
principals, Mr. "Welles, the editor and proprietor, and Mr. Walker,
the business manager. They may consider the praise they so well deserve strains of Beethoven, for instance. How narrow and contracted his views of the divine
mere flattery—and may cut me off—so I will only say they are immense in art must be. In its highest and most elevating sense it would have no charms for him,
because, beyond his comprehension. To him, little simple and melodious pieces are the
their manner of conducting that paper. I shall never forget them.
form of music. True music occupies an infinitely higher sphere than this. He
MAKK F. LOW, Mansfield, Ohio. highest
hates discords, and yet music without them would be intolerably flat and insipid. More
JOURNAL
than one-half of all the chords in use are discords, though not of the worst class.
Music in this town is rather dull just now. The " h o t wave," or something else,
GAEL'S NOTES FROM BURLINGTON, IOWA.
has had a bad effect on it. Occasionally I hear the screechings of some church choir, or
the
desperate
endeavors of some lone performer, but that is all.
BURLINGTON, Iowa, July 20, 1880.
One hundred and four in the shade, and still you have the audacity to ask me to send
DR. H. R. PALMER.
you a letter! All right; if I melt in the attempt, you're to blame.
I have just received a letter from Prof. H . R. Palmer, in which he states that he
PIRATES.
has been created Doctor of Music by the Chicago University—a most worthy and appro-
A. D. HASSING.
" T h e Pirates of Penzance," as given by D'Oyle Carte's Company, was one of the priate bestowal of that degree.
best entertainments we have had in a long time. A large and enthusiastic audience
greeted the new faces. The several solo parts were well taken, the choruses were good,
and the orchestra did effective service; but the entire performance was spoiled in a
measure by the hall, and by the stage, which is positively the worst in the State.
HALLETT & DAVIS.—A Hallett & Davis grand is in one of the parlors of
NEW OPERA HOUSE.
TRADE NOTES.
Congress Hall, Saratoga.
MASON & HAMLIN.—A three per cent, dividend has lately been declared
by the Mason & Hamlin Organ Co.
BROWN.—Brown's Boston Brigade Band delights the hosts of people who
flock to the Congress Spring Park every afternoon and evening.
MRS. DORR RESIGNS.
DITSON.—Mrs. Oliver Ditson, wife of the celebrated Boston music pub-
There is positively nothing new on the tapis in the way of amusements. The churches lisher, is mentioned as one of the guests at the Ocean House, Newport.
are closing up and giving their ministers a vacation, and as every one says: "it's too con-
LOTHIAN.—Napier Lothian's Band, from Boston, furnishes excellent music
founded hot now to do anything." Speaking of churches, reminds me that Mrs. R. R. at the Grand Union Hotel, Saratoga. It draws crowds of people every
Dorr has resigned her position as organist of the Congregational Church. Her health evening.
will not allow her to continue. I sincerely regret the change, for to her the church is in-
BERNSTEIN.—Bernstein, the popular dance music leader of this city, has
debted for a great, a radical, and a needed change in its music. She has made out of the
material for singers which she has had to work with as much as one could make. Mrs. a small band at Congress Hall, Saratoga, but it does good service, and is
Dorr has had to work harder than she ought, and has been obliged to neglect her indi- particularly effective at hops.
vidual practice. We trust the church will get an organist as energetic as Mrs. Dorr.
CmcKERiNG.—Mrs. C. T. Chickering, wife of the representative of the
New York house of Chickering & Sons, was among the spectators at the Ben-
PROFESSOR MESSE.
nett polo game at Newport, last Saturday.
We learn that Prof. Messe, from New York, is in the city, and intends locating here.
HALLETT & DAVIS PIANOS.—Messrs. Horace Waters & Co. inform us that
From what we have learned of him, we can welcome him to our musical circle.
they secured the sole and exclusive agency for the State of New York, for
PROMISED ARRIVALS.
the Hallett & Davis piano, from the Hallett & Davis Piano Manufacturing
Rumor has it that another professor from the East is coming here to look after our Company, of Boston.
orchestra business. We can assure the gentleman that he will find the largest field for
TONK.—Mr. Max Tonk, manufacturer of piano stools, piano chairs,
improvement in the world, and will be heartily welcomed.
music portfolios, drum-sticks, fifes, bones, violin finger-boards, etc., in
THE TRADE.
Chicago, and who is a brother of the gentleman who has charge of J. Bauer
Our enterprising music dealer, Mr. James A. Guest, who is constantly doing some- & Co's establisment in this city, proposes opening a branch store in this
thing to help trade, intends giving away next month a splendid new piano to one of his city.
customers. The idea is a novel one. Both of our music houses seem to be busy, and are
OEGTJTNETTE.—Small mechanical orguinettes are extensively employed
constantly receiving new instruments.
by blind and otherwise afflicted parties at Saratoga, for the purpose of ex-
DON'T YOU FORGET IT.
tracting small coins from the pockets of the passers-by. They are eminently
Regarding the twaddle of the Gazette and Mr. Wilcox, which you re-published in successful, and attract much more attention and money than the hackneyed
your last issue, I care nothing for it whatever. I do not wish to court controversy with hand-organ.
people who either do not know what they are talking about, or who sacrifice their honest
MCCAMMON.—Mr. Edward McCammon, although ignorantly roported to
convictions to personal feeling. Their attitudes are not at all becoming, and I assure them have been in town last week, writes us that he was prevented from visiting
most emphatically, that I shall continue, as heretofore, to write just what 1 think every Brooklyn during the semi-annual encampment of the Grand Army, to which
time, and the above-mentioned people will please not forget it.
he was a delegate, by the absence of his book-keeper, who is suffering from
CARL.
the effects of a sun-stroke.
CHICKEKING & SONS.—On July 22d, 1880, piano No. 57,000 was numbered
A. D. HASSING'S LETTER FROM CANASERAGA. N. Y.
at the factory of Messrs. Chickering & Sons, and by a singular coincidence,
CANASERAGA, N. Y., July 26, 1880.
the house (established in 1823), is just 57 years old. No other house in the
trade can show such a record. The registers are complete, and the history,
A CALL UPON W. F. GRAVES, OK CASTILE.
sale and destination of each of these 57,000 pianos can be traced.
While on a visit to the town of Castile, in this neighborhood, the other day, I
called on Mr. W. F. Graves, who is always very obliging, and who showed me through
CONTINENTALS.—The Worcester Continentals, a " crack " military organ-
his establishment. I first took a look at the organs, among which I noticed the Mason & ization, were to be in Newport on Wednesday of this week, and remain until
Hamlin, Prince, Clough & Warren, and half a dozen other makes. Some of them were Friday. Mr. Charles Fischer, of the Munroe Organ Reed Co., and Mr.
really superb instruments, particularly one made by Clough & Warren, having 15 or 16 Woodford, of the Loring & Blake Organ Co., are members of this organiza-
stops, besides full organ stop, etc., and a superior tone. Then came the pianos : There
tion, and look just too lovely for anything in their Continental uniform.
were the Fischer, Decker Bros., Weber, and others.
Mr. Graves is one of the largest piano and organ dealers in this part of the state. He
KETTEN'S PATENT PIANOFORTE ACTION.—The American patent, 224,091,
keeps continually on hand 100 instruments, and sells about 500 annually, or nearly two "Pianoforte action," is the invention of the French pianist, M. Henri Ketten,
per day. Within the last 15 days he has sent instruments to Illinois, Kansas, and Ne- and it has been purchased by Messrs. Chickering. It is too complicated for
braska, and his trade extends to many other states. This large and extensive trade Mr.
description, and, we believe, for utility.—London and Provincial Music
Graces has gradually worked up during the 27 years he has been in the business.
A few days since Mr. Graves took a Weber Centennial Concert Grand Piano to Trades Review. This was the opinion, we believe, that Mr. Chickering also
Jamestown, to be used in Dr. Root's Normal. He reports the prospects of the Normal arrived at.
as good. I should very much like to see the doctor, and have a hearty hand-shake
WEBEK GRAND.—We recently heard Mr. Newell, "the gifted young
with him.
American pianist," playing a Weber grand in the parlors of the United States
PROF. A. J. VAN VLEET.
Hotel, at Saratoga. Considering that the United States permitted Weber to
While at Mr. Graves' establishment, I met Prof. A. J. Van Vleet, who makes his blatantly advertise his pianos in its parlors by sticking a big gilt lettered
home there part of the time. Just then he was very attentive to what might once have sign-board on the side of the grand, he might at least have furnished an in-
been an organ, but which now looks as if it had been struck by a cyclone. I imagine he strument less tubby in the base.
was having a hard tustle with the thing, for he frequently stopped to rest, backing off a
WENDELL.—Mr. C. E. Wendell, of Albany, was in town the first of this
few feet, but only t® return to the conflict with renewed energy. I had a pleasant chat
with the Professor, who is a rising and able young musician. He has held several con- week. He is pleased with his new and beautiful store, and says that he is
ventions hereabouts, and already commenced his career as a composer. I wish him confident of doing a large retail business whenever the fall trade opens. He
abundant success.
says that the prospects for the Marshall & Wendell piano are fine. He
has the agency for the Knabe piano, and we trust that he will receive better
CASTILE'S MUSICAL SOCIETY.
Castile has a flourishing musical society, with several hundred dollars in its treasury. protection from Knabe & Co. than most of their agents do.
The principal music teacher, I believe, is a Miss Chase. I regretted not having time to
HAND GUIDE.—Dans une lettre publiee dans le Musio TKADE JOUKNAL
get acquainted with more musical people there.
de New York du 20 juillet, M. Joseph Gould, ci-devant marchand de pianos
et d'harmoniums de cette ville, offre en vente la patente du Guide-mains
DISCORDANT SUBJECTS.
automatique de Bohrer, dont il avait fait l'acquisition. Cette utile invention,
Not long ago I had a talk with a man on musical subjects, who told me several things qui Ton dit etre superieure a celle de meme genre de Kalkbrenner, a deja
I did not know before. He informed me that, on an average, there were ten organs and
melodeons to one piano in New York State. This surprised me somewhat. He then fait son chemin dans la plupart des pays de l'Europe et de l'Amerique.—
I am pleased to learn that a movement is on foot to build a $50,000 Opera House in
this town. One-half that sum has already been subscribed. I sincerely hope the project
will not fall through. The projectors will receive the heartfelt thanks of the entire city
if they will build a decent opera house. I was pleased also to learn that D'Oyle Carte's
Company is meeting with success through the country; it certainly deserves it.
proceeded to inform me that there was five times as much music in an organ (reed organ Le Canada Musical.
he had reference to) as in a piano. Of course this surprised me still more. Not content,
THE BBATTLEBOEO BANK.—A meeting of the stockholders of the ruined
he enlightened me still farther, this time to the fact that there was no melody—no music— First National Bank was held at Brattleboro on Monday last. The meeting
nothing but discords, in classical and difficult pieces, and no one, not even the composers instructed Receiver Price to use his influence toward putting the fugitive
themselves, thought anything else. Now, this really dumbfounded me, as I had always
thought differently. How sorry I was that I had been deluded so long. But lastly, and president, S. M. Waite, into insolvency. Upward of $1,000 was subscribed
to cap the climax, he informed me that if the seven tones of any scale were simultaneously by the stockholders and others as a reward for the return of Waite, and a
sounded, they would produce a discord! Here my astouishment completely overcame committee was appointed to solicit subscriptions from others who have man-
ifested a willingness to pay for his capture.
me. So much wonderful information in such a short time entirely silenced me.