Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
2 26
THE "BRADBURY" IN WASHINGTON.
E called at the extensive factory of the cele-
brated "Bradbury" piano, corner of Wil-
loughby and Raymond streets, Brooklyn, a
few days ago, and as usual, found everybody busy.
Mr. Freeborn G. Smith, the genial head of the con-
cern, and one of Brooklyn's leading philanthropists,
found time, however, to give us a hearty shake hands
and a few moments conversation, the substance of
which was as follows :
" Mr. Smith, tell us about your trip to Washington,
and your new wareroom there. The Washington
papers say that betweon 10,000 and 12,000 people in-
spected it on the first day of the opening."
"Well," said Mr. Smith, a smile of satisfaction
overspreading his pleasant countenance, " the open-
ing was, indeed, a most auspicious one, and success-
ful far beyond my most sanguine expectations. I
never saw such crowds of people at a similar event
before. I am proud of my Washington wareroom,
and although the expense of fitting it up has been
very heavy, I am satisfied it will pay."
" I see you have placed Mr. W. P. Van Wickle in
charge there."
"Yes, and a better man for the place could not be
found. He is a thorough business man, and under-
stands a piano."
" What was the cost of this building, Mr. Smith?"
"Well, I contracted for $45,000, but it will far ex-
ceed that sum for buildings and lease of grounds, for
I have left nothing undone to make it complete and
elegant in every particular."
" Will you occupy the entire building ? "
"Oh, yes; most all of it. Although, it occurred
to me that if I could get some first-class sheet music
house to take some space in my wareroom I would
let sufficient space for that purpose cheap, and it
would doubtless be of advantage to us both."
" Why do you not handle sheet music yourself ? "
"My representatives will have enough to do to
take care of my immense piano and organ business
without being encumbered with a sheet music de-
partment."
" For what would you rent sufficient space for such
a purpose ? "
" Well, if a first-class sheet music concern took it
I would rent sufficient space for $600 or $700 a year."
" I should think it would be a splendid stand for
sheet music."
•' There is no doubt about that—but come up stairs;
I want to show you a new scale for a " Grand " I am
getting up."
So saying, he led the way through the crowded
workrooms of the factory to the draughting room,
where we had the pleasure of inspecting the new
scale referred to, particulars of which will be given
in a future issue.
W
A PLEA FOR MITIGATED MUSIC.
BY TAUL PASTNOR
M
USIC is a good thing, but like all other good
things it can be overdone; that is to say,
there are some occasions when less of it
would be better than more. I presume that every
person who reads this article has, at some time or
other, attended a fashionable wedding within church
walls.
I vividly remember an occasion when I attended
such a wedding. There were very few men in the
audience, but those who were there seemed to be in-
tensely appreciated. I remember one poor solitary
individual, who had to sit in the center of a short
pew with three women on one side of him, and two
on the other. I saw him visibly shrink, but he was
all wool, if he wasn't a yard wide, and stood it like
a Trojan.
All this, however, is not to the point. I was going
to speak about the music. When the doors were at
last closed on the surging crowd, the organ began to
play—or, to bo more correct, I should say the organ-
ist. This gentleman was perched away up some-
where among the rafters. I could not exactly make
out where, but I was thankful that they got him as
far away as they could. He was there all the same,
however; and he never once let up, from frontis-
pioce to colophon.
By the time the bridal party had taken their places
and the ceremony had begun, the organist grew very
restless. The way he walked up and down on those
pedals was a caution. I was exceedingly desirous to
hear the reading of the beautiful Episcopal wedding
ceremony, and I felt that I could get along tolerably
well without an organ accompaniment.
But, alas ! the organist was not at all of the same
mind. I strained my ears in a vain endeavor to catch
a word here and there, but finding it useless, I finally
relapsed into a state of utter dejection, conscious that
I could not reach the organist if I tried, and that I
must just sit there and bear it-
One resource I had, however. Drawing a card from
my pocket, I penciled a few words upon it and hand-
ed it to one of the ushers. He returned it with a
frown. It was merely a polite request to "Please
choke off the organist, or else pass around the book."
When the ceremony came to an end and I left the
church, the organist was still pounding and whack-
ing away up in the loft, and for aught I know he is
THE
growing late, and the program seems to have reach-
ed that dreadful point where the torture of it, in the
cheerful language of the Mikado, becomes "some-
thing lingering, with boiling oil?"
As a general thing, an encore does not indicate
that the audience really desires any more music—
except, perhaps, some few vulgar and mercenary
spirits who want to "gettheir money's worth."
Some individual in a back seat, perhaps, imagines
that the performers would be pleased to repeat their
arduous efforts in return for the cheap clatter of his
heels; so he begins to bang the floor, and rather than
let the occasion be dampened by such feeble enthu-
siasm, the weary audience wearily claps its hands
and stamps its feet, and the weary performers weari-
ly repeat a selection which might otherwise have re-
mained a pleasant memory with all present.
Suppress, I say, the encore fiend—ignore him, snub
him, give him to understand that he is not the au-
tocrat of the concert hall. Either we must have short-
er programs or no encores. Give us less music or re-
turn our money at the door. This, I believe, is the
growing demand of the musical American public.
Too much music is a weariness to the flesh.—Musical
Visitor.
TESTIMONIAL TO THE RICHEY
PIANO COYER.
MANUFACTURERS OP
HIGHEST GRADE
PARLOR AND CHAPEL
KANKAKEE, 111., Sept. 25, 1886.
MRS. SARAH E. RICHEY,
320 S. Paulina street,
Chicago, 111. :
MY DEAU MADAM : I must write that I am so well
pleased with the Richey Upright Piano Cover that I
would not dispose of it for twice its cost. Its value
as a protection to my piano is certainly great. Be-
sides being useful, .it is the most perfect in fit and
most ornamental; the designs are very beautiful,
and altogether the neatest piano cover ever brought
before the public. All who see it here pronounce it
the best and prettiest Upright Piano Cover they have
ever seen. I can most cheerfully recommend it to
anyone who has an upright piano, and who is in want
of a cover. They will find the Richey Upright Piano
Cover the most perfect and servicable cover in every
respect.
In conclusion, I hope you will be successful, and
be rewarded for such a useful invention.
Very truly yours,
•T. J.
SCHUBERT.
Best of Workmanship and Quality of
COLBY, DUNCAN & CO. SUCCEED THE
FIRM OF CHRISTIE & CO.
Goods Guaranteed.
SPECIAL NOTICE.
Correspondence Solicited.
We take this method of informing our agents and
the musical public generally that on the 28th day of
February, 1887, the name of the firm comprising
Jacob Christie, C. C. Colby and Wm. H. Duncan, was
by mutual agreement changed from "Christie &
Co.," to "Colby, Duncan & Co." We would also state
that it is our intention to manufacture only pianos of
the highest grade. In tone, quality, solidity of work-
manship and beauty of design in cases, we intend
the " Colby & Duncan Pianos " to be second to none
in the market.
ADDRESS,
A.+B.+CHASE+COMPANY,
19 Whittlesey Ave.,
NEW YORK, March 2d, 1887.
COLBY, DUNCAN & Co.
NORWALK, OHIO.
at it still. I could not see his face. If I had been
able to I should have made a note of it for future ref-
erence.
Now I should like to enter a plea right here in favor
of mitigated music at weddings— either that, or let
it be understood that the affair is a free concert with
a spectacular performance thrown in. I think the
organist should always be informed on such an oc-
casion that a wedding is about to take place. Per-
haps, if he understood what was going ou, he would
not make so much noise.
I want to urge one more plea for mitigated music—
I refer to encores at concerts. If singers and per-
formers upon all classes and conditions of instru-
ments would simply ignore the encore fiend, how
much more delightful concerts would be!
But who does not detest that dreary sound of clap-
ping hands and knocking sticks, while the hour is
THE LILLIPUTIAN.
NE of the Latest novel productions at the Story &
Clark factory is a youthfuland diminutive organ.
It is a production of modern genius, and has
been sought for by the trade, and at last found. It
lies the nearest to perfection of anything of its kind.
It has three and one-half octaves of diapason reeds
and full sized keys. The case is unique and can be so
folded as to take up but scarcely four cubic feet. Its
weight is barely fifty pounds. These facts are of im-
mense importance to anyone interested in a portable
organ for accompaniment. It is especially adapted
for the voice, has a compass and range from F to C,
of three and ono-half octaves. For garret singers, and
occupants of flats, or for anyone desiring voice cul-
ture with a soft and sweet accompaniment this instru-
ment is invaluable. For beginners and children noth-
ing can be found to equal this organ. "Write for terms
and prices.—Story & Clark Organ.
O