Music Trade Review
Issue: 1889 Vol. 13 N. 6 - Page 1
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Music Trade Review
The Only Music Trade Paper in America, and the Organ of the Music Trade of this Country.
1879.
VOL. XIII. No. 6.
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 20 TO NOVEMBER 5, 1
PUBLISHED • TWICE • EACH * MONTH.
J E F F . DAVIS BILL.
EDWARD LYMAN
BILL & BILL,
EDITOBi AND PBOPRTETOB8.
All Checks, Drafts, money Orders, Postal
Notes and mall matter should be
made to
BILL
& BILL,
EDITOBS k PBOPBIKTOBB.
3 EAST 14th STREET, NEW TORE.
SUBBCBIPTION (including postage) United States and Canada,
S3.00 per year, in advance; Foreign Countries. $1.00
ADTKBTIBKICVHTS, $9.00 per inch, single column, per insertion;
unless inserted upon rates made by special contract.
Entered at the New York Port Office at Second Clots Matter.
FARRAND
VOTEY
Builders of
HIGH GBADE
Reed O p s
DETROIT, MICH.
REHENYI'S TITAN.
HIS STORY OF FINDING A PRICELESS VIOLIN IN SOUTH
AFRICA, AS TOLD IN THE "NATAL ADVERTISER."
"OU were going to tell us, Mr. Remenyi, how
you discovered your Titan Stradavarius in
Grahamstown."
" Certainly. I was concerting in Grahamstown in Sep-
tember, 1887. Amongmy visitors was a hale old gentle-
man named Dr. Guybon Atherstone, an old colonist and
a scientific man. During our conversation, after examin-
ing my grand Lupot and my Joseph Guarnerius he men-
tioned that he had inherited from his uncle Edwin Ather-
stone two violins, one a Joseph Guarnerius (called the
Giant), and the other a Stainer. I could not understand
how it was possible that such gems could be in Grahams-
town without being noticed.
" There were no strings on either of the violins. I
took out first the Guarnerius, and I stared at it in amaze-
ment at its perfect workmanship. The second violin
is also beautiful, but in the presence of the giant it is
smply childlike. The Doctor then, in the most ordinary
224TREM0NT STREET
BDSTDN
way, remarked that there was another violin in the
room, and asked me to examine all three instruments
while he went away a few minutes to attend a patient.
So I remained alone with the three violins, one of which
I had not yet seen. I opened the second case quite
negligently, and without any feeling of awe or expecta-
tion. There was a kind of silk rag thrown over a violin—
that was all. I lifted the rag—for rag it was—and there
in the case was lying a violin without any strings, and
to the best of my recollection there were only two pegs
in the scroll. At the first glance I saw that a grand
seigneur was lying there unnoticed, like a Venus of Milo
on the outside byroads. What a sight it was to behold!
and my eyes saw nothing but the belly and a part of
the scroll. But it was quite enough to overawe me, I
scarcely dared to touch it, it was such a sacred sight,
and most certainly I did not know whether I was wide
awake or in dreamland. I touched myself and then I
touched the violin, and then I touched myself again and
then I looked at my watch and asked myself if my name
was Remenyi, and if I was not dreaming and not at Dr.
Atherstone's house and concertizing at Grahamstown.
After many such questions I took the violin out of its
case.
"What ribs and what a back I detected! Everything
vanished before my eyes, even the great Guarnerius,
which is a much more beautiful one than my own.
After staring at it for some time I went out under the
veranda with it. There it was in my hands, a thing of
eternal beauty, an instrument original, intact, as it came
out of the hands of the divine master. And now an im-
portant thought came to my mind. What if it be patch-
ed up in the interior ! I took the violin further to the
light and let the sun shine into the F holes. I looked in
where the bottom is attached over the tail-piece and
saw the interior as plainly as the exterior, and there it
was, unblemished, magnificent, the inner parts as glori-
ous as the outside. It was complete. The sight was
simply heavenly. I had been on the lookout for the
last twenty-five years for such a violin and had quite
given up all hope of ever coming across such a treasure.
But now I had in my hands the much dreamed of and
$3.00 PEB TEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 15 CENTS.
much coveted instrument. The dream of my life was
realized. And all this in Grahamstown, South Africa.
I scarcely could believe it.
" On arriving at home with the grand fiddles I at once
set to work. I proceeded very slowly, as, the violins
having had no pressure on them for many years, T was
obliged to be very cautious. When I tuned up the Giant
Guarnerius and the coming Titan Stradivarius, instead
of two minutes it took me an hour.
" At last the violin was in perfect order.
" I resined my bow and played first on the Giant. It
had a lovely, grand tone. Then with the greatest ex-
pectation I tried the Titan Stradivarius, the virginal
violin. Its tone was extraordinary—so sweet and so
powerful that the Giant was put in the shade completely.
" I never will part with him at any price. Five thou-
sand pounds sterling would not tempt me any more than
^5, and the word 'priceless' exactly describes the value
of the violin. It has but one drawback. The Titan
puts all my other excellent violins, of which I have
thirty, so completely in the shade that I never play on
any of them, whereas before I found the Titan I used
four or five of them during a fortnight or three weeks,
and sometimes three of them at a concert. Now Titan
does all the work, and he is strong enough for any emer-
gency. Until now, speaking metaphorically, I killed
every violin; now the Titan kills me. I hope he will
have a good time until he succeeds completely. This is
the end of the violin romance."
THE GUILD PIANO.
IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO CONSTRUCTION
INTRODUCED BY THE GUILD PIANO MANUFAC-
TURING COMPANY OF BOSTON, MASS.
—A CHEERFUL OUTLOOK.
S will be seen on reference to our advertising col-
umns, the Guild Piano Manufacturing Com-
pany, of No. 101 Bristol street (corner of Al-
bany, near Dover), Boston, Mass., have perfected and
put into operation a number of valuable improvements
in the construction of their pianos.
The chief of these noteworthy innovations are
" Guild's New Stringing and Tuning Device," " Guild's
New Self-Adjusting Music Desk," " Guild's New Sound-
ing-Board Bridge," Gould's New Combination Bridge,"
"Guild's New Sounding-Board and Back," and "Guild's
New Action Frame and Support Bar," and they are
fully and clearly explained in the two-page advertise-
ment alluded to.
We are informed that these patented contrivances
have proven distinct successes. Though subjected for
a considerable time past to sufficient tests, they have
elicited none but favorable opinions, and promise to
aid greatly in increasing the demand for the Guild
pianos.
Every agent who has received pianos furnished with
the new Guild tuning device, sounding-board bridge,
and desk, has spoken in high terms of those inventions,
and testified to the readiness with which the instru-
ments supplied with them are sold.
The Company are now able to fill orders with reason-
able dispatch. Still, such is their confidence in their
improved pianos that they are arranging for a speedy
increase in their outpui.
Seventy-five of these pianos have been sent out within
the past year, all of which have given great satisfaction,
and thoroughly justified the claims made in regard to
them.
We heartily recommend dealers to peruse with care
the detailed statements of the Guild inventions appear-
ing elsewhere in this issue.
A
Music Trade Review
The Only Music Trade Paper in America, and the Organ of the Music Trade of this Country.
1879.
VOL. XIII. No. 6.
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 20 TO NOVEMBER 5, 1
PUBLISHED • TWICE • EACH * MONTH.
J E F F . DAVIS BILL.
EDWARD LYMAN
BILL & BILL,
EDITOBi AND PBOPRTETOB8.
All Checks, Drafts, money Orders, Postal
Notes and mall matter should be
made to
BILL
& BILL,
EDITOBS k PBOPBIKTOBB.
3 EAST 14th STREET, NEW TORE.
SUBBCBIPTION (including postage) United States and Canada,
S3.00 per year, in advance; Foreign Countries. $1.00
ADTKBTIBKICVHTS, $9.00 per inch, single column, per insertion;
unless inserted upon rates made by special contract.
Entered at the New York Port Office at Second Clots Matter.
FARRAND
VOTEY
Builders of
HIGH GBADE
Reed O p s
DETROIT, MICH.
REHENYI'S TITAN.
HIS STORY OF FINDING A PRICELESS VIOLIN IN SOUTH
AFRICA, AS TOLD IN THE "NATAL ADVERTISER."
"OU were going to tell us, Mr. Remenyi, how
you discovered your Titan Stradavarius in
Grahamstown."
" Certainly. I was concerting in Grahamstown in Sep-
tember, 1887. Amongmy visitors was a hale old gentle-
man named Dr. Guybon Atherstone, an old colonist and
a scientific man. During our conversation, after examin-
ing my grand Lupot and my Joseph Guarnerius he men-
tioned that he had inherited from his uncle Edwin Ather-
stone two violins, one a Joseph Guarnerius (called the
Giant), and the other a Stainer. I could not understand
how it was possible that such gems could be in Grahams-
town without being noticed.
" There were no strings on either of the violins. I
took out first the Guarnerius, and I stared at it in amaze-
ment at its perfect workmanship. The second violin
is also beautiful, but in the presence of the giant it is
smply childlike. The Doctor then, in the most ordinary
224TREM0NT STREET
BDSTDN
way, remarked that there was another violin in the
room, and asked me to examine all three instruments
while he went away a few minutes to attend a patient.
So I remained alone with the three violins, one of which
I had not yet seen. I opened the second case quite
negligently, and without any feeling of awe or expecta-
tion. There was a kind of silk rag thrown over a violin—
that was all. I lifted the rag—for rag it was—and there
in the case was lying a violin without any strings, and
to the best of my recollection there were only two pegs
in the scroll. At the first glance I saw that a grand
seigneur was lying there unnoticed, like a Venus of Milo
on the outside byroads. What a sight it was to behold!
and my eyes saw nothing but the belly and a part of
the scroll. But it was quite enough to overawe me, I
scarcely dared to touch it, it was such a sacred sight,
and most certainly I did not know whether I was wide
awake or in dreamland. I touched myself and then I
touched the violin, and then I touched myself again and
then I looked at my watch and asked myself if my name
was Remenyi, and if I was not dreaming and not at Dr.
Atherstone's house and concertizing at Grahamstown.
After many such questions I took the violin out of its
case.
"What ribs and what a back I detected! Everything
vanished before my eyes, even the great Guarnerius,
which is a much more beautiful one than my own.
After staring at it for some time I went out under the
veranda with it. There it was in my hands, a thing of
eternal beauty, an instrument original, intact, as it came
out of the hands of the divine master. And now an im-
portant thought came to my mind. What if it be patch-
ed up in the interior ! I took the violin further to the
light and let the sun shine into the F holes. I looked in
where the bottom is attached over the tail-piece and
saw the interior as plainly as the exterior, and there it
was, unblemished, magnificent, the inner parts as glori-
ous as the outside. It was complete. The sight was
simply heavenly. I had been on the lookout for the
last twenty-five years for such a violin and had quite
given up all hope of ever coming across such a treasure.
But now I had in my hands the much dreamed of and
$3.00 PEB TEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 15 CENTS.
much coveted instrument. The dream of my life was
realized. And all this in Grahamstown, South Africa.
I scarcely could believe it.
" On arriving at home with the grand fiddles I at once
set to work. I proceeded very slowly, as, the violins
having had no pressure on them for many years, T was
obliged to be very cautious. When I tuned up the Giant
Guarnerius and the coming Titan Stradivarius, instead
of two minutes it took me an hour.
" At last the violin was in perfect order.
" I resined my bow and played first on the Giant. It
had a lovely, grand tone. Then with the greatest ex-
pectation I tried the Titan Stradivarius, the virginal
violin. Its tone was extraordinary—so sweet and so
powerful that the Giant was put in the shade completely.
" I never will part with him at any price. Five thou-
sand pounds sterling would not tempt me any more than
^5, and the word 'priceless' exactly describes the value
of the violin. It has but one drawback. The Titan
puts all my other excellent violins, of which I have
thirty, so completely in the shade that I never play on
any of them, whereas before I found the Titan I used
four or five of them during a fortnight or three weeks,
and sometimes three of them at a concert. Now Titan
does all the work, and he is strong enough for any emer-
gency. Until now, speaking metaphorically, I killed
every violin; now the Titan kills me. I hope he will
have a good time until he succeeds completely. This is
the end of the violin romance."
THE GUILD PIANO.
IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO CONSTRUCTION
INTRODUCED BY THE GUILD PIANO MANUFAC-
TURING COMPANY OF BOSTON, MASS.
—A CHEERFUL OUTLOOK.
S will be seen on reference to our advertising col-
umns, the Guild Piano Manufacturing Com-
pany, of No. 101 Bristol street (corner of Al-
bany, near Dover), Boston, Mass., have perfected and
put into operation a number of valuable improvements
in the construction of their pianos.
The chief of these noteworthy innovations are
" Guild's New Stringing and Tuning Device," " Guild's
New Self-Adjusting Music Desk," " Guild's New Sound-
ing-Board Bridge," Gould's New Combination Bridge,"
"Guild's New Sounding-Board and Back," and "Guild's
New Action Frame and Support Bar," and they are
fully and clearly explained in the two-page advertise-
ment alluded to.
We are informed that these patented contrivances
have proven distinct successes. Though subjected for
a considerable time past to sufficient tests, they have
elicited none but favorable opinions, and promise to
aid greatly in increasing the demand for the Guild
pianos.
Every agent who has received pianos furnished with
the new Guild tuning device, sounding-board bridge,
and desk, has spoken in high terms of those inventions,
and testified to the readiness with which the instru-
ments supplied with them are sold.
The Company are now able to fill orders with reason-
able dispatch. Still, such is their confidence in their
improved pianos that they are arranging for a speedy
increase in their outpui.
Seventy-five of these pianos have been sent out within
the past year, all of which have given great satisfaction,
and thoroughly justified the claims made in regard to
them.
We heartily recommend dealers to peruse with care
the detailed statements of the Guild inventions appear-
ing elsewhere in this issue.
A
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