Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
•ELVILLE CLARK leaves for Europe on
the 8th inst. He will be absent two or
three months.
agency of the Steinway piano in Nash-
ville, Tenn., has been transferred from
the firm of R. Dorman & Co. to Smith & Nixon,
who will immediately open up extensive quar-
ters in that city under the management of C.
B. Street, son-in-law of Mr. Dorman.
ORATORIO SOCIETY.
|RATORIO SOCIETY, of New York, will,
this season, give four afternoon and four
evening concerts at Music Hall, under the direc-
tion of Mr. Walter Damrosch. The very best
soloists will be engaged and the Symphony
Orchestra of New York will assist. The fol-
lowing works will be performed : '' Tower of
Babel," Anton Rubinstein ; " Messiah," G. F.
Handel; "St. Francis of Assisi." Edgar Tinel;
"Samson and Delilah," Camille Saint-Saens.
jjj|N writing of Gildemeester & Kroeger, the
Si® 3 Musical Courier states that it " pats
itself on the back." We have no doubt about
the patting process, but as to the location we
think our esteemed cotemporary has made a
slight error. We think the patting is on the
pocket-book, instead of on the back. If Gilde-
meester keeps a scrap-book, the comparison of
the articles appearing about him in the Courier
of to-day with those of years past, must seem
interesting. Take the following which appeared
in the Courier : " The first quality demanded of
a man who has to occupy so important and re-
sponsible a position as the one held by Gilde-
meester, is executive ability, and executive
ability is an unknown quantity with Gilde-
meester. ''
Marc used to say that Gildemeester never read
the papers, so, perhaps, he has not retained the
interesting statements of a past era, and now
Marc wheels the little dog back and forth over
the floor and sheds tears of penitence.
latest Emerson catalogue contains some
statements which are decidedly interest-
ing, and modestly present several noticeable
facts of the company's business. Speaking of
their factory they state : '' Situated in the heart
of the city, the buildings and lumber yard cover
more than 68,000 square feet, and the factory
proper has, in its six and seven stories, about
three and one-half acres of floorage. Filled with
the most modern and improved machinery, and
possessing all the appliances and conveniences
known in piano manufacturing, it has facilities
for the production of fine work, and in large
quantities, that are not surpassed either in this
country or in Europe. When it is considered
that this magnificent plant has not sprung up
in a day, but is the result of years of industrious
and conscientious effort, may we not offer it as
a solid and enduring testimonial of the apprecia-
tion and patronage which the public have ever
given to the Emerson Pianos ? "
Ffevieuvii^s.
Continued.
grave error." He first invents an insidious
insult, and then indulges in a correction. The
whole business betrays the wit of Mr. Diggs.
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There were quite a number of Eastern visitors
in Chicago last week. The list included Gover-
nor Levi K. Fuller, Rufus Blake, Nahum
Stetson, R. Proddow, John Simpson, V. Victor-
son, H. B. Fischer, John D. Pease, P. J. Gilde-
meester, Edward McCammon and E. W. Fur-
bush.
The Indicator is responsible for a rather vigor-
ous attack upon the management of the World's
Fair in its recent issue, owing to the latter's
treatment of intended musical instrument ex-
hibitors in the allotment of space. Dr. Pea-
body, however, declared to a correspondent of
one of the New York dailies on Monday that
nearly all the criticisms made upon the Liberal
Arts Departments—of which he is the head—in
that connection were based upon misrepresenta-
tion. Meantime the Indicator uses no equivo-
cation. It handles the matter without gloves.
There is ample room for dissatisfaction, and it
will undoubtedly lead to very unexpected de-
velopments.
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The subtle genius of " Peleg Diggs " is also
revealed in the following item from the latest
Courier: '' Blasius & Sons inform us that
Whitelaw Reid, the Vice-Presidential candidate,
paid a visit to the Blasius piano works, at
Woodbury, N. J., to-day (October 31), through
the special invitation of Messrs. Blasius & Sons.
It would seem to us that it would have been
rude behavior on the part of Mr. Reid to visit
the works without invitation, unless he wanted
to buy a piano.''
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Reginald De Koven, writing on the influence
of nationality on American music in last Sun-
day 's World, says : '' The concentrated passions
and emotions of the civil war brought forth a
number of melodies which would well rank with
many of the most characteristic folk-songs of
foreign peoples. Possibly some such other great
national crisis is needed to weld the people into
a nation upon which a united national feeling
shall be indelibly stamped." The foregoing
sounds generalistic and vague enough to be very
high-class and scholastic in tone, but the fact
is that with the exception of '' Marching
Through Georgia,'' and a few others, all our
standard American songs bear no relation to
the spirit of war or its violent enthusiasms.
They were written before and since the war
period. They are of a peaceful and cosmopoli-
tan nature, and that is why they touch the heart
of the English speaking races throughout the
world.
Among other things he adds : " It is a curious
fact that no great music has ever been written
among a people living under a republican form
of government.'' If Imperialism or the '' leisure
class,'' for which Mr. De Koven displays such
admiration, are indispensable concomitants of
high-class music, why is it that Russia, which
represents the aristocratic idea in its highest
development among Caucasian people, is not
ahead of more liberal nations in music—
Germany and Italy, for instance ?—and why is
it that the persecuted and despised Jews have,
without any established aristocracy or national
affiliations of their own, produced masters equal,
and in some respects superior, to those of any
race or nation ?
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I am pleased to know that my genial friend,
Harry E. Ricksecker, late of Steck & Co., has
become a partner in the firm of Leins & Co.
271
Mr. Ricksecker's family have been connected
with the piano trade for a considerable period,
and his own experience has been very large.
He is personally very popular, and is possessed
of all the attributes essential to the attainment
of success in business. Leins & Co. have
moved into a large factory, and are preparing to
make the " Leins " piano known to the trade
at large by a liberal and pushing policy.
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Look out for the Merkel & Mersman upright
grand action. I would commend it to the atten-
tion of readers. It is making a hit.
THE; REVIEWER.
TI? *3THE house of Peek has been established
'S
forty-two 3'ears, and during that long
period of time has not only advanced in point of
fame and wealth, but the firm have introduced
many improvements in their instruments, and
the '' Opera '' piano made by them occupies a
prominent position in musical America. The
house is composed of David T. Peek, who is one
of the oldest and most respected members of
the music trade, and his son, George W. Peek.
During late years, however, the elder Peek has
thrown the burden of affairs upon his talented
son, George W. Peek, who has not only carried
out his father's traditions, but by his own genius
has made a name for himself, both in the musical
and financial worlds.
The firm have published a new catalogue in
several languages, and are making large ship-
ments of their instruments to Spanish America,
where their catalogue, published in the Spanish
language, has been widely circulated, and help-
ed to increase their business in the Southern
countries. During the present fall their busi-
ness has shown a steady increase over last year.
They have just despatched a man to South
America, who will traverse the South American
countries, consuming a year's time in so doing.
He will make headquarters in Venezuela during
his absence.
Their new style " No. 6," in fancy woods, is
meeting with a successful sale among the deal-
ers, and their agencies are increased each month.
Their large factory, at the corner of 47th street
and Broadway, is a busy hive of industry, and
a personal inspection of their establishment is
always pleasing and instructive. They have
recently added three electric motors to their
plant. They manufacture a medium grade in-
strument known as '' The Euterpe,'' which as a
medium grade piano is becoming a favorite.
George W. Peek is fully alive to the advan-
tages of advertising, and is not only known as
a liberal advertiser, but is constantly evolving
from his busy brain new and interesting adver-
tising methods.
WINTER'S music store at Altoona, Pa., has
been damaged by fire.
THE Lincoln Drum Corps, of Lincoln, Pa.,
an old-time organization, has been reorganized.
A BRASS band has been organized at Lake
George, N. Y., with R. Emmet Archibald as
leader.
ON complaint of Miss Markstein, who has a
piano and music wareroom at 125 E. 59th street,
New York, Mrs. Marie Meyer was arrested and
brought before Jvistice Voorhis in the Yorkville
Police Court, October 31st. Mrs. Meyer, who
lives in the same house, was charged with
annoying the plaintiff. The case was dismissed.
A BRASS band has been started in New City,
N. Y., with Prof. Glassing as instructor.
THE employees of Steinway & Son, New York,
celebrated the twenty-ninth anniversary of their
Benevolent Association, at 203 E. 56th street,
October 31st.