Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
A
SELECT and enthusiastic audience
listened to the farewell song recital
of Mr. and Mrs. de Konschin, at Steinway
Hall, on Friday evening-, April 5th.
Both artists were in good voice, and were
warmly applauded and encored in each
number.
Mr. de Konschin's voice dis-
played its ringing full notes to the greatest
advantage in the Romance from Gioconda,
and the serenade of Tschaikowsky was
given with true Russian fervor.
Mrs. de Konschin has a clear, rich so-
prano voice, and sang with much sentiment.
All her selections were either Russian
folk-songs or ballads.
Mr. Diaz Albertini and Sig. Pizzarello
assisted on the program, and Miss Nettie
Fay, who accompanied on the occasion,
showed a thorough comprehension of her
work.
The following was the program:
who is considered the Steinway of that
city."
He continued: "This particular
piano was especially made for the World's
Fair.
The price of the instrument in
Vienna is 6,000 florins, and in this country
its value is placed at about $4,000."
This grand piano is certainly a beautiful
specimen of case work. The wood is Vernis
Martin, with artistic paintings on the sides
and on the top and inside of cover. The
legs and case are hand-carved and heavily
gilded.
Two separate stools with hand-
somely embroidered covers and gold carved
bottoms, go with the instrument. While
the piano is not as powerful in tone as our
American instruments, the quality is re-
fined and sweet, and the scale is even and
pleasing. It would repay local manufact-
urers who have not seen this instrument to
call at R. & J. Horner's and examine it.
An idea of the difference between high-class
instruments of foreign and domestic manu-
facture can be gleaned.
Speaking of expensive pianos brings to
mind the valuable instrument which is the
property of Henry Marquand, of this city.
The price of the piano above referred to is
a mere bagatelle when this instrument is
considered. It cost something in the region
of $50,000, and is undoubtedly the finest
and perhaps the costliest instrument in the
world. The plan and general outlines of
this king piano of the world, were the con-
ception of Alma-Tadema, and it shows the
classic characteristics of much of that
1—Nocturne .Chopin
master's work. The body of the case is
Valse Chromatique
Godard
MONS. J . PIZZARELLO.
ebony,
and the piano in general presents a
2—Russian Song
solid and massive aspect.
Inlaid and
Oriental Song
Rimsky Korsakoff
Spring Fancies
'.
Rubinstein
mosaic work, carried all around the edges
MRS. DE KONSCHIN.
and corners, is a marked feature of the
3—Romance, Gioconda
Ponchielli
MR. DE KONSCHIN.
case. In striking contrast with the sombre
4—Nocturne
Chopin-Sarasate
ebony of the case is the rich old ivory let in
Mazurka
Zarzieki
SENOR DIAZ ALBERTINI.
here and there, but it is only in the strong
5—Russian Folk Song, "Little Birch Torch,"...
light of day that the exquisite ultramarine
Be Not so Coy
'Rubinstein
Morning Song
(
blue of the lapis lazuli stands out. This
MRS. tIF. KONSCHIN.
semi-precious stone, of which there are
6—Romance from Harold
Napravnik
Serenade Don Juan
Tschaikowsky
many slabs in the Marquand piano, looks
MR. DE KONSCHIN.
black at night. Interspersed with these
7—Romance
Svendsen
Habenera
Sarasate
beautiful and costly materials are gold,
SENOR DIAZ ALDERTIN1.
turquoise, mother-of-pearl and precious
8—Duett, "Angel"
Rubinstein
MR. AND MRS. DE KONSCHIN.
stones in the designs on the case. Alma-
Mr. and Mrs. de Konschin sail for Europe Tadema's paintings on the piano, especial-
this week, having an important engage- ly that over the keyboard, would fetch
ment to fulfill in Italy, but they expect to many thousands of dollars if sawed out and
return to this country next year and will be put up separately at auction. They are
warmly received by their many friends.
signed with his name.
* *
*
* *
For the past few months R. & J. Homer,
*
The New Yorker would be very narrow
the artistic furniture makers, have been
displaying their magnificent exhibit which indeed who could not admire the enter-
secured the first gold medal at the World's prise, progressiveness, the faith in them-
Fair in their warerooms, 61-65 West selves and their native city, which is pecul-
Twenty-third street. Their exhibit at the iar to Chicagoans and Westerners in gen-
World's Fair was a reproduction of the cel- eral. Some there are who call this section-
ebrated Princess Metternich's salon, and alism. We rather think it is a spirit of
part of the amcublancnt is a magnificent municipal pride worthy of emulation. We
grand piano, which has attracted consider- wish such a feeling prevailed to a larger
able attention. We were curious to know extent in New York.
the maker of this instrument, and our curi-
* *
osity was satisfied by a member of the firm
*
who courteously informed us that "the
I had my piano tuned yesterday by an
piano was made by Bossendorfer, of Vienna, old man with long white whiskers, said a
chatty writer in the Press. He looked like
the same old fellow I met in a small
Pennsylvania town some years ago, engaged
in the same business. When he had finish-
ed the job I thought I would touch him up
a trifle. Looking quizzically at him, I said:
" I won't strike a note on it for two hours."
He seemed surprised, and asked, "Why?"
"The old story," I said. "Do you mean
to say you never heard it?"
"Well, I guess you've got me. Where
did you learn that trick? It was invented
by the old time tuners who traveled through
the country picking up a job here and there.
Most of them tuned very badly. They left
a piano in worse shape than they found it,
and were always in danger of a thrashing.
They started that idea about letting the in-
strument alone for two hours after tuning
so that they would have time to get out of
town before discovery. I confess that I did
give similar advice in those days, and gen-
erally drove pretty fast when I left the
house. But you need not be afraid now. I
am not going to leave New York for several
days."
"Count" Cavalli is devoting all his spare
time nowadays to his feline gymnasium.
He is imparting Delsarte to his celebrated
Maltese cats so as to enable them to bring
credit to their master and incidentally cap-
ture first prize at the National Cat Show to
be held in a few weeks at Madison Square
Garden. We are willing to bet they will
"take the bakery" for variety of accom-
plishments.
"You would be surprised," said a mu-
sical composer whose name you may see on
scores of song-sheets, and whose composi-
tions are to-day being ground out by piano-
organs all over the country, "how ignorant
of music nineteen out of twenty of the
highly-paid people in the music halls are.
"At one time, when they brought me a
set of words for which they required music,
I would, in their presence, sit down and
compose the air at once, while the words
were still in my head; and some of the
best airs I ever wrote were provided in this
way; but they, thinking I did the work too
easily, I suppose, would have none of these,
or wanted to pay a ridiculously small price
for them, and I soon gave it up, and said
that I should 'require time for such a
splendid set of words,' and so on. I often
have the melody written before they have
gone fifteen blocks, but I always keep it a
few days.
"One thing does seem ridiculous. I
often write the piano copy on a mere scrap
of paper, but, dear me, I should get no
price at all for an air so written if I were to
show it in that state. I have it copied out
on a big double sheet; for once, when I
asked a certain price for one of the scrappy-
looking pieces I showed, the intending- pur-
chaser (a man who earns $75 to $100 a week
now) said:
' ' ' Wh-a-at ?—ten dollars for a bit of music
like t h a t ? ' "