Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Lowenthal at Cremona.
NOTES FROM THE OLD HISTORIC TOWN.
L
OUIS LOWENTHAL, of the Lowen-
dall Star Works, Berlin, Germany,
who made many friends in this country
during the Chicago Exposition, is now
sojourning in Italy. He sends us the fol.
lowing communication from Cremona,
Italy:
e.G.HARRINGTON SCo. M'F'R s
ORK
Selling a Piano.
THE DEALER RELATES HOW HE OUTWITTED A
SLOW BUYER.
*'T TSUALLY persons are more particu-
y^J . lar in selecting a piano than they
are in choosing their friends," said a piano
dealer, yesterday. "No matter what the
name or reputation of the maker may be,
it requires a salesman to sell the goods.
By a salesman I don't mean what is ordin-
arily construed to be a salesman, but a man
who has tact and common sense at the same
time, for selling a piano requires much
persuasion.
"Customers for pianos defer making
their decision so long that it sometimes
becomes painful to the dealer. He is kept
on the anxious bench, knowing that there
are various other makes of instruments
that can be just as well represented as his
are, even if he refuses to acknowledge an
equality, not to speak of superiority, in
comparison with his own. It is even
worse than speculation in stocks, for in
this instance you are dealing with self-
praise most brilliantly put.
"These delayed purchases are very ag-
gravating to a dealer," says the Fittsburg
DcspatcJi, "who usually knows what his
customer wants much better than he does
himself. I had an experience to-day which
developed a novel method of making a
customer, who really wanted a piano, yet
who couldn't make up his mind and pur-
chase one. For the last six or seven months
a well-known gentleman has been contem-
plating the purchase of a piano from me.
He came into the store on an average of
four times a week to look at the instrument
under consideration and to hear it played.
I was positive that the man would pur-
chase in time—but why wait when it was
only a question of time?
So to-day I con-
cluded to resort to heroic methods to ac-
complish a sale. I ordered the piano sent
to the man's house, and arranged it so that
I would arrive there a few minutes before
it. I found my man and took him into the
library to talk to him while rhe men would
carry out my instructions previously given
to carry the piano into the parlor. After
it was placed in position, I had my pianist
begin to play. The man's face assumed a
most surprised look, and he remarked that
he had never heard his old piano sound so
well before.
,. .
" 'What's the use of buying a new one
when I've got that?' he argued. 'That's
just the tone I've been looking for for
months. That tuner worked wonders yes-
terday. '
"When he walked into the parlor and
saw the r new instrument he was dum-
founded, but said:
" 'Well, Mr.
, you've made up my
mind for me; that's the instrument I want.
If you will come into the library I'll give
you a check for it.'
"By this strategic move I concluded a
sale that would have hung fire for six
months more."
THE Bush & Gerts Piano Co., Chicago,
have recently located agencies in Denver,
Fort Collins, Leadville, Salt Lake City, Og-
den, Pocatello (Idaho), Los Angeles, Port-
land, Reno, Seattle and Helena, and antici-
pate a largely increased trade with these
localities in the next six months.
After my severe illness of the past three
months I made up my mind to recover
my health again in Italy, where the love-
ly sun and air refresh an old body like
mine so rapidly, and in fact, being since
last Sunday, in this lovely country, I feel
like a morning star. From Trieste I came
by the Lloyd steamer to Venice, and I must
confess that your splendid issue of the
Southern Number of the 20th of April in-
terested me greatly, and took much of my
slow time in the steamer away.
My entrance into Venice was not a pleas-
ant one, as the waters of the "Lagmen"
smelled horribly, and I greatly prefer the
imitation of the "Lagmen" at the Exhi-
bition of "Italy in Berlin."
This little
pleasure ground is wonderfully imitative of
Italy, and is worth recommending. But
back again to the genuine Italy. From
Venice I visited Vicenza, Tadua, Verona,
Mandua, and here I am in Germany.
Cremona Station—and the word "Cre-
mona" made upon me a great impression.
I cannot help but say, being in the musical
instrument line nearly thirty years, and so
greatly connected with "Old Italian Vio-
lins," the names of the great masters,
Stradivari. Amati, Guarnerius live with
me like my own relations.
Corto Stradivari is one of the main
streets here, and Amati and all the other
heroes of violin making are to be found
by calling places and streets after them.
But where are all their old violins gone?
Where is the art of Cremona violin making
gone? — tutti pcrduslii.
The latter is
starved out, and I think will never come to
the front again.
I visited yesterday afternoon, the only in-
strument maker in the town who makes
violins, but his violins I wish I had never
seen";—all my "impressions r of Cremona
violins fell to the ground. I leave to-mor-
row for Bologna, the place where I gained
the silver medal at the Exposition of 1888
for my violins and 'cellos, and later go to
Florence, and after visiting Sivorna Pisa, I
think my time will be up and will make
preparations for my route to England.!
Apropos of "old Italian violins," they are
becoming very scarce, and only by an excep-
tional chance you may find something to
buy, and the prices are out of reason. After
this journey I shall double the prices of my
old Italian violins — that is, if my custo-
mers are satisfied with it.
THE Ann Arbor Organ Co. will make a
display of Clifford pianos and Ann Arbor
organs in the parlors of the Hawkins
House, Ypsilanti, Mich., during the meet-
ing of the Michigan Music Teachers' Asso-
ciation, which will take place this month.