Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
EDWARD L\MAN BILL
Editor and Proprietor.
PUBLISHED
EVERY
SATURDAY
3 East 14th St., New York
SUBSCRIPTION (including: postage) United States and
Canada. $300 per year; Foreign Countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, sinjrlo column, per
Insertion. On quarterly or yearjy contracts .• special dis-
count is allowed.
REMITTANCES, In other than currency form, ehculd
be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
(inter ed at the New York Post Office as Second da *s Matter.
"THE BUSINESS MAN'S PAPER."
subect of its [discourse is the venerable
David T. Harraden, who is now in his
eighty-fifth year, and who during the whole
of his working careeT of seventy-one years
has devoted his skill and industry to the dis-
tinguished house of Chickering & Sons.
Mr. Harraden enjoys the honor of having
worked on the first piano ever made by the
Chickering house, and an idea of his phy-
sical and mental alertness can be judged
from the fact that his ear is delicate enough
to tune a piano to-day as it was half a cen-
tury ago Naturally Mr. Harraden is re-
garded by his employers and his fellow-
craftsmen as a link between the fidelity of
the past and the enhancing skill of the
present, which, as the Herald so neatly
puts it, "have caused the name of Chicker-
ing to vibrate in a resonant chord of repu-
tation through all the octaves of progress,
from the old clavichord to the modern
grand."
_,
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
'
"
CASE DESIGNS.
ASE DESIGNING is one of the
"live" questions which has been
engaging the attention of progressive piano
makers for the past few years. The growth
of taste in house decoration, and the many
artistic effects possible in furniture nowa-
days, demonstrate that the piano—"that
ugly piece cf furniture," so termed by those
seeking for decorative effects—must keep
pace with the artistic demands of the
age.
A marked improvement in this work has
been noticeable recently, and it is worthy
of commendation. Manufacturers have
gone outside of factories and secured special
designs from architects and designers of
artistic furniture, in order to fill the de-
mands made on them. The Henry F.
Miller & Sons Piano Co., of Boston, have
been very energetic in this matter, and
have done much toward adding to the value
of the piano from an architectural stand-
point.
In another part of this paper we reproduce
illustrations of a number of designs of up-
right pianos furnished by leading architects
in response to a series of prizes offered by
that house through an architectural monthly
entited "The Brochure Series."
In this connection it must be remembered
that these architects were not confined to
cost, as is the object of many competitions.
In fact, there were no restrictions. They
had free reign to their fancy, the main
object being to procure an artistic number
of special designs. The results are seen
elsewhere, and they represent the best from
a competition where more than seventy-
five architects sent in designs. T"„. ^
C
S can be seen in our bulletin of im-
ports and exports which appear else-
where in this issue, the imports of musical
instruments continue to increase by leaps
and bounds, while the export trade makes
a miserable showing. The figures are not
encouraging to American manufacturers,
and they nfford food for study and perhaps
action.
A
I
F proof were desired of the progressive-
ness of the Weber concern in the line
of piano development, it can be easily ob-
tained by an examination of the Bijou Baby
Grand, which this firm have recently placed
in their warerooms. Dealers and musicians
who have examined it during the past week
are warm and enthusiastic in their praise
of the musical possibilities of the latest
achievements of the house of Weber.
P
ROBABLY the greatest example of
continuous service and lifelong
fidelity to one firm has been brought to
light by the Boston Herald this week. The
No wonder the Henry F. Miller & Sons
Piano Co. write us: "We do not feel that
even the best of them are up to our own
best styles, nor equal to the best styles of
some others among our manufacturers."
No, they are not; and the question now
arises,:'can we look to architects or special
designers for an improvement in the case
work of pianos?
Not pianos made to order, but rather t h e
styles whicli can be sold at current rates.
We think not.
The improvement in case architecture
must come from these men who have made
the piano musically what it is to-day.
Their minds are concentrated on this spe-
cial subject, and they have shown by the
marked improvement in this line of work
during the past few years, that they are
capable of satisfying---if they will—the de-
mand which is being accentuated every
day.
What is wanted is not special designs for
expensive pianos as much as special de-
signs that can be used as standard styles.
In this connection we thoroughly appreciate
the valuable service which the Miller house
is rendering by procuring the ideas of
leading architects and designers in this
matter. It is by such progressive steps
that manufacturers can understand how
far they have advanced in the improvement
of case structure; then they can, perhaps,
derive many ideas of benefit which
will aid them in making other improve-
ments.
There is money for the manufacturer
who will give us an innovation in piano
cases—cases that will rob the instrument of
its uncouthness, and be in keeping with the
artistic quality of its tone.
A piano case as constructed to-day neces-
sarily affords but a limited opportunity for
improvement, but it can be improved, on
entirely new lines, however. With the
average buyer, who is not a musician, the
appearance of an instrument has much to
do with its sale, hence beautiful and original
case architecture is one of the questions
which manufacturers cannot afford to over-
look. Relief cannot be had from architects.
That has been demonstrated more than
once.
It is a pleasure to note that American
manufacturers are to-day striving to atone
for a pardonable neglect in the past by pro-
ducing piano cases which are' 'things of
beauty" compared with those of years
ago.
With few exceptions there have
been advances all along the line. Not
only are the designs more artistic, bet-
ter proportioned and elaborate, but
the variety of fancy woods used
are a decided improvement and re