Music Trade Review
Issue: 1900 Vol. 31 N. 3 - Page 7
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Paris Exposition through Review Eyes.
FURTHER GLIMPSES OF THE MUSICAL EXHIBITS OF FRANCE MANY SPECIAL DESIGNS—ORGAN
DISPLAY >OT COMPLETE MANY PIANOS SOLD INSTRUMENT WHICH SIMULATES
THE ORCHESTRAL FAMILY INTEREST DISPLAYED IN COLLECTION OF
OLD INSTRUMENTS LUDWIG EXHIBIT.
I Special 10 The Review.1
will be on view instead of the packing
Paris, France, July 7, 1900.
cases containing them.
The maker of a most serviceable French
Round the section are several cases con-
piano is A. Bord, Paris, who has a stand of
taining piano '-supplies" — and in fact
three small grands and six uprights.
This
nearly every part of the piano in sections
proportion is fairly representative of the
is shown in these cases of wires, felts, keys,
different number of grands and uprights
hammers, etc.
manufactured by this firm. These are all
Harmoniums are not much used in
in ratherplain,hard-wear cases and are well
France, as is evidenced by the few makers
suited to the general use they will be prob-
who exhibit any specimens of this class of
ablyputto by thepeople who will buy them.
instrument. The firm of M. Focke show
Henri Hertz, Boulevard Poissonniere,
a very handsome harmonium with a harp-
Paris, shows a striking looking piano of
like arrangement at the back of the instru-
carved and polished walnut among several
ment, which, by means of a pedal, can also
rather ordinary ones, on a large stand near
be made to reproduce the sound of the
the centre of the French music section.
harp in conjunction with that of the har-
The firm of Burckhard & Marqua, 49
monium.
rue de la Procession, Paris, is well repre-
This house has also a neat display of
sented here by several handsome pianos.
pianos, most of them in well got up plain
One grand is of dark mahogany with nar-
cases made in good style but with little
row white mahogany used as a border for
outward show.
the darker wood, which is patterned with
In this section many of the pianos are
a conventional floral design. Another
marked
"sold," a notice which, so far, has
grand is in white and gold, with rather less
not
been
attached to any piano in another
solid-looking feet than one generally looks
section.
So it would appear that the
for in a grand. Above the keyboard is a
French
piano
in France finds a more ready
pane of plate glass on which the maker's
sale
than
that
of any other nation. Is
name is engraved, allowing the action to
this
on
account
of
the extremely moderate
be seen without taking out the front, as is
price
asked
for
them?
For the many em-
usual. Another piano is in a species of
bellishments
on
the
woodwork
of the
marquetrie or inlaid woods in various pat-
piano?
Or
is
it
that
the
rather
thin
tone
terns. Several French firms rather go in
of
the
French
piano
is
preferred
to
the
for this sort of work, but it never seems
greater
power—especially
the
carrying
quite to hit the public taste.
A large stand chiefly containing uprights power — and resonance of the average
is shown by N. Winther, 77 rue Denfert piano of other nations as heard at the pres-
Rocherau, Paris.
These uprights are ent Exposition?
Perhaps it is premature to ask these
mostly for general use and have little or-
questions
and before the close of the pres-
namentation about their cases. One with
an iron frame and overstrung can be pur- ent show other nations may be displaying
chased for the very modest sum of eight these same cards in equal proportion in
hundred francs. Another just double the their own music sections.
price is a full compass piano in carved ma-
In the entrance of one of the side ap-
hogany. One in carved rose-wood inlaid proaches, rather out of the way, is the
with mother-of-pearl is curious in its effect, greatest curiosity in the way of musical
and one wonders who are the purchasers instruments. This is a semi-cylinder of
of this type of piano.
brass about 9 feet high resting on an
From a town on the Seine, St. Ouen, iron tripod made of three iron stays. In-
comes a couple of good-looking pianos by side the half cylinder is a sounding board
J. Hanson—a firm which made a good ex- and along the length of the opening of the
hibit at Chicago, and are now "Hors Con- brass run wires just as in a violin, and
cours." The grand shown is in white ma- these rest on a lar e bridge on the sound-
hogany with paintings of bunches of ing board. It is claimed by the inventor,
flowers scattered lightly over the whole J. J. Bordicors, Augers, France, that this
surface while a ribbon border gives a finish instrument, played by means of what looks
exactly like an over-grown violin bow,
to a nice piano.
One upright is in three different tones of can be made to reproduce exactly every
mahogany carefully graded, with a good stringed instrument used in the orchestra
of a theatre, and that by the use of this
effect.
Some of the firms of organ builders have one instrument many could be dispensed
exhibits in this section or in the gallery with. Certainly the inventor who him-
above. They are in general not well rep- self shows the instrument, can reproduce
resented, although the organs shown are to command, the tone of the violin, harp,
very fine both in tone and appearance. bass-viol, and in fact, all the stringed
Several of the organs are not yet complete- instruments. As the musician has to stand
ly arranged ; others, which are to be worked and bend side-ways to use the bow, it
, by some motive power, have not yet the looks as though it would be very fatigu-
force requisite to play them, so all the or- ing, but the inventor, a man born in 1826,
gans will be mentioned together in a later does not seem to find it so.
letter, when it is to be hoped the organs
Ascending the staircase, (opposite which
the last mentioned instrument is placed),
in the gallery above will be found several
fine organs in course of erection, and also
a most interesting show of musical instru-
ments of all ages; displaying in many in-
stances the gradual growth of the various
instruments; more especially is this true
of the piano from its first appearance as a
narrow table on very high, thin supports,
with its short key-board of such a very few
octaves, through its many clumsy earlier
efforts at evolution, even up to its present
date completeness. All these stages have
a live interest for all traveling members of
the music trade, who like to see and know
the beginning of what they now manufac-
ture in such a state of perfection.
The large collection of harps show how
general must have been the domestic use
of this instrument in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries, when every home
which wished to possess a sign manual of
refinement had a harp in the drawingroom
with a fair daughter to play it; for in those
days people did their own playing, they
neither thought of hiring a professional
player, nor of having an automatic attach-
ment.
The great centre of attraction in these
exhibits is a small square piano on spidery
legs made by the Erard who founded the
present firm of that name, for Marie An-
toinette in the height of her fame; when
her music and her dairy were her two
great distractions and before any shadow
of her tragic fate fell across her path.
At the furthest extreme from the Amer-
ican Music Section on the Champs de Mars,
is the American Publishers' Building on
the Esplanade des Invalides, and the pa-
vilions of the headquarters of the Ameri-
can Press. These three structures have,
by the care given to their decoration, and
the thought and trouble taken in their gen-
eral filling up, been made models of what
such pavilions should be,—but too often
are not. In these sections no pains have
been spared to make them contain every
comfort the traveling American can wish to
find, while the whole staff at the Exposition
made it a pleasure to ask their assistance
in any matter; whether a great or small
service is required it is done with equal
courtesy; information on every imaginable
subject can be obtained here; and it is
always reliable, and forthcoming imme-
diately. In one corner of the reading-
room belonging to the Publishers' Build-
ing is a small case with glass front, behind
the glass being a banjo of excellent tone;
this instrument is played automatically by
means of a vacuum air chamber, the motive
power being a tiny dynamo of /« horse
power. The mechanism is most perfect in
everyway; great attention having been
paid to even the smallest details, and the
result is excellent. The strings are ope-
rated by means of fine nickel points which
are acted upon by the passing of a per-
forated endless band (upon which several
tunes are printed) through the holes in
which the air is exhausted and the points
caused to move by means of the vacuum
chamber. This necessitates a number of
India rubber tubes to connect the various
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Paris Exposition through Review Eyes.
FURTHER GLIMPSES OF THE MUSICAL EXHIBITS OF FRANCE MANY SPECIAL DESIGNS—ORGAN
DISPLAY >OT COMPLETE MANY PIANOS SOLD INSTRUMENT WHICH SIMULATES
THE ORCHESTRAL FAMILY INTEREST DISPLAYED IN COLLECTION OF
OLD INSTRUMENTS LUDWIG EXHIBIT.
I Special 10 The Review.1
will be on view instead of the packing
Paris, France, July 7, 1900.
cases containing them.
The maker of a most serviceable French
Round the section are several cases con-
piano is A. Bord, Paris, who has a stand of
taining piano '-supplies" — and in fact
three small grands and six uprights.
This
nearly every part of the piano in sections
proportion is fairly representative of the
is shown in these cases of wires, felts, keys,
different number of grands and uprights
hammers, etc.
manufactured by this firm. These are all
Harmoniums are not much used in
in ratherplain,hard-wear cases and are well
France, as is evidenced by the few makers
suited to the general use they will be prob-
who exhibit any specimens of this class of
ablyputto by thepeople who will buy them.
instrument. The firm of M. Focke show
Henri Hertz, Boulevard Poissonniere,
a very handsome harmonium with a harp-
Paris, shows a striking looking piano of
like arrangement at the back of the instru-
carved and polished walnut among several
ment, which, by means of a pedal, can also
rather ordinary ones, on a large stand near
be made to reproduce the sound of the
the centre of the French music section.
harp in conjunction with that of the har-
The firm of Burckhard & Marqua, 49
monium.
rue de la Procession, Paris, is well repre-
This house has also a neat display of
sented here by several handsome pianos.
pianos, most of them in well got up plain
One grand is of dark mahogany with nar-
cases made in good style but with little
row white mahogany used as a border for
outward show.
the darker wood, which is patterned with
In this section many of the pianos are
a conventional floral design. Another
marked
"sold," a notice which, so far, has
grand is in white and gold, with rather less
not
been
attached to any piano in another
solid-looking feet than one generally looks
section.
So it would appear that the
for in a grand. Above the keyboard is a
French
piano
in France finds a more ready
pane of plate glass on which the maker's
sale
than
that
of any other nation. Is
name is engraved, allowing the action to
this
on
account
of
the extremely moderate
be seen without taking out the front, as is
price
asked
for
them?
For the many em-
usual. Another piano is in a species of
bellishments
on
the
woodwork
of the
marquetrie or inlaid woods in various pat-
piano?
Or
is
it
that
the
rather
thin
tone
terns. Several French firms rather go in
of
the
French
piano
is
preferred
to
the
for this sort of work, but it never seems
greater
power—especially
the
carrying
quite to hit the public taste.
A large stand chiefly containing uprights power — and resonance of the average
is shown by N. Winther, 77 rue Denfert piano of other nations as heard at the pres-
Rocherau, Paris.
These uprights are ent Exposition?
Perhaps it is premature to ask these
mostly for general use and have little or-
questions
and before the close of the pres-
namentation about their cases. One with
an iron frame and overstrung can be pur- ent show other nations may be displaying
chased for the very modest sum of eight these same cards in equal proportion in
hundred francs. Another just double the their own music sections.
price is a full compass piano in carved ma-
In the entrance of one of the side ap-
hogany. One in carved rose-wood inlaid proaches, rather out of the way, is the
with mother-of-pearl is curious in its effect, greatest curiosity in the way of musical
and one wonders who are the purchasers instruments. This is a semi-cylinder of
of this type of piano.
brass about 9 feet high resting on an
From a town on the Seine, St. Ouen, iron tripod made of three iron stays. In-
comes a couple of good-looking pianos by side the half cylinder is a sounding board
J. Hanson—a firm which made a good ex- and along the length of the opening of the
hibit at Chicago, and are now "Hors Con- brass run wires just as in a violin, and
cours." The grand shown is in white ma- these rest on a lar e bridge on the sound-
hogany with paintings of bunches of ing board. It is claimed by the inventor,
flowers scattered lightly over the whole J. J. Bordicors, Augers, France, that this
surface while a ribbon border gives a finish instrument, played by means of what looks
exactly like an over-grown violin bow,
to a nice piano.
One upright is in three different tones of can be made to reproduce exactly every
mahogany carefully graded, with a good stringed instrument used in the orchestra
of a theatre, and that by the use of this
effect.
Some of the firms of organ builders have one instrument many could be dispensed
exhibits in this section or in the gallery with. Certainly the inventor who him-
above. They are in general not well rep- self shows the instrument, can reproduce
resented, although the organs shown are to command, the tone of the violin, harp,
very fine both in tone and appearance. bass-viol, and in fact, all the stringed
Several of the organs are not yet complete- instruments. As the musician has to stand
ly arranged ; others, which are to be worked and bend side-ways to use the bow, it
, by some motive power, have not yet the looks as though it would be very fatigu-
force requisite to play them, so all the or- ing, but the inventor, a man born in 1826,
gans will be mentioned together in a later does not seem to find it so.
letter, when it is to be hoped the organs
Ascending the staircase, (opposite which
the last mentioned instrument is placed),
in the gallery above will be found several
fine organs in course of erection, and also
a most interesting show of musical instru-
ments of all ages; displaying in many in-
stances the gradual growth of the various
instruments; more especially is this true
of the piano from its first appearance as a
narrow table on very high, thin supports,
with its short key-board of such a very few
octaves, through its many clumsy earlier
efforts at evolution, even up to its present
date completeness. All these stages have
a live interest for all traveling members of
the music trade, who like to see and know
the beginning of what they now manufac-
ture in such a state of perfection.
The large collection of harps show how
general must have been the domestic use
of this instrument in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries, when every home
which wished to possess a sign manual of
refinement had a harp in the drawingroom
with a fair daughter to play it; for in those
days people did their own playing, they
neither thought of hiring a professional
player, nor of having an automatic attach-
ment.
The great centre of attraction in these
exhibits is a small square piano on spidery
legs made by the Erard who founded the
present firm of that name, for Marie An-
toinette in the height of her fame; when
her music and her dairy were her two
great distractions and before any shadow
of her tragic fate fell across her path.
At the furthest extreme from the Amer-
ican Music Section on the Champs de Mars,
is the American Publishers' Building on
the Esplanade des Invalides, and the pa-
vilions of the headquarters of the Ameri-
can Press. These three structures have,
by the care given to their decoration, and
the thought and trouble taken in their gen-
eral filling up, been made models of what
such pavilions should be,—but too often
are not. In these sections no pains have
been spared to make them contain every
comfort the traveling American can wish to
find, while the whole staff at the Exposition
made it a pleasure to ask their assistance
in any matter; whether a great or small
service is required it is done with equal
courtesy; information on every imaginable
subject can be obtained here; and it is
always reliable, and forthcoming imme-
diately. In one corner of the reading-
room belonging to the Publishers' Build-
ing is a small case with glass front, behind
the glass being a banjo of excellent tone;
this instrument is played automatically by
means of a vacuum air chamber, the motive
power being a tiny dynamo of /« horse
power. The mechanism is most perfect in
everyway; great attention having been
paid to even the smallest details, and the
result is excellent. The strings are ope-
rated by means of fine nickel points which
are acted upon by the passing of a per-
forated endless band (upon which several
tunes are printed) through the holes in
which the air is exhausted and the points
caused to move by means of the vacuum
chamber. This necessitates a number of
India rubber tubes to connect the various
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).