Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
THE SAUNTERER'S COLUMN.
Bauer's Success at the Worcester Festival—Sympathy for Mason & Hamlin—Despicable Trade Methods
Discussed—The Subject of Guarantees—Pianos for Concert Purposes—The Teacher, the Piano and the
Salesman—Jordan Marsh and a Piano Department in the "Hub"—What the Move Means.
11
around. When you come to look the mat-
ter squarely and fairly the question must
arise in the mind of the piano man—"Why
do I give my piano to that person at all?"
He will find the answer very quickly in the
fact that it is good that the piano is heard
in public, then the question remains, why
is he so careless as to send an old rattle-
box which would put his piano out of the
race if there were a prospective buyer in
the audience? There is no business in the
world where the tiny little things count for
so much as they do in the piano business,
and if there is smallness and narrowness it
is because of these little items which after
all go to form the greater part of the up-
building of a piano that has the name and
the fame.
* * *
"How important a factor is the teacher?"
was asked during a conversation upon the
relation of the pianist to the piano. Tt
would appear that there is probably no in-
fluence as valuable as that of the teacher.
That all piano dealers have disagreeable oc-
currences on record need not be questioned,
for in all lines there are disagreeable fea-
tures and the complications of the commis-
sions do not come from the teachers only.
To make friends of the teachers good, bad
or indifferent should be the duty of everv
salesman for more sales can be reached
through them than in anv other way, and
when these teachers have recitals, or when
they want a piano for public performances,
remember that the best is none too eT>od.
* * *
The subject that stirs up annually for
discussion is that of the department store
and a^ain this matter is opened up in Bos-
ton where, as was stated in this paper last
week, Sieeel will open a large house. Be-
sides this it is said that Jordan Marsh are
drawing plans to include a piano depart-
ment in their new building. If this be the
case it means that this will be another John
Wanamaker business, as everv one knows
that Wanamaker, Marshall Field and Jor-
dan Marsh are the representative houses of
America. Boston will not be injured bv the
influence of a house whose piano business
is done on the lines of the Wanamaker
house, in fact it will be rather what it
stands in need of, as everybody needs good,
clean business methods, and from Jordan
Marsh only the best are to be expected. Tf
a one-price svstem has made friends in
New York, it is not to be doubted that the
Wanamaker house is to be thanked for this.
If pianos are sold in their class more con-
spicuously than they were formerlv it can
hardly be doubted that to the same source
it may be attributed. Tf advertising and ex-
ploitation in general has reached a very
peak of height as to dignity and general ex-
cellency may we not believe that if such a
house drives, the others must of necessity
follow?
The forty-sixth festival held at Worces- cause and how far a man may justify him-
ter, Mass., closed on Saturday. Artistically self is something which only he himself
it was a very marked success. Again Har- can understand, but that the consequence
old Bauer played himself into the hearts of falls upon himself is also not to be doubted.
thousands of people who were more fascin-
No manufacturer can go out into the
ated with the marvels of his art than ever. trade of the country, and by manufacturer,
Both at the rehearsal and at the public con- of course, we mean those who represent
cert he was the recipient of ovations at the him on the road and everywhere else, and
hands of the audience no more than from be guilty of the act of buying up the sales-
the men of the orchestra who know how to men without training that many men into
appreciate art in its highest form. Bauer low tricks, and when these men have been
played with greater breadth, greater sweep, thoroughly educated, there is no reason to
greater nobility than ever and the magnifi- believe that they will not carry out these
cence of the piano was revealed to many hun- modes against a house as well as for it.
dreds .of people under his magical ringers. He Just that many men are being taught how
played the Mason & Hamlin piano and to degrade themselves and the piano busi-
while we are not permitted to look behind ness. The man who accepts a customer
the curtain, it is to be hoped that his tour from the hands of a salesman in another
will not be interfered with, although this house is adding his share to degrading the
can hardly be hoped for. Those who are business and it would seem as though
settling the affairs of the Mason & Hamlin ethics being out of question, a faint voice
people will have neither the time nor the might insistently repeat, "Lead us not into
experience to handle this artist as one of his
caliber should be handled, and to make him temptation."
* * *
less of a value to a piano house than he is
It
is
a
question
in the minds of a good
at present would be nothing short of a
many
people
how
far
the word guarantee
crime as from every side Harold Bauer is
should
be
made
to
carry.
Willard Vose,
among the very best values in the world.
of Vose & Sons, Boston, who always man-
It has often and properly been said in ages to fall in for comical correspondence,
these columns that what constitutes the is trying to solve this question satisfactor-
tone of a piano is not known to the public, ily. He has just received some letters
indeed, hardly to the musicians themselves, which if turned over to Puck should fur-
but it is a fact that the nobility of Bauers nish material for thought and incidentally
tone is worth everything in the world to a amusement. A man writes him that rats
piano. He never abuses it, he never forces have gotten into his piano and asks what
it to groan and to writhe and to utter im- Mr. Vose will do about it. Perhaps it will
possible sounds as do many whose names be needless to state to those who know Mr.
are better known to the public. The value Vose and his curt way of putting a humor-
of a pianist is after all in what he makes ous answer that he replied: "Yours re-
the piano sound like as well as to have the ceived, I should suggest that vou keep
capacity to draw a crowd to hear him your piano in one room and your rats in an-
"strike bottom" every two minutes. Un- other. Very respectfully yours." Another
der any circumstances Bauer's tour should man says, "My piano has a guarantee from
be protected. He canceled all dates to your house and I write to inform you that
come to America and being here he should the strings and the pins are, covered with
be protected by those who induced him to rust, what are you going to do about it?"
come. Whether this protection should Mr. Vose enclosed a printed copy of the
come by releasing him or otherwise is address delivered before the National Asso-
ciation on the subject of what constitutes a
neither here nor there.
guarantee,
checking, rusting, tuning, etc.,
* * *
and
the
comment
that he would recommend
That certain localities have more pride in
any
good
tuner
and
an application of some-
home institutions than others cannot be
thing
that
would
take
the rust off.
doubted. This has never been more defi-
*
*
*
nitely proven than in Boston where the re-
Now the factories are preparing the pi-
cent failure of the Mason & Hamlin Com-
pany is on everybody's lips. Everywhere anos that are going out for concert pur-
there is a deep sense of sympathy, every- poses during the season. That this opera-
one has a keen appreciation of the name of tion is a very serious one some realize and
the concern which valiantly had built up a some do not. The good pianos are saved
reputation that meant a credit to itself and for the "big artists" as all foreigners arc
to Boston everywhere that it is known. dubbed, and the home folks can get along
Jealousies may exist and do exist in every with any old thing that happens to be lying
commerce, but that the entire piano trade
to a man feels the loss that their fellow cit-
izens and confreres have undergone is un-
mistakable.
* * *
PIANOS,
Competition in the piano business is keen
and it drives many men of otherwise admir-
29th Street and I Ith Ave., NEW YORK.
able qualities into methods that are un-
clean and reprehensible. What is the
HIGHEST STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE.
BEHR BROS. & CO