Music Trade Review

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THE:
MUSIC TRADE: REVIEW
11
ART IN PIANO MAKING.
SHIPPERS AFTER FAST FREIGHT.
An Interesting Talk With Louis P. Bach Upon the
Development of Artistic Taste ana Work in
Piano Construction—A Tribute to the Adapt-
ability of the American, no Matter What Its
Station—Some Magnificent Kranich & Bach
Art Styles Now in Process of Manufacture.
Railroads Will Have to be More Careful if a Bill
Now Before Congress Becomes a Law—Piano
Men Have Suffered Greatly.
Irregularity and general slowness in
freight transportation, with consequent
annoyance and loss to shippers, have re-
sulted in a movement to obtain Congres-
sional legislation which will subject rail-
roads to money penalties for their short-
comings.
A bill has been framed and put in the
hands of the proper committee.
l
The proposed law provides that every
railroad shall be required to receive and
commence the carrying of freight within
five days after it is offered. For failure to
do so a penalty of $10 per car for each day
that such failure shall continue is to be
imposed. It is further provided that
freight shall be carried to destination in
such number of days as may result by
dividing the total mileage by fifty miles
for each day. For any time more than
that a penalty of $10 a car per day is pro-
posed. Lack of cars for shipments is not
to be accepted as a defense.
''Art in piano-making, as we see it to-day,
is of comparatively recent origin," said Louis
P. Bach, of Kranich & Bach, to The Review
on Friday, in reply to an interrogation re-
garding the development of artistic taste and
work in modern piano construction. "Of
course, from the very beginning there were
examples of elegant carving and inlaid work,
but the square piano, the immediate prede*
ctssor of the upright, presented no such
opportunity for display as do the upright and
grand of to-day.
"It is about fifteen years ago, as nearly as
I recollect, that we received our first order for
a special art design. It came to us through
LOUIS P. BACH.
a firm of house decorators. One of their cus-
tomers desired a Kranich & Bach piano for want and, furthermore, they generally see
his residence, but wanted it to conform in a that they get it. Their tastes, oddly enough,
general way to the decorative plan of his house but entirely to their credit, are, generally
interior. Since that time we have developed speaking, modest and well judged. At a
\ an art design department, in which we or- glance they can detect a flaw in the ensemble
iginate and submit designs for those who of an apartment. The piece of furniture out THE RAYMOND IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
desire special instruments. A week never of place, the painting inappropriate, the up-
passes in these days without one or more holstery inharmonious, the piano wrong in Agency For the Well Known Cleveland Piano For
the State of South Carolina Secured by J. C.
orders of this kind.
color tone, are noted immediately and con-
SmithdeaL
"For a time—in fact for some years—the demned without hesitation."
[Special to The Review.]
upright piano for ordinary use was a plain
Referring to trade conditions, Mr. Bach
Columbia,
S. C , Feb. 8, 1904.
and not particularly attractive product. But reported healthy activity all along the line,
During
his
recent
visit
to Cleveland, O.,
the widespread increase of_ wegjth with its with a good demand for the new small
J.
C.
Smithdeal
closed
a
contract
with the
attendant development of culture, and the Kranich & Bach grands and for each of the
Raymond
Piano
Co.
for
the
control
of the
tremendous strides taken in the field of edu- current styles in Kranich & Bach uprights,
sale
of
the
Raymond
pianos
for
the
entire
cation have completely changed conditions. the most expensive being preferred. The Re-
State
of
South
Carolina.
He
rejoices
ex-
The present is an era of handsomely figured view, in visiting the warerooms during the
ceedingly
at
being
able
to
secure
so
fine
an
veneers, unique case designs, elegant carv- call on Mr. Bach, noted many magnificent ex-
instrument.
Last
year
in
a
given
territory,
ings and perfect finish in the construction of amples of the latest Kranich & Bach products,
lie sold seventy-five Raymond pianos and
high grade instruments. And there is no the veneers being particularly choice in rich
he expects that with the enlarged field he
likelihood of a retrograde movement. On the effects.
- " '
now has to cover, that he will make a splen-
contrary, the advance continues steadily. We
did showing.
find, in correspondence with our agents in the
CECILIAN RECITAL AT TOLEDO.
The Raymond pianos have won the high-
several cities, that in behalf of their patrons
est praise from the greatest critics for their
Handsomely engraved invitations have careful manufacture, artistic case designs
they must continually study and consult in-
been
sent out by the Starr Piano Co. to the and magnificent tone qualities. Mr. Smith-
dividual tastes in piano case design. There
leading
citizens of Toledo, O., inviting their deal will bring the merits of these instru-
is an important factor—individual taste—
presence at a Cecilian recital to be given at ments to the attention of the public in his
that has to be reckoned with now as never be- the Valentine Theatre, that city, on the even-
usual enterprising way, and it is safe to say
fore.- It is one outcome of the onward move- ing of Feb. I I , when Hubert 0 . Fox will de- that the deal just closed will prove one of
ment of wealth and education."
monstrate the possibilities r of the Cecilian mutual advantage and satisfaction.
The Review asked Mr. Bach whether, in piano player. The soloists will be Miss
NEW HOUSE IN GULFPORT.
the matter of selecting special designs, the Carrie Bridewell, contralto of the Metro-
politan
Opera
Co.
In
these
two
artists
the
The Gardner-Brandao Company have
people who have acquired wealth rapidly—
people of Toledo have a great treat in store opened up a music house at Gulfport, Miss.,
the "newly rich"—showed, as a rule, con-
for them.
with the Weber, Emerson, Hardman and
trary to the theories of certain humorous
other pianos, and the Estey and Kimball
writers and publications—an intelligent per-
organs. The members of the firm are W.
GRUNEWALD TO OPEN IN LOWELL.
ception and appreciation of color blendings,
H. Gardner, Jr., C. A. Kestler, F. E. Wil-
harmony and congruity of artistic effect.
John J. Conlon, the popular salesman for liams, Jr., and Walter A. Brandao. The
"Indeed they do," was Mr. Bach's reply. the M. Steinert & Sons Co., has severed his latter was for a long time manager of the
Medine Music House, and was later with
"The American has the happy faculty of connection with this house to accept a posi- the Junius Hart Piano House in New Or-
tion with Louis Grunewald, Jr., former man-
fitting into new surroundings without the ager for the Steinert company, who is soon to leans. Gulfport is centrally located, and
least embarrassment. We see that illustrated embark in the piano business in Lowell, should prove an excellent point for work-
ing up trade.
frequently in every-day life, and it is quite Mass., on his own account.
remarkable in the case of men and women
who by a strike of luck or unusual success in
business find themselves possessed of con-
siderable or great wealth. In fiction and on
the stage these people talk loudly, dress
loudly and furnish their homes in an out-
rageous fashion, violating all the canons of
29th Street and f Ith Ave., NEW YORK.
good 'taste. In rea:l life they are not nearly
so bad as Represented. They know what they
BEHRBROS.&CO
PIANOS,
HIGHEST STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE.