Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
came ever and ever more suited to a higher de-
gree of civilization. During the Commonwealth
we find the hand of the craftsman somewhat
How Pianos Have Been Affected in This Connection—An Interesting Historical Resume of the
constricted, and styles stiffen much the same as
Different Schools of Architecture and Their Bearing on Home Environment—How a Writer
morals during the reign of the severe old com-
in the Steinway Bulletin Presents His Facts—Pianos of Special Design in Favor.
moner Cromwell. Happily, his rule was short
and the artistic feeling soon shows itself by a
In attempting to trace the progress of the na-
return to refinement and
tions in art and taste, it is most evident that in
delicacy of line.
Italy national genius awakened at once and ex-
Charles II. and James
erted itself with vigor in every direction. The
II. succeeded the Common-
fifteenth century was the splendid age of that
wealth and James relin-
country, and during its course flourished the
quished the throne to his
great pcets, historians, painters, sculptors, archi-
sister Mary and William.
tects and musicians whom the Italians still con-
The important matter to
sider as the models of perfect composition and
us in the reign of William
fDllow as their masters and guides.
and Mary is not one of
In England the first efforts of national genius
politics, but of art. They
were more circumscribed, yet this great country
lived in Holland and the
can boast of possessing a great dramatic poet,
furniture they brought
long before any nation on the north side of the
with them to England was
Alps had produced an author worthy of that
Dutch—which means a
name. While England led in the culture of
mingling and development
science and her men penetrated into the secrets
of Dutch with Italian and
of Nature and explained her laws, she could
later on French influence
not boast of pre-eminence in the fine arts. In
—which sentiment is seen
painting, sculpture, architecture and music her
in the old furniture made
progress was extremely slow, and in all of them
or used in America in the
she has been excelled by other nations of modern
eighteenth century. Soon
Europe.
the notility and gentry be-
If we were to point out any one of the arts in
gan to emulate the King
which England had distinguished herself most,
and Queen, and English
we should not hesitate to say it was architecture.
styles were revolutionized.
It was Inigo Jones who, after his long residence
The cabinet-makers found
in Italy, rescued this art from the Gothicism of
it necessary to copy the
former times. He it was who began to intro-
imported ideas or go bank-
duce into his country a love of that elegance and
rupt.
refinement which characterize the productions of
It was about this time
Greece and Rome. In 1708, some years after the
that Holland was working
great fire of London, Queen Anne ordered the
with marquetry, produc-
churches of the city rebuilt. Inigo Jones had
ing her interpretation of
died fifty years before, but not so the Palladian
the Italian intarsia done
styles with which he had impressed England.
STEIXWAY COLONIAL. MAHOGANY GRAND AFTER SHERATON AND HEPPKLWIIITE.
in many colored woods,
Instructed and encouraged by his example, Sir interest. It is the beginning, in fact, of the great A gleam of the reflection is seen in Eng-
Christopher Wren became more chaste and, hav- chain of minor styles that produced the furni- land in some old pieces of this time. These are
ing the felicity to be employed by Queen Anne ture we hold so dear—the furniture of the Colo- done in patterns of floriated scrolls and dilutions
in executing the most magnificent work of Eng- nial days. But while the Queen Anne style is of Renaissance designs worked out in wood of
lish architecture, he was enabled to display
greater extent of genius. Vanburgh understood
better than either the art of living among the
great.
The Queen Anne period furnishes us much that
is absorbing in historical as well as industrial
INFLUENCES THAT MAKE COLONIAL ART.
STEIXWAY COLONIAL GRAND r i A N O IN SATINWOOD SHOWING FRENCH FEELING.
COLONIAL GRAND PIANO IN LIGHT COLORED MAHOGANY WITH SATINWOOD ENLARGED
LINES.
NAME PLATE IN OLD IVORY.
noticeably inferior to the
style which immediately
succeeded it, the style we
call Chippendale, it is not
too much to say, however,
that the Queen Anne style
opened the way for Chip-
pendale, even if it did not
furnish all his inspiration.
We have seen how Eng-
land has been rescued
from Gothic art, and the
Italian Renaissance trans-
planted in its place, from
which grew the Eliza-
bethan, which in turn was
influenced by Flanders and
Jacobeau. Through a 11
these changes styles be-
pear, sycamore, maple, mahogany and holly.
This period also marks the beginning of the
reign of the "king of woods"—mahogany. Thia
beautiful wood has done more than all others
to produce beauty of line and bestow beauty of
color in furniture of the Colonial period. Its his-
tory associates itself chiefly with the New World.
The time in which the styles known as Colonial
were evolved cover a period of sixty years. When
we consider the revocation of the Edict of Nantes,
executed by Louis XIV., we find that its influence
on industrial matters was full of the most pro-
lific of results. Persecuted Protestant workmen,
as well as men of higher talents, fled to other
countries, and thus was Holland and England
enriched by men superior in their crafts. These
were the artists who designed the exquisite furni-
ture we prize so highly—the furniture of the
Colonial period, and now so much in favor.