Music Trade Review

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6
THE
RMEW
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue. New York
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage ) United States and
Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada, $8.60; all other coun-
tries. $4.00.
Telephones—Numbers 5982 and 5983 Madison Sq
Connecting all Departments
NEW YORK, MARCH 29,1913
Officially, spring is here. Through some error,
the opening day was attended throughout large sec-
tions of the country with exercises principally car-
ried out by Father Winter in his most savage garb.
Perhaps it is as well that we are not enjoying too
early a spring-time, for business needs our atten-
tion just now. Spring fever is all very well, but
one prefers to begin to feel it about a month later
than the present time. Even those of us, however,
who have been getting that tired feeling are likely
to wake up as soon as we reflect at all upon present
conditions in business. For all things just now
tend toward a strengthening in every line, a relax-
ation of straitened conditions, a return to nor-
mality. It is true that there is still a certain tight-
ness in the money market, but this may be sup-
posed to be but temporary. To a certain extent,
no doubt, the business world will feel inclined to
wait a little and see what the new administration
proposes to do. But it is even more certain that
whatever any Democrats may say, they have no
intention of trying to do any harm.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
is used altogether in connection with the perfor-
mance of purely mechanical function; of function,
in short, which does not demand the interjection
of expressive personality. If the word "operator"
implies anything at all, it implies that personality,
in the sense of freedom and permission to express
itself, is entirely foreign to it. We operate a sew-
ing machine or an automobile by repressing our
personality. We play music by expressing our-
selves in it. Every time one uses the word "opera-
tor" in connection with playing music—even though
it be by means of the player-piano—one interposes
a negative suggestion which may work fatally
against the state of mind in which the prospective
purchaser should always be. "Player-pianist'' may
not be a perfect term, but at least it is logical and
means something. For heaven's sake, let us be
done with "operators" and "operating."
The player-grand is coming to the front, though
perhaps a little more slowly than some enthusiasts
may have desired. The mechanical problems in-
volved have been found to be formidable, but that
manufacturers are unwilling to put forth any
mechanism as perfected until it actually is so is an
admirable thing. It proves that nothing is being
done hastily. Also it makes us feel quite sure that
when the several new player-grands expected to
appear during the present season are put on view
they will be ready to meet any requirements and
will disappoint nobody. The man who imagines
that there is no field for the player-grand is des-
tined to disappointment. Probably, price and size
will always keep the demand down, but there is al-
ready a clientele for this class of instrument. Not
only so, but the player-grand affords means for
bringing the player before a class which hitherto
has rather fought shy of it. The simon-pure music
lovers have not yet begun to take kindly to the
player, and until they do we need not expect due
recognition of this new force in music. The player-
grand, however, will do much to bring about this
desirable condition, and that is why we are all
eagerly awaiting new developments in this line.
SEEK NEW CLASSIFICATION IN PERFORATED MUSIC ROLLS.
Present Freight Rate Is One and One-half First Class—Player and Roll Men Want Lower Rate
Make Application to Official Classification Committee.
(Special to The Review.)
which are now rated single first class: Phono-
Chicago, 111., March 24, 1913.
graphs, phonograph cylinder records and sheet
For some time past manufacturers of music
music
rolls, not only in this, city, but in the State, have
T h e m o d e o f p a c k i n g f or shipment of these
been anxious to secure a new carload rating for a r t i c i e s j s substantially the same. They are all
perforated music rolls, which at the present time u s u a n y packed for shipment in wooden boxes,
is one and one-half first class, and this matter v a r y ; n g j n individual weight from (55 to 480 pounds,
came up for consideration at a meeting of the a n d i n dimensions ranging from 2 to 3 feet, in
classification committee which was held in Chicago t h e i o n g e s t dimensions, and from 1 to 2 feet in
last week.
The size of pack-
e a c j 1 o f t n e o t n e r dimensions.
Thomas C. Moore, traffic manager of the a g e S j j n r e s p e c t t o convenience of handling, is not
Meanwhile we have problems of our own to ab- National Piano Manufacturers' Association, was materially different for these several lines of
present and set forth the reasons why there should
g o o d S j a n d f r o m t h i s . p o h l t o f v i e w it s e e m s t h e r e
sorb our attention. This is a time of year when
the wise manufacturer will ask himself whether be a correction in the discrimination made in s h o u l d b e n o d i f f e r e n c e j n the classification,
freight rates against music rolls as compared with
T h e f o i ] o w i n g t a i,i c compares the four articles
the policies he has pursued during the past few
talking machine records.
mentioned :
months of hustling business have been in every
The classification is invariably based upon such
way successful. Especially is it a good time to ask
.
.
'
.
100 His. weight.
Bulk, cu. ft. Value.
ourselves what we are going to do in the not al- c o n s i d e r a t i o n s a s ( 1 ) bulk r e l a t i v e t o w e i g h t ; ( 2 ) Music rolls
2
$f>o.oo
ways well handled department of publicity. In this v a l u e relative to w e i g h t ; _ ( 3 ) difficulty and risk of
^35* cyiinder -•—,;,::::::::::
5 *
K
respect the article on the player catalog which will handling relative to weight; in connection with
sheet music
2
75.00
appear next month should be read by all who these considerations the following facts were pre-
T h e Melville Clark Piano Co. has been most
have ever had occasion to consider the prob- sented:
energetic in its advocacy of a change in the classi-
lem of producing such a piece of advertising litera-
Comparing music rolls, which are now rated one fication, and it has circularized the trade in this
ture. Catalog writing is not always so easy as it and a half first class, with the following articles,
connection.
looks; wherefore occasional remarks on the con-
ditions which have to be.fulfilled in this work are
cians who play the rolls is given, and the entire
stimulating and helpful. A good many thousands
arrangement of the catalog is praiseworthy be-
Handsome Booklet Full of Interesting Matter
of dollars are spent every year on the production
cause of its simplicity and convenience.
for Flayer-Pianists—List of Music Rolls At-
of catalogs in this business of ours, and it is to be
A special section in the new catalog is devoted to
expected that manufacturers will give a good deal
tractively Featured.
a list of "Red Label" records, played by world-
of thought to their preparation. But the sad fact
famous artists. This "Red Label" list is of un-
does indeed remain that the make-up of these
usual merit, and contains classic selections by such
A new catalog devoted to the Rythmodik record
sumptuous brochures is often the best thing about
world-famous artists as Busoni, Bauer, Godowski,
music roll has just been issued by the music roll
them. Yet the copy is really the selling argument, department of the American Piano Co., and will
Hoffman, Carreno, Backhaus, d'Albert, Max Pauer,
not the make-up or the illustrations. What one be ready for general distribution by the time this
Friedheim, Borchard, Goodson, Ariani, Schar-
says is quite as important as how one says it. when paper is issued. This catalog contains a list of
wenka and many others. This special list will be
one is making a selling talk.
rapidly increased in the near future by the addi-
all Rythmodik rolls up to and including the March,
1913, supplement, and considerable time and ex- tion of many more classic selections by world-
One hears a good deal about the difficulty of sell- pense has been involved in the production of thr famous artists.
ing player-pianos in small towns. The arguments new publication.
The principal idea in the compilation of this
usually advanced by those who worry about small
town selling are suggested in an article published new catalog has been to present to the trade and To the Dealer as Much as Some Think, Says L.
in. the present issue. It would seem that every public a catalog that will not only accurately and
S. Roemer, of Cable & Sons, New York.
sort of player selling must be looked at individu- conveniently list all Rythmodik record rolls, but
L. S. Roemer, wholesale representative of Cable
ally. The small town has its difficulties and its one that will be artistic and pleasing to the eye.
obstacles. But so has the large city. The differ- Judging from the advance proofs of the new & Sons, 550 West Thirty-eighth street, New York,
ence is in kind, no doubt, but the fact remains that •publication received at this office, the American has returned from a three weeks' trip in the Mid-
in degree the difficulties are much alike. The small Piano Co. has certainly succeeded in this en- dle West. Naturally, Mr. Roemer had a success-
ful trip; the status of the factory reflects it. One
town merchant may have a smaller field, less op- deavor.
portunity and more narrow-mindedness. But he
The first few pages of the publication are de- thing that impressed Mr. Roemer was the fact
has also the opportunity to deal with a more easily voted to a "foreword," which contains a short that the dealer is shy of the "cheap" piano-player.
interested public, with more settled and solid con- history of the accomplishments of Charles F. Stod- He said: "The cheap player does not appeal to
ditions, and with a far less complex trade situation. dard, inventor of the Rythmodik record roll, with the dealer so much as some seem to think. The
The small town dealer can sell players. He must, a brief outline of the merits and features of the cheap player requires too much attention after
however, not be content with copying the methods roll. The general list of rolls is divided into a the instrument is sold, and every minute of a re-
of big city merchants, but must evolve his own. number of subheadings, such as "classic master- pairman's time just so reduces the net profits of
That way success lies.
pieces," "popular melody," etc. At the beginning the sale. The piano must be made solid; the
player must be strong yet delicately adjusted; and
Once more we feel it a duty to ask why the of each subdivision is a very attractive illustration
player trade persists in talking about "operators." descriptive of the rolls to be found in that section, the sale of a player-piano is profitable to the
The person who plays a player-piano is not an for example, "Mozart and his sister playing before C'ealer. Our player demand is increasing every
"operator," in the sense generally understood as Maria Teresa" illustrates the "classic masterpiece" month, which shows more than words just the
section. A short biography of the various musi- character of Cable & Son's products.'"'
applicable to that term. "Operator" is a word that
NEW RYTHMODIK ROLL CATALOG.
CHEAP PLAYER_DOES NOT APPEAL