Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Technical Instruction in the Piano Trade.
T
HE announcement made in The Review last week that the
New York Board of Education had made arrangements for
a class in player-piano construction and repair at the Murray
Hill Evening Trade School has a significance that should be
thoroughly appreciated by the members of the trade, especially
the manufacturers. The proposed class is the first of its kind in
the East; that is, the first one conducted by the city and in
which tuition is free. The plan has been tried very successfully
in Cincinnati, and to a certain extent in Milwaukee, but never
on a very large scale.
A point especially worthy of attention in connection with
the new class is the statement of the principal of the Murray
Hill Evening Trade School to The Review to the effect that the
willingness of the Board of Education of this city to open new
classes in various trades was only limited by the interest of the
members of those various trades in the project. The class in
player-piano instruction is the direct outgrowth of the interest
shown in the matter by the members of the New York Piano
Manufacturers' Association and the committee appointed by it
to take up the matter.
Richard W. Lawrence, chairman of the committee, for in-
stance, has long been a strong and active advocate of classes
for the purpose of instructing young men in the practical side of
piano and player-piano building. It was largely through his
efforts that the classes for imparting such knowledge were
opened in the Union Branch of the Y. M. C. A. in the Bronx, and
where the attendance, considering the cost of the course, includ-
ing membership in the association, was 1 something like $13, was
surprisingly large.
Local piano manufacturers should lend every aid possible
to the new move of the Board of Education, both in the matter
of advertising it among their employes, encouraging attendance
at the classes, and in furnishing models and other equipment.
The money thus spent can be looked upon in the nature of an in-
vestment, for the success of the class will prove resultful not only
to students, but ultimately to the manufacturer himself, in that it
places at his command workmen with special and careful train-
ing, as the course will be modeled on the German system of
instruction, where practical operations are considered of greater
value than long lectures based on theory.
Augmenting the Piano's Range of Tone Effects.
T was said recently by one of our great musicians that the
grand piano of to-day—the high-grade instrument which
shows its worth not merely in its superb tone but in its regula-
tion—has reached the limit of perfection. Be this as it may,
there is still room for perfection in the playing of some of our
pianists—at least in'increasing and elaborating the piano's range
of tone effects.
Noise in any shape is not music, even if it comes from the
most celebrated piano, and many artists seem to think it neces-
sary to sacrifice musical tone for volume by forcing the instru-
ment far beyond its possibilities.
There are also innumerable offenders among some "cele-
brated" men in improperly using the damper pedal both in phras-
ing and in obtaining tone color. This is a subject which has
recently received serious consideration from Arthur Whiting,
the well-known pianist and pedagogue, and who, by the way, is
a great admirer of the precursors of the piano, having been
heard in a number of concerts in which he displayed his talents
through the medium of the harpsichord made in the Chickering
factory under the supervision of Arnold Dolmetsch.
Mr. Whiting starts out to teach the proper and artistic
use of the damper pedal—to make the pianoforte a complete
I
pallette of tonal hues. He has put forth a number of original
views in connection with the use and abuse of the pedal that
are most timely, for many pianists, unfortunately, fail to compre-
hend the beautiful and charactertistic effects made possible
through a proper command of the pedal mechanism, and which
are so frequently abused.
The sins of the pianist are oftentimes visited on the piano,
and in the majority of instances without cause. Only recently
the writer attended a song recital, and was amazed at the dry,
tin-panny, unmusical tone of the instrument bearing a well-
known name which was used by the accompanist. A little later
a composer of one of the songs on the program accompanied
the singer, and a complete metamorphosis occurred. He
played sympathetically, used the pedals intelligently, with the
result that there was a rich, supporting, carrying tone, which
was helpful to the singer and to the reputation of the piano.
This was a most remarkable illustration of the manner in
which the reputation of a piano may be injured by a so-called
pianist who undoubtedly has much to learn of the artistic pur-
pose and value of the damper pedal. Information on this topic
is certainly timely, and can be read with good purpose and, we
hope, profit by musicians.
The Appropriation of an Advertising Idea.
HOSE Heaven blessed members of the advertising fraternity
who give birth to "ideas" have been watching with keen
interest a recent case against a theatrical manager and prodticer
in which plagiarism has been involved. The case was that of
Harry Dam vs. Kirke La Shelle Co., and the facts at issue pre-
sented a remarkably close analogy to the appropriation of an
advertising idea because it was the idea only which was utilized
in this case, hence it appeals to advertisers interested in the dis-
covery of some means to check the troublesome cuss who lifts an
advertising idea, clothes it in new words and sends it out as
his own.
The bone of contention in the suit was, the play entitled "The
Heir to the Hoorah." Harry Dam had written a story called
"The Transmogrification of Dan," which was published in the
Smart Set. Some time later Paul Armstrong took the plot of
the story and made it the climax of the play. He did not use any
of the language of the story, and not only gave to the characters
different names, but added many new characters and incidents.
The play was produced by the La Shelle Co. after Dam's death,
and the latter's widow sued the producer for all of its profits
T
and the author for all of his royalties. The court found for the
plaintiff, awarding her a sum amounting to more than $160,000.
With the thought that this case might prove a precedent
for the protection of advertising ideas. Printers' Ink secured some
legal opinions, the gist of which is that it probably would have
no effect whatever upon the standing of advertising ideas as
property.
The author of a story, it appears, has two distinct rights
therein, which are conferred upon him specifically by statute. He
has the right to make copies, and he has the dramatic right, or
stage right—the right of public representation, which includes the
dramatic situations and general action of the piece. The two
rights are separate, and he can sell either and retain, the other.
Consequently the adaptation of an idea for dramatic purposes,
without the consent of the author (or the owner of the dramatic
rights), is a violation of the statute. The adaptation of the same
idea in an advertising booklet, however, says "The Little School-
master," would not be a violation, for the statute says nothing
about advertising booklets. There is no relief in sight from the
dramatic angle of the copyright law.