Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MAY
25, 1918
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
A DECADE OF PROGRESS—(Continued
out of the once not very reputable coin-operated player-piano,
which furnished music for the once flourishing penny arcade.
These old instruments have disappeared, unwept, unhonored and
unsung; but from their graves has arisen the wonderful auto-
matic industry of to-day which has made more than one fortune
and is now one of the most important branches of the player
business. All its progress has been accomplished within the
period occupied by this review.
During this time also the residence pipe-organ has come
to the front. Although it is an exclusive instrument, owing to
the limitations it imposes through reasons of price, requirements
of space, etc., the fact remains that during the decade that has
elapsed since 1908 there has been slowly growing up a large
and profitable trade in the design and construction of fine organs
for the fine home, as well as for theatres. The unit-orchestra
with its wonderful challenge to all accepted types of organ-
building and the orchestral pipe organ with automatic player
and other types of the kind, have come to the front with great
rapidity, indicating a deepening expansion in the general public
interest in music. But even now the development of this branch
of the industry is still too immature to be capable of extended
analysis. When this review comes to be made once more in
1928 the story will be far different.
The Piano Modernized
The straight upright has, of course, a somewhat different tale
to tell. It is still a factor in the trade, although its pre-eminence
is fast diminishing, and while it will remain with us indefinitely
without any great question, it must give way to the more modern
instruments, the player-piano and the small grand, just as the
old square was forced to give way to the upright. As a matter
of fact, the output of straight upright pianos has decreased to a
degree that would not have been believed ten years ago, for
the development of the player and the small grand has been
more rapid than anything ever known in the history of the
trade. The mitigating circumstance, however, is the fact that
every upright player-piano must have an upright piano as its
basis, and upon the qualities of this piano must rest in a great
measure the success of the complete player-piano.
The coming of the player has put a burden on the piano
manufacturer that he has been quick to realize and fairly quick
to solve. In the old days of manual playing the piano parts
were subjected to more or less definite strain, and the instru-
ment could be built to meet that strain. In other words, the
ordinary pianist did not subject the piano to very hard treat-
ment. With the coming of the player-piano, however, and its
ease of operation, the piano itself was called upon to carry an
unusually heavy burden.
In the first place, the player-piano in most homes is used
much more freely than the straight piano, because anybody can
play it. Then again, it is apparently the belief of many player
owners that the only sign to regard in the operation of the
dynamic control is fortissimo, which also serves to place addi-
tional burdens on the piano action. The result has been, there-
fore, the development of a piano action designed particularly for
use in player-pianos, which means it must have heavier ham-
mers, more durable construction, and be capable of quick repeti-
tion.
In the outer appearance of the upright pianos there has also
been some slight change. The doom of the ornate case was
practically sealed even before 1908, but even those who clung to
fancy cases as late as that date have since surrendered to the
majority, and we find that the dominating case designs are those
that follow lines of simplicity, with a minimum of curves and
carving. The campaign for dull finished cases, has also made its
effect felt, and although the polished case is not by any means
extinct, the greatest favor is shown for the dull finish, for very
obvious reasons.
Small Grand Development
The surprise of the decade in the matter of pianos, however,
has been the development of the small grand. For many years
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from page 9)
attempts had been made to manufacture some grands really
worthy of the name grand in the matter of tone, and of a size
that would make them adaptable to the ordinary apartment or
home. The development of the small grand was rather slow
until some six years ago, when a line of popular-priced very
small grands was put on the market, and arrangements made
to push them in a big way. As soon as the trade realized at
last the grand piano need not be an exclusive piano, fit only for
mansions and the owners thereof, the tide began to change.
It was soon seen that a grand small enough for the modern-
sized house or apartment could be made at a popular price,
and with a satisfactory tone. It was also seen that such an
instrument had a selling value altogether unique, especially in
relation to the straight upright. When a purchaser found out
that he could purchase a small grand for a price approximating
that of a good upright he was not long in choosing the grand.
It is not surprising under the circumstances that the produc-
tion of grand pianos has tripled within a few years, but the fact
must not be blinked at that there is still much technical work of
a high grade to be done before the small grand can be said to
have reached the pinnacle of perfection. The great difficulty has
been in the laying out of the scale, for this has presented prob-
lems quite out of the ordinary. While it is true that quite
satisfactory results have been obtained in designing small grands,
the fact remains that there is real room for improvement and
the trade must make an earnest endeavor toward improvement—
toward the attaining of absolute perfection. In fact, with the
progress already made, this further advance need not be re-
garded as something so very far in the future. With the small
grand absolutely established, technical men have every reason
to put faith in the success of their efforts towards still further
accomplishments in the matter of improvements in that type of
instrument.
The small grand with player attached has made some prog-
ress as a reproducing instrument, but less than has the foot-
driven player, although there are signs that the future holds a
good market for a small grand satisfactorily equipped with a
foot-driven player of good appearance and action.
Altogether, however, and allowing for all defects, the rise
of the very small grand has been one of the most interesting
phenomena of the period under consideration and we should
certainly look forward to a time not far distant when this instru-
ment will practically divide the entire piano field with the
player-piano.
Talking Machine Progress
This is not exactly the place for any extended review of the
musical instruments which do not belong within the category
of piano; but a few words must be said concerning the progress
of that extraordinary thing, the modern talking machine. Ten
years ago the old horn type instrument was still in vogue, and
manufacturers were advertising hornless machines as something"
entirely new. At that period, too, the cylinder machine was very
much in evidence, and had not been so largely superseded by
instruments of the disc type. As a matter of fact, cylinder rec-
ords are still very much used, especially in the West, but they
are not the cylinder records of ten years ago. They have been
much improved, and made more desirable in every way, although
they still have to yield in many respects—mainly, that of con-
venience—to the disc.
Although there have been numerous improvements in ma-
chine designs and equipment in a decade, and a great advance
has been made in the quality of the records, the big development
has been along the lines of public appreciation, and talking ma-
chines to-day occupy a place in American society that was not
dreamed of ten years ago.
As a commercial proposition, the talking machine also has
grown to tremendous proportions, but that growth has been due
largely to the work of those who realized the possibilities of the
talking machine and endeavored to convey those possibilities to
the public. W r hat was considered a few years ago as simply a
means of entertainment and novelty is now recognized as an
(Continued on page 13)
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