Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
JULY 27, 1918
REVIEW
American Creative Effort Has Played a Most Important Part in the Develop-
ment of Modern Musical Instruments, and the Present World War Is Im-
pressing This Hitherto Little Heeded Fact Upon Us in No Uncertain Measure
You can sell anything if you advertise it
enough; and that word "anything" includes just
what it implies, namely, any thing whatever.
You can sell anything if you advertise it enough;
and when you say "sell" you may include in
your meaning the idea of fixing in the minds of
others some belief that you want to fix there.
For when it happens that you make the victims
of your suggestion-work not only accept the sug-
gestions, but pay you for your trouble in making
them, then you have a perfect right to say that
you are "selling" something.
Something like the above process has been
the favorite method of the Hun in days gone
by, for the promotion of his neat little games
of business expansion.
If you look closely
into the Hun's methods you will always find that
business and "Kultur" go hand in hand, and that
the louder he talks about his spiritual superiority
and his general wonderfulness of intellect, the
more he is in reality itching for plain vulgar
"gelt," to use his own expression. The Hun,
as a trader, is quite as close as the proverbial
Yankee storekeeper; and then some. One of
these days, the world will find that out, and then
some of the preposterous piffle which has been
solemnly accepted by millions of good honest
American folks concerning their own utter un-
worthiness to approach the sacred precincts of
Teut culture without removing their shoes, or
words to that effect, will be dumped where it
belongs, in the ash-can.
Hun-Worship
Last month the writer of these words, being a
wholly untamed believer in the general supe-
riority of the English-speaking races over all
others, paid his respects in these columns to
the Hun-worship in things musical, and pointed
out just a very few reasons why the general
American belief in German musical superiority
is without foundation.
Many other reasons
equally cogent could have been given if space
had permitted; but it is only necessary to state
the fact now, without enlarging on it. The
fact is, of course, that the Germans have been
astute enough (the word "astute" perhaps de-
scribes them as effectively as possible) first
to spend time and money in advertising them-
selves as the sole and only purveyors of mu-
sical culture; and then to get back all they have
spent and more from the pockets of the Ameri-
can students who have flocked to Germany in
direct consequence. This is decidedly a case of
"selling"; only it is the American people who
have been sold.
The Berlin Fetish
There is neither time nor place just now for
going over the details of the Hunnish musical
penetration of this country. Those who want
to know how the game has been played need
only study the musical journals of the last fifty
years. Suffice it to say, that the German had
succeeded in persuading the American public
that no singer, pianist or violinist could pos-
sibly be any good if he had not been polished
off in Berlin, Leipsic or Munich. That this was
once true no sensible person will deny; that it
has been untrue during the last twenty-five years
is, however, equally undeniable. To-day with-
out a doubt, as good a musical education can be
had here as in Berlin in all ways; and in most
ways a much better one; not forgetting, by the
way, that a very goodly proportion of the mu-
sicians to whom the American students flocked
were not Germans at all, but Russians, Bo-
hemians and Poles. The greatest violin teacher
Germanj r ever had was a Hungarian, and the
great fashionable violin teachers of the past
quarter century have been respectively a Bo-
hemian and a Russian. The greatest of piano
teachers, who ruled the whole roost from the
day he turned out the great Polish pianist,
Paderewski, was himself a Pole. Yet all these
men lived in Germany or Austria. Germany, of
course, never has had singing-teachers. They
have all been Italians or French.
A Word to the Wise
Just think a minute.
Do you recall the
trouble you had last
winter in getting your
goods ? You waited
until the last minute
before ordering and
the other fellow who
was stocked up got
the business. Owing
to the shortage of
both material and
labor this year ihe
situation is going to
be worse. Now is
the time to prepare.
Fill your warerooms
with a full line of
Sailer Cabinets, the
quality cabinets,while
you have the oppor-
tunity. Indications
point to a greater
demand for player-
pianos this Fall than
ever before. Don't
overlook the one best
bet during the rush—
a Salter quality cab-
inet. There is a Sal-
ter quality cabinet
m a d e for e v e r y
player-piano, no mat-
ter what wood is
used. Profit by hav-
ing them in stock.
SALTER MFG. CO., 339 N. Oakley Blvd., CHICAGO
The main purpose of these remarks, however,
must not be lost. We have a special desire just
now to take the positive rather than the nega-
tive side of things. If it be true that the Hun
is a good deal of a liar when it comes to talking
about his own achievements and a good deal of
a bunk artist in "selling" said achievements to
the world, what about the American? Have the
American people any real right to talk about
themselves as having done anything at all worth
mentioning in the realm of music? Are the
Americans, in fact, even musical?
America
Let's look at this matter sanely! In the first
place, let's begin with remarking that America
has yet produced comparatively few composers
of the highest rank; but let us also at once say
that she certainly has produced some of this
rank. Let us also say and admit that America
has not yet popularized grand opera. But let
us then immediately remark that this is simply
because grand opera is a business, and that a
business needs organization. Grand opera is an
elaborate and expensive business; and being
such has been monopolized by those who have
devoted their lives to it. Yet not all these by
any means have been Germans. Anyway, grand
opera is much more grand than opera, much
more society than song, much more motor-cars
than music. We can get along without grand
opera if necessary; for have we not the Victrola?
Yes, seriously, we can if necessary (though it is
not necessary) exist on our records of operatic
music till we can develop our own school of
operatic singing. However, with our Italian and
French Allies to help us we shall not be so re-
duced.
Curiously enough, however, with all these ter-
rible admissions made, we somehow still find
that an enormous amount of money is spent for
music in this country, and that an enormous
number of young people learn to play the piano
and the violin, or to sing. When every little
college in the country almost has its brave little
musical department working away with steady
enthusiasm year after year, holding up the torch
of musical beauty, when choral societies are
found in every village, when Lindsborg and
Bethlehem continue their wonderful work with-
out a thought of Berlin or Vienna, one needs to
stop and do some thinking.
We have, in a word, plenty of musicians; and
we spend an incredible sum of money each year
on orchestras, opera, music, musical instruments,
sheet music, records and teachers. Each year
more and more thousands are introduced to the
greatest and finest things in music. But this
alone would not give us a right to call ourselves
definitely a musical nation. For nothing that
has yet been said on our behalf tells aught of
creative work on our part. What has America
created in music?
Pianos!
As it happens, America has created a very
good deal. Let us look at some facts.
Until a few years ago, when the labor of the
late Daniel Spiliane, himself one of the edi-
tors of The Review in those days, had brought
to light something of the early history of the
American piano, the accepted belief was that
pianos were made in Germany, like everything
else worth while in music. Now, however, with
the researches of Spillane before us, we know
better; and meanwhile Hipkins had proved be-
yond the shadow of a doubt that the claim for
Germany as the land where the piano was in-
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