Music Trade Review
Issue: 1923 Vol. 76 N. 18 - Page 3
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
m JIC TIRADE
VOL. LXXV1. No. 18 Published Every SaUrday by Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 373 4th Ave., New York, N. Y.
May 5, 1923
Single Copies 10 Cents
$2.00 Fer Year
^:iiiKiiiKiii»iiiBittm
The Passing of a Great Musical Landmark
i.••••••mum
••IIM...........
' " • "
•••••.•.•••••••HIII1IIIIII.I...IH..IIII..II.II.IHI..MIJ
IIKIIIXIIIKIIIXIIIXIIIMIIIXIM^
T
H E announcement that Steinway Hall on East Fourteenth street, New York, has passed from the
hands of Steinway & Sons marks the end of what is beyond all probability the greatest musical land-
mark, not only in this city, but in the United States. For sixty years of musical history and sixty
years of piano progress are interwoven with the walls of that old structure.
Few perhaps in the industry have ever stopped to realize that from this building went forth the first
great movements which created the present-day music-loving public, the basis of the prosperity of the American
piano industry. It was here in past days that the great foreign artists who were brought to this country by
the House of Steinway made their first appearances, and it was from this building that they ventured into
what was then practically unexplored territory, musically speaking. Trace back the history of the develop-
ment of musical appreciation in America and the name of Steinway Hall will be found inextricably interwoven
with practically every step in its development.
From purely a commercial standpoint the passing of Steinway Hall means the loss of as great a land-
mark. As a retail piano salesroom it is perhaps unique in its atmosphere. It lacks even an iota of commer-
cialism and yet it has been a tremendously important asset in the thousands of piano sales which have been
made across its floors. It is an atmosphere that has been the development of many years—one that it is im-
possible to create, and one that has been the result of a long and steady growth based on ideals realized without
compromise.
It was in 1863 when the House of Steinway first occupied its Fourteenth street warerooms. This was
but ten years after the founding of the firm by Henry E. Steinway and his sons, Charles, Henry, Jr., and
William. Within a very few years the building became the best-known structure devoted to music and musical
instruments in the country. Take the roster of the great artists who visited America during the last half of
the nineteenth century, and few indeed of them did not appear at some time w r ithin its walls. Here the suc-
cessive generations of the Steinway family which have each contributed their brains and ideals to the building
of the house have labored. Here after the death of the founder his successors, William Steinway, Charles H.
Steinway and Frederick T. Steinway, directed the wide activities of the firm, holding the manifold threads of
this vast enterprise within their hands and each contributing to their still further advance. Here each step in
the development of the Steinway genius in piano construction was first exhibited to the public.
The passing of Steinway Hall also marks an era in the retail development of New York City. Last of
all the great houses that once centered in the Fourteenth street section, its disposal means the disappearance
of a landmark that still held the traditions of what was once the artistic center of New York. Steinway &
Sons are the sole survivors of that time and the fact that they have sold that historic structure means the end
of an old era and the opening of a new.
But the announcement has more than city-wide significance—it is a national event. As was pointed out
above, no piano retail wareroom is perhaps better known, nor is there any which has such a long and sustained
tradition of significance to the trade. When the day comes for the structure to be razed it will be one of which
no musician and no piano man, no matter what may be his affiliation, can think without a feeling of regret
and at the same time with the knowledge that it will mean a still further advance for this house.
When the Steinway headquarters will be on West Fifty-seventh street, there is no question but what the
old Fourteenth street site should be marked appropriately, for here through Steinway faith in the ideals of the
American public was laid the first great foundation of American appreciation of music as a cultural factor of
dominating importance in the life of the nation. Music in America and the piano industry as well, through
the passing of Steinway Hall, loses a concrete tradition, but at the same time gains an intangible one the strength
of which is far too great to be affected by the mere destruction of stone and mortar.
THE
m JIC TIRADE
VOL. LXXV1. No. 18 Published Every SaUrday by Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 373 4th Ave., New York, N. Y.
May 5, 1923
Single Copies 10 Cents
$2.00 Fer Year
^:iiiKiiiKiii»iiiBittm
The Passing of a Great Musical Landmark
i.••••••mum
••IIM...........
' " • "
•••••.•.•••••••HIII1IIIIII.I...IH..IIII..II.II.IHI..MIJ
IIKIIIXIIIKIIIXIIIXIIIMIIIXIM^
T
H E announcement that Steinway Hall on East Fourteenth street, New York, has passed from the
hands of Steinway & Sons marks the end of what is beyond all probability the greatest musical land-
mark, not only in this city, but in the United States. For sixty years of musical history and sixty
years of piano progress are interwoven with the walls of that old structure.
Few perhaps in the industry have ever stopped to realize that from this building went forth the first
great movements which created the present-day music-loving public, the basis of the prosperity of the American
piano industry. It was here in past days that the great foreign artists who were brought to this country by
the House of Steinway made their first appearances, and it was from this building that they ventured into
what was then practically unexplored territory, musically speaking. Trace back the history of the develop-
ment of musical appreciation in America and the name of Steinway Hall will be found inextricably interwoven
with practically every step in its development.
From purely a commercial standpoint the passing of Steinway Hall means the loss of as great a land-
mark. As a retail piano salesroom it is perhaps unique in its atmosphere. It lacks even an iota of commer-
cialism and yet it has been a tremendously important asset in the thousands of piano sales which have been
made across its floors. It is an atmosphere that has been the development of many years—one that it is im-
possible to create, and one that has been the result of a long and steady growth based on ideals realized without
compromise.
It was in 1863 when the House of Steinway first occupied its Fourteenth street warerooms. This was
but ten years after the founding of the firm by Henry E. Steinway and his sons, Charles, Henry, Jr., and
William. Within a very few years the building became the best-known structure devoted to music and musical
instruments in the country. Take the roster of the great artists who visited America during the last half of
the nineteenth century, and few indeed of them did not appear at some time w r ithin its walls. Here the suc-
cessive generations of the Steinway family which have each contributed their brains and ideals to the building
of the house have labored. Here after the death of the founder his successors, William Steinway, Charles H.
Steinway and Frederick T. Steinway, directed the wide activities of the firm, holding the manifold threads of
this vast enterprise within their hands and each contributing to their still further advance. Here each step in
the development of the Steinway genius in piano construction was first exhibited to the public.
The passing of Steinway Hall also marks an era in the retail development of New York City. Last of
all the great houses that once centered in the Fourteenth street section, its disposal means the disappearance
of a landmark that still held the traditions of what was once the artistic center of New York. Steinway &
Sons are the sole survivors of that time and the fact that they have sold that historic structure means the end
of an old era and the opening of a new.
But the announcement has more than city-wide significance—it is a national event. As was pointed out
above, no piano retail wareroom is perhaps better known, nor is there any which has such a long and sustained
tradition of significance to the trade. When the day comes for the structure to be razed it will be one of which
no musician and no piano man, no matter what may be his affiliation, can think without a feeling of regret
and at the same time with the knowledge that it will mean a still further advance for this house.
When the Steinway headquarters will be on West Fifty-seventh street, there is no question but what the
old Fourteenth street site should be marked appropriately, for here through Steinway faith in the ideals of the
American public was laid the first great foundation of American appreciation of music as a cultural factor of
dominating importance in the life of the nation. Music in America and the piano industry as well, through
the passing of Steinway Hall, loses a concrete tradition, but at the same time gains an intangible one the strength
of which is far too great to be affected by the mere destruction of stone and mortar.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).