Music Trade Review

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33
The Music Trade Review
OCTOBER 15, 1927
The Technical and Supply Department — (Continued from page 32)
than the twelfth part of an octave. Much
speculation has at one time or another been
indulged in as to the possibility of adapting
these very small intervals to the western equal-
tempered scale. Among others, the late Fer-
ruccio Busoni, in a pamphlet written some
twenty years ago, set forth the possibilities of
a scale in which the octave should be divided
into eighteen instead of twelve divisions, and
of late one or more composers have dallied
with the idea of a twenty-four-note octave,
that is to say, with what are called, rather
inaccurately, 'quarter-tones.' A string quartet
has recently been written, and performed, in
which the scale is so divided, and some ques-
tions have been asked in the musical world
about the possibility of building a quarter-tone
piano. Obviously, this would be a complicated
job, but a practical way of reaching the desired
end has been found by the eminent German
house of Grotrian, which exhibited in London
during the year 1926 an ingenious combination
of two grand pianofortes, one of which is tuned
exactly one-twenty-fourth part of an equal-
tempered octave-space sharp of the other. A
combination keyboard, joining the two instru-
ments together, renders the quarter-tone in-
tonation, available.
"The possibilities of these extensions, or
rather deeper organizations of the equal-tem-
pered scale, are from the strictly musical point
of view possibly vast, but the question of
adapting the pianoforte to them is a practical
question which can only be regarded with
some misgiving by the acoustic engineer. That
an instrument could be designed and built
carrying two sets of strings, two actions and
two keyboards, with tuning to match^ is of
course obvious enough. Whether it could be
done at any price that anyone would care to
pay is another matter. Probably the solution
offered by Messrs. Grotrian is for the time
being the most practical.
Just Intonation
"One is naturally led by such a possibility to
considering the parallel possibility of designing
a pianoforte which may be tuned in just in-
tonation instead of in the equal temperament.
Attempts have been made to achieve this, and
Hagaman in 1903 at Cincinnati designed and
built an upright to give this effect. It consisted
essentially in the ordinary scale tuned in equal
temperament, but provided with a set of mov-
able bridges actuated by pedals, whereby the
necessary adjustments might be made in pitch
so as to adapt the sounds of any tonality being
used at the moment to the just relations. The
attempt to produce a keyboard suitable for
just intonation as applied to the organ rather
than the piano, has been made more than once,
as may be discovered by studying the appen-
dices to Ellis' translation of Helmholtz. The
possibility of development here must hang upon
the future attitude of musicians towards the
equal temperament. There is no present sign
of weariness with the rough thirds and sixths
of the tempered scale.
Correspondence
is solicited and should be addressed to William
Braid White, 5149 Agatite avenue, Chicago.
FAUST SCHOOL
OF TUNING
Standard of America
Alumni of 2000
Piano Tuning, Pipe and Reed
Organ and Player Piano
YEAR BOOK FREE
27-29 Gainsboro Street
BOSTON, MASS.
Tuners
and Repairers
Our new illustrated catalogue of Piano and
Player Hardware Felts and Tools is now
ready. If you haven't received your copy
please let us know.
OTTO R. TREFZ, JR.
1305-7-9 No. 27th St.
Phila., Pa.
The Ampico Tr aveling School in New Orleans
American Steel & Wire Co. Inaugurates
Program of Research in Piano Tone
Large Sum Appropriated for Exhaustive Research Work to Improve Tonal Qualities
of Piano Wire—Results at Service of All Manufacturers
/^HICAGO, ILL., October 8.—The American
Steel & Wire ' Co., manufacturer of piano
wire, is carrying on exhaustive research work
to improve the tonal qualities of wire. The
company's faith in the future of the industry
and the fundamental need for good music de-
termined the establishment of a technical re-
search bureau where all questions of improve-
ment and questions relating to piano wire could
be worked out with a view to making improve-
ments which will bring the piano back into the
affections of the people.
In this connection the company has made ar-
rangements with Wm. Braid White, consulting
acoustic engineer, in addition to carrying on ex-
perimental and research work, to offer a service
to industry without any obligation, in aiding
manufacturers in regard to any problems relat-
ing to tone and construction.
It is announced that there is now being car-
ried on with the aid of special apparatus and
acoustical instruments scientific work that has
never before been attempted with the purpose
of aiding manufacturers to make their pianos
more scientifically correct, because the com-
pany believes that the piano industry has got
to sell tone primarily together with case de-
sign, finish and other features of the piano.
"There is a certain hypnotism in tone when
it is right," said B. B. Ayres, of the American
Steel & Wire Co., and chairman of publicity of
the Chicago Piano & Organ Association, in an
interview with The Review representative. "The
auditory nerves seem to soak it up and con-
vey a gladsome, soothing something to the
brain. And the brain, appreciating it, evolves
mental pictures of brooks, still waters, glens,
towering mountain-peaks and similar creations.
That is what a correct piano tone does to me.
Then I think of a vast public that is anxious
to have their brajns set to creating these pic-
tures and would be glad to pay money for them.
"Not every piano does it. The more expen-
sive, the Rolls-Roycians of the craft do it, but
they reach only the comparative few. If that
same magic tone could be offered to the great
potential mass of buyers we would have the
country ablaze. And what a profit there would
be to the manufacturers, the tuners, the teach-
ers, the publishers—and, greatest of all, to the
public itself.
"I claim that the potentiality of music in the
United States is enormous. We have scratched
the surface and even gone down further, but
yet have not sounded the depths. That still
awaits us. The harvest of profit awaits the
manufacturers, the tuners, the teachers and the
publishers—the harvest of mental profit awaits
the mass public to an even greater degree, and
that way lies an important item in the success
of a united nation.
"And now comes the great objective—the at-
tainment of that quality of tone in pianos that
will embody the magic creative effect and cause
piano playing to sweep the country with a great
enthusiasm. Composers can labor, piano con-
tests can be planned like we had in Chicago last
season, tuners c^n tune, teachers can throw
their best into their work, and schools implant
technic of the divine art and all together lead
the mass of people right up to the fountain, but
if the quality of enthrallment is not there it is
pretty much in vain. I would cite the enormous
labor the schools are expending on voice cul-
ture, and yet where the student has not the
magic tonal quality the labor is lost and no
artist is produced.
"Let us face this situation by bending our
energies to the fundamental of tone quality in
the mass of pianos. This company is spending
huge sums in trying to work salvation in this
direction and is willing to do more, having faith
in the ultimate."
Wolf Music Go. to Move
YOUNGSTOWN, O., October 10.—The Wolf Music
Co., for many years located at 314 West Wood
street, announces it will move to larger quar-
ters, where new departments will be added and
the business expanded generally. This concern
for some years has featured musical merchan-
dise, but plans to get into the talking machine
and piano business eventually.
Walter Green has purchased the interest of
Frank Ives in the music and jewelry shop of
Green & Ies, 720 Kansas avenue, Topeka.
Kan., and will operate in the future as Green'*
Music Shop.