Presto

PRESTO
presto
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY.
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT •
- Editors
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
merclal Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
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Payable in advance. No extra charge in United States
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen
in the smaller cities are the best occasional corre-
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
Frrrrs c'ose at noon every Thursday. News mat-
ter should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the
same day. Advertising copy should be in hand before
Tuesday, five p. m,, to insure preferred position. Full
page display copy should be in hand by Monday noon
preceding publication day. Want advs. for current
week, to insure classification, must not be later than
Wednesday noon.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1924.
ART AND NATIONAL SONGS
There has been a good deal in the news-
papers about the revival of the Wagner Fes-
tival at Baireuth, Bavaria. The old-time
glories of the Wagnerian music mystery plays
created a sensation in art circles, and devel-
oped into a "nationalistic demonstration" in
Germany.
But there was one incident in connection
with the opening- performance which was
passed without comment by the critics and
Wagner enthusiasts in the United States.
And the incident has special interest because
it seems to prove once more that music—if
it is music—has no gradations as to morals
or its bearing upon fitness, time or occasion.
In other words, however high the main pur-
pose of the performance, it is not out of place
to inject the commonplace, in theme, or char-
acter of the music.
This was made clear at Baireuth where, at
the conclusion of Wagner's mighty "Meister-
singer," the orchestra struck up "Deutschland
Uber Alles," and the temple of the Holy Grail
resounded with the martial notes of the Ger-
man national song. It was perfectly natural,
too, that "the entire audience vociferously
joined in three stanzas of the song."
But the point now is that seven years ago,
after this country had entered the World
War, a discussion arose concerning the "des-
ecration of art" by bringing in "Star Spangled
Banner"-at Symphony concerts. In Boston a
distinguished director—later banished—openly
refused to perform the song of Old Glory.
His excuse was that the tune was not artistic.
It offended the director's highly sensitized
ears. And in Chicago an equally famous con-
ductor neglected to close his concerts with
the national air for the identical reason, add-
ing that popular songs had no place in a high-
class program.
The war is past. But, according to com-
petent keepers of historic records, all war
will never cease. And it is therefore consoling
to find the land of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart
and Wagner adding, even if tardily, to the
conclusion that a nation's songs are plenty
good enough for the best and biggest demon-
stration of any people's art, however high.
NEWSPAPERS AND PIANOS
The big newspapers are beginning to worry
about the pulp supply. The demand for pulp
wood is becoming so great that within twenty-
five years the supply will not be equal to the
demand for newsprint alone. That's a se-
rious matter. It threatens to starve our
grandchildren in the feast of scandal, crime
and sport, which today demands several large
sections every Sunday, to say nothing of six-
teen-page editions every day in the week.
But there are other considerations in con-
nection with the fast decimating forests. If
the pulp paper w T ood is getting scarce, and the
supply of hardwood is almost exhausted,
what are we in time to do for piano cases?
Long ago, when the reed organ called for a
lot of fine walnut, and the walnut and "gum"
trees were giving out down in Indiana, sev-
eral ingenious advance agents of prosperity
experimented in pulp, with a view to produc-
ing a substitute for the figured and plain wal-
nut. It was proposed to produce papier mache
cases. We believe that a few were stamped
out, and they looked all right. Then an east-
ern piano manufacturer tried his hand, also.
But he covered the pulp case with plush, and
presented a gorgeous looking instrument.
But there was something lacking in both
the organ and piano case. They didn't afford
the satisfactory quality of tone, so the critics
decided. The velvet piano case was exhibited
in store windows and it was talked about in
the trade papers. And then it was stored
away. Just where it is no one knows, but if
all the experiments in pianos and other in-
struments could be gathered together, a fine
museum might be created with which any
alert manager might make some money.
When the pulp wood trees disappear, the
newspapers will find something else. They
may economize and improve by cutting out a
lot of the "features" which do not belong to
newspapers, because there are too many spe-
cial publications printing the same "stuff.'*
But, pulp, or no pulp, we will have newspa-
pers, and no walnut, and no mahogany, we
will have pianos. So don't let's worry.
August 16, 1924.
it if there's coal in the cellar. Hot time piano
selling insures cold spell happiness in any
home.
* * *
A real profligate is the man who will buy
a piano on installments and pay spot cash for
a flivver.
* * *
Girls too tired to practice an hour a day on
the piano will practice with a golf club for
three.
30 YEARS AGO IN THE TRADE
From the Files of Presto
August 16, 1894.
Mr. Melville Clark, of the Story & Clark Organ
Co., and Mr. C. H. Wagener, manager of the London
house, were in Berlin a short time ago, visiting the
Story & Clark piano factory, which is located in the
Koenigsburger Strasse.
Mr J. V. Steger has been in southern Wisconsin
this week attending to some business there. Mr.
Wm. H. Bush, of the Bush & Gerts Co., is at Mack-
inac accompanied by Mrs. Bush and daughter. Mr.
P. J. Gildemeester, of Gildemeester & Kroeger, is
now on the road and will probably make a western
trip.
To some firms a fire like the one that destroyed
the London factory of the Story & Clark Organ Co.
would undoubtedly have proved so severe a blow that
operations for some time would have been badly
crippled and possibly their usefulness might have
been forever impaired. Not so with the Story &
Clark Organ Co., however.
Mr. J. B. Trevor, the almost lifetime partner of
the late John Church, and whose remarkable industry
did much in laying the foundation for the present
powerful house of the John Church Co., is at Ham-
inerfest, Norway. When the present corporation was
formed Mr. Trevor retired with a half million. Now
he is seeking to recover some of his health lost in too
close application to business.
20 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
From Presto August 16, 1904.
Newman Bros, are now making specially designed
pianos for some wealthy people who have given ex-
clusive orders, and they are also busy with certain
styles for the fall trade.
This question of a name for the new product of the
Cable-Nelson Piano Company has been very thor-
oughly considered by the officers of that company.
Mr. Cable was in favor of calling it the "Nelson,"
but Mr. Nelson wanted the name of the company's
president added and his wishes overruled in the mat-
ter. And so the new piano will be the 'Cable-
Nelson."
Poole pianos are keeping steadily in popular favor
and the dealers are constantly widening the sale of
the distinguished Boston piano. The Poole Piano
Co. is one of the progressive industries and the Poole
pianos are of the kind that win success for the
dealers. There is a Peculiar Poole Style and a Par-
ticular Poole Popularity which force people to prefer
Poole pianos.
A correspondent tells us that the straight
Some time ago mention was made in The Presto
the new addition to the factory of the Packard
piano is "coming back." But where has it of
Company in Fort Wayne designed expressly for the
been? We hadn't heard of its being lost, manufacture of grand pianos. The new building at
strayed or stolen. The piano—the dear old the Packard piano factory for the exclusive use of
the grand piano department is now under roof and it
piano we used to play upon for four hours is expected to occupy the building by September 1.
a day, is still with us and it will never leave us. It will give 11,250 square feet of additional floor
space.
* * *
It was hoped that this week the condition of Mr.
Kimball might be reported as greatly improved, but
How many Reproducing Grands were pro- such
is unfortunately not the case. Mr. Kimball is
duced last year? Not just players sold for losing in vitality and there are grave fears of the
He rests comfortably, but does not appear to
Reproducers—but the real thing? One says result.
respond to efforts of his physician to induce a return
ten thousand; another three thousand. And of strength notwithstanding that he eats fairly well.
He is nevertheless the same courageous and cheerful
the last speaker was nearer right.
hearted "Governor," and that is the best symptom in
* * *
his case at the time.
The only possible excuse for an intelligent
family man refusing to consider the purchase
of a piano is that he already has the best
piano he can buy.
*'c
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Keep after that sale until you land it. If
you think you hear the prospect saying No,
don't you believe it.
* * *
It's pretty bad Weather for playing the
piano. But it will never be too cold to play
I. N. RICE'S CONTEMPLATED TRIP.
I. N. Rice, on his farm near Des Plaines, near Chi-
cago, is living the life of a "landed" individual. With
Mrs. Rice he will, however, leave Chicago for the
Pacific Coast for the winter about the first week
in September. He expects to go by the northern
route, along which he has several appointments in
the piano trade. Toward the latter part of Septem-
ber Mr. Rice expects to meet T. Linton Floyd-Jones
of the William P. Haines & Co., who is booked for
a trip to the Pacific Coast on a visit which the lat-
ter gentleman had expected to make last spring, but
was detained by pressure of business in New York.
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