Presto

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1884
Established
1881
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 1928
STAY OF HOROWITZ
HERE TO BE BRIEF
A Number of European Engagements Necessi-
tates New Steinway Artist's Departure from
America Soon, but Music Lovers Are As-
sured of His Return Next Year.
The appearance recently of Vladimir Horowitz,
the new great light in the piano playing field, as solo-
ist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Orches-
tra Hall, Chicago, has evoked urgent plans for his
reappearance in a scheduled recital. Edward Moore,
Chicago Tribune music critic, conveys the desire of
music lovers in an unmistakable way in the issue of
Sunday, March 11:
'"Horowitz, by the way, needs a recital here as no
artist has ever needed one," writes Moore. "His per-
formance of Rachmaninoff's Third Concerto with the
VLADIMIR HOROWITZ
orchestra was admitted the most thrilling single exhi-
bition within memory. Now he ought to capitalize
it, and to show whether he can go through a fu.l
recital program with the same extraordinary sense
of beauty and the other extraordinary qualities that
he displayed in the one piece.
"Whether he will be able to do so or not is not
known at present, since he has a number of American
assignments to till and some European engagements
which will make it necessary for him to sail back
within a short time. But it can be told that he will
play with the orchestra again next year, and that he
informed Mr. Stock that he has twenty concertos at
command from which to make a selection."
A Steinway Star.
Horowitz is another star of the piano keyboard
added to the list of great artists whose public perform-
ances are associated with the Steinway piano.
Last
summer Presto-Times published the news of the
meeting of Ernest Urchs of the artist department of
Steinway & Sons, with the great Russian pianist,
while Mr. Urchs was on a European trip and at the
same time the opinion of Mr. Urchs as to his artistic
abilities was stated.
The Chicago Tribune music critic aroused many
music lovers who had heard Horowitz at Orchestra
Hall to expressions of their reactions. While all con-
ceded Mr. Moore made a vivid and truthful picture
of the art of Horowitz, a few protested at his com-
parisons, according to Mr. Moore, who says:
"'A lady who signs herself 'one of many protes-
tants,' with an exclamation point, writes: 'Music lov-
ers and other intelligent listeners to that sublime
beauty, that incomparable event in the history and
experience of every one, Horowitz's playing, must
feel outraged by Mr. Moore's comparison to Babe
Ruth!' She holds that exquisite art was defiled,
which, of course, it was not, since she missed the
point that Horowitz, in addition to being a great
artist, has the pow T er of creating enormous excitement
in the beholder, such as is given to only the greatest
in their chosen vocations."
PLAN SLOGAN FOR
MUSIC INDUSTRY
First Meeting in New York Last Week of Slo-
gan Committee Discusses Ways and Means
for Selection of Suggestive Phrase to Pro-
mote Music Playing Idea.
Immediate work is to begin on a plan for a slogan
for the music industry according to developments at
the first meeting of the slogan committee held in the
offices of the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
last week when the following members were in at-
tendance: William J. llaussler, representing the Na-
tional Musical Merchandise Association, Edward C.
Boykin and Max J. deRochemont, Piano Promotion
Committee, H. C. Lomb, National Association of
Musical Instrument and Accessories Manufacturers,
C. M. Tremaine, National Bureau for the Advance-
ment of Music, and Alfred L. Smith, General Man-
ager, Music Industries Chamber of Commerce.
Money for Prizes.
Slogans such as those adopted by the flower and
paint and varnish associations have been considered
for some time by the associations comprising the in-
dustry and recently the National Association of Mu-
sical Instrument and Accessories Manufacturers ap-
propriated the sum of $1,000 with the proviso that
other divisions of the Chamber would furnish $3,CO0.
The slogan when completed was to promote the idea
of playing musical instruments.
A Possible Contest.
A contest of some sort will very likely be the means
for securing the slogan according to one member of
the committee, although the type of contest to be con-
sidered was not revealed.
A nation-wide slogan contest was conducted by the
Fire Equipment Manufacturers' Institute two years
ago and the winning slogan, which was to bring home
to the American public the real need for reducing
enormous tire losses, was 'Fortify for Fire Fighting."
It is significant that the prize of $1,000 was won by
an individual in the music industry. Charles L. Me-
Hugh, of the Standard Action Company, was the
fortunate prize winner.
On letterheads, envelopes, advertising, windows, de-
livery wagons—everywhere will this music slogan be
displayed when finally adopted.
THE TUNERS' EXHIBIT
Exhibits of pianos, playerpianos, reproducing pianos
and parts as well as tools for the tuner and repa : rman,
will be important features of the nineteenth annual
convention of the National Association of Piano
Tuners at the Hotel Statler, Cleveland, August 13 to
16. The entire third floor has been reserved for the
show and possible exhibitors have been requested to
engage space at the earliest date. The exhibit feature
will be more than the showing of the instruments and
contrivances, but will be aids to illustrating many
interesting and instructive technical talks.
WURLITZER FOR SCHOOLS
\V. II. Graham, representative at Brainard, Minn.,
of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Mfg. Co, North Tona-
wanda, N. Y., recently sold three more Wurlitzer
Studio pianos with uniplate back construction, to the
high schools of Brainard. That makes six of the suc-
cessful models sold to the high schools of the city
within the past few months. Mr. Graham says the
sale event was a highly competitive one and the uni-
plate feature was a big factor in landing the order.
$2 The Year
NEW IDEAS FOR
JUNE CONVENTION
Committee of Arrangements Meets in New
York and Favors Complete Departure from
Old Procedures at Business Sessions of
Annual Convention in June.
A meeting- of the New York members of the Con-
vention Committee of the National Association of Mu-
sic Merchants was held last week at which L.
Schoenewald, chairman; E. Paul Hamilton, Alex Mc-
Donald, and C. B. Amorous were present.
It was the sense of the meeting that there should
be a complete departure at the business sessions of
the Merchants' Association at the coming convention
from the programs which have been presented to the
members in the past. The committee believes that
men prominent in other industries and other activities
but which have a bearing upon the problems of the
music industry should be invited to attend and address
the members and in some cases to lead discussions
on important subjects. As progress is made in set-
ting up these programs announcements will be made
from the office of the Executive Secretary.
Other Members.
In addition to the members who are located in New
York City, the committee includes Frederick P. Stieff
of Baltimore, president of the Maryland Association
of Music Merchants: Frank J. Bayley of Detroit,
president of the Michigan Music Merchants' Associa-
tion : and Shirley Walker of San Francisco, president
of the Music Trades Association of Northern Cali-
fornia.
Activity Assured.
All the members of the committee are active and
eager for the application of new methods in conduct-
ing the proceedings of the annual convention this
year. All have been prominent in making trade meet-
ings successful. They realize the power of things
outside of the convention to divert interest from the
convention proceedings, except something out of the
ordinary is injected into the program. When the in-
cidents in piano promotion work are to'd the dealers
who are present cannot he'p being imbued with the
spirit of the schemes, and thereby be enabled to
enter more actively on sales-getting plans. The fur-
thering of piano sales schemes will be absorbing
topics treated by practical men in talks at the busi-
ness sessions and in themselves will have a drawing
power for serious-minded men.
The other main events of the convention will have
attractive powers in equal ratio to their importance
and will automatically draw their quotas from the
convention visitors. And while the preparations will
assure success for each event, special work will be
directed to make the business sesions outstanding
incidents in the convention of 1928.
MANY GUESTS AT LUNCHEON
OF PIANO CLUB OF CHICAGO
Some Good Jazz Music by Music School Instructors
Helped to Digest the Edibles,
At the weekly luncheon of The Piano Club of Chi-
cago on Monday the entertainment was provided by
Axel Christensen and Ted Benedict, who were jointly
in charge of the program.
"You owe it to yourself and to your fellow mem-
bers to come out in full force on this occasion, thereby
showing your appreciation of the loyal support and
sincere interest of Axel and Ted in the welfare of
the Club," was the appeal in the notice sent out by
Gurney R. Brownell.
The luncheon this week was considerable of a guest
day and members had guests to the number of fifteen.
Among them were several instructors in the Chris-
tensen Music School, who showed their fitness for
their jobs by playing rousing music on the piano.
Blount & Marbot have opened a music store in
Sulphur Springs, Tex.
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