Presto

July-August, 1933
PRESTO-TI MES
MUSIC, MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND EXHIBITS
A CENTURY OF PROGRESS EXPOSITION
Story of an Exposition
Official Piano
The Piano: The Indispensible
In Music
V1I<:W OF A SECTION OF MKSSTAH CHORUS OF 6,000 VOICES: CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA; THREE
BALDWIN GR AND PIANOS.
OFFICIAL EXPOSITION ATTRAC-
TIONS
considerable responsibility is associated
with various of the attractions and exhibits at
expositions of international character, like the
A Century of Progress World's Fair at Chi-
cago this year. Such of these displays as can
gain the endorsement of the exposition man-
agement so as to be designated Official as,
for instance, the orchestra, military band, the
piano, must meet requisites that do not fall
to the mass of other attractions.
The ( )fficial Piano particularly is subject to
man_\' requirements to be recognized by ex-
position officials in its group of sponsored in-
terests. It must be acceptable and satisfying
to the profession, and likewise to the amateur
who uses it and to the musical public in gen-
eral.
The manufacturer's product and his state-
ment of musical perfection in the instruments
he brings to the'exposition should have the
endorsement of the exposition management.
This piano must possess capabilities that meet
the requirements of many functions and many
talents and be of recognized musical quality
and capability for it must fit in for every oc-
casion, and for many functions, grand or
mediocre.
made many of these events of worldwide interest.
And the future is likewise promising.
All these features, from a capella choirs to mili-
tary bands utilize in some way or other and bring
into prominence the piano as a standard unit of musi-
cal performance and they likewise indicate that there
is hardly anything in life nor any event of impor-
tance throughout the world, as at the Century of
Progress Exposition, that does not point to the effi-
ciency of music "where we walk."
Aside from the great open air and mass concerts
there are so many uses for the Official Piano on the
grounds of the Exposition; so many attractions where
it is sought besides the location where it is perma-
nently stationed, that the appellation as well as the
honor in being named "Official" carries marked dis-
tinction and value. There are the soirees, the club
meetings, the musicales at the Illinois Host Build-
ing and of other state buildings and state and gov-
ernment reception halls, the trustees Official recep-
tion salon, the auditorium of the Hall of Science
where a piano is often in demand; the theater and
stage of the City of Paris, the Hall of Entertain-
ment at the "Hollywood on the Island" and other
amusement centers on the Fnchantcd Island: the
Hall of States. Travel and Transport Building, the
Electrical Building, and the CHS and NBC broad-
casting stations and other radio centers where con-
cert grands and smaller models of grands are used.
THE EXPOSITION OFFICIAL PIANO
Now, as for pianos at the Exposition, and with
particular comment on the Official Piano, mention
may first be made of the three Baldwin grands which
formed a part of the orchestral ensemble accompani-
Farrell and William Lester Printed on the official
program is this line: "The Baldwin is the Official
Piano."
Thus, steadily since the opening day of the Exposi-
tion the Baldwin has been in demand to help make
"music at the Exposition." It has participated in
most of the important events and in practically all
the ones just referred to, beside others that have
come along incidentally requiring a piano. That it
has met all requirements with unanimous satisfac-
tion is a worthy record for a worthy piano.
Dr. Allen I.. Albert, assistant to the president, ap-
preciates and confirms this relationship of exhibitor
and exposition management and which is definitely
stated in the letter of the exposition, per Major L. R.
Lohr, general manager, addressed to the Baldwin
Piano Company under date of May 19, 1933. This
communication is as follows:
"The accomplishments of your company in the de-
velopment of piano tone, during the past fifty years,
is particularly noteworthy.
"More recently, in the Masterpiece Baldwin, your
research and technical staff has made an oustand-
ing contribution to the advancement of scientific piano
building.
"In recognition <>l this, we arc pleased to intorm
you that 1 lu- Baldwin has been appointed the Official
Piano of (he Ceiiturv of Progress Hxpositioii, Chi-
cago. 1 Yours very trulv,
A CKNTVRY OF PROGKFSS,
(Signed) L. K. Lohr,
General Manager.
It is apropos here to call attention to the accom-
plishments of Dr. Albert, in promoting music for, from
the first; from the inception of the fair, this dis-
Then, too, the responsibility of the maker of
the Official piano; his ability financial]v and
in all ways to "carrv out" and "carrv on" what
he promises should be endorsed in the spon-
sorship of the Official Piano.
Thus a mutual responsibility is established
between exhibitor or provider on the one hand
and the exposition management, the caterer
to public taste and public demands, on the
other. 1'oth are alike responsible to the audi-
ence and each other.
MUSIC AND THE PIANO AT THE CHICAGO
EXPOSITION
Musical performances through numcroas branches
of interpretation make up a good share of the en-
tertainment offered at the great World's Fair now
going on at Chicago so that music in general in its
many phases of art and interpretation is given special
prominence on the Fair programs. The two great
choral episodes; the singing by the united choirs of
Chicago and vicinity at the opening of the exposi-
tion and the historic performance of Handel's Mes-
siah a week later, were forerunners of important musi-
cal activities that have followed; such, for instance, as
the Swedish-American Singing Society, the Nor-
wegian Chorus, the Danish and Finnish societies; all
of these uniting for a memorial celebration on Scan-
dinavian-American day.
Various college and university glee clubs, manner
chor and mixed choruses, band and orchestral or-
ganizations have followed. The array of music fur-
nished under the auspices of the Chicago Friends
of Music, made posible largely by the donors of the
$1.00 subscriptions for a Temple of Music, and the
work of the Civic Music Association of Chicago, have
VIKW OF BALDWIN DISPLAY AND EDUCATIONAL EXHIBIT IN GICNIORAI.
CENTUUY OF PROGRESS EXPOSITION.
EXHIBITS
BUILDING NO.
ment by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by
Dr. Frederick Stock and choral leader George L.
Tenney, on the occasion of the historical performance
of the Messiah by the chorus of more than 6.000
voices as a part of the Exposition opening program.
The picture (reproduced from The Daily Times.
Chicago), showing a portion of this gathering, forms
a part of the caption of this article and in which view
one of these three pianos used is seen. On this oc-
casion at the piano were Harry T. Carlson, E. Arthur
tinguished gentleman has kept in mind and continued
to develop the proposition of music as a working part
of the exposition enterprise, an undertaking that as
first associate of President Dawes he has been able
to carry out to great completeness. By the way. Dr.
Albert is a devote'? ot music; a true amateur of the
art divine. It is interesting to listen to him as lie
facetiously tells of his experience as a woodwind in-
strument player in an orchestra years ago.
Those who attended a Piano and Organ Associa-
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/