Books › Music directory of early New York city; a file of musicians, music publishers and musical instrument-makers listed in New York directories from 1786 through 1835, together with the most important New York music publishers from 1836 through 1875, 1941 › scan 17
Scan 17
Music directory of early New York city; a file of musicians, music publishers and musical instrument-makers listed in New York directories from 1786 through 1835, together with the most important New York music publishers from 1836 through 1875, 1941
16 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1INTRODUCTION
3THE PURPOSE of this work is to furnish a guide which will enable those interested in early New York music to date music imprints which bear no copyright date, but have the publisher's name and address merely, with perhaps a plate number.
5As the first files of entire copies of copyright music, held in the Music Division of the Library of Congress, show no copyright date earlier than May 28, 1819, a book of this kind will help to solve the question of dating accurately early New York music.
7The contents of the following lists are based on the New York directories from 1786; upon the files of copyright music in the Library of Congress in Washington, and upon examination of early New York music imprints.
9Part I deals with those musicians, music professors and teachers whose names appear in the early directories of New York, beginning with the first directory of 1786. This list, however, does not represent the complete music picture of the early years, since there were many whose names do not appear in the directories in connection with music, but who nevertheless were dealing in it as a collateral activity.
11John Jacob Astor, who came to this country in 1783, thought it financially worth his while not only to export furs, but to import musical instruments.¹ This interest of his was passed on to John and Michael Paff — later on to William Dubois. But information of this character is not contained in the directories.
13Unrecorded in the directories were men of musical fame, who, passing through New York, did not stay long enough to have their names listed in the directories. Alexander Reinagle, composer, member of the Society of Musicians in London, later director of the famous Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, advertised in the New York Packet of June 26, 1786, a concert, shortly to be performed, to which he added the following information: "In the meantime he gives Lessons in Singing, on the Harpsicord, Pianoforte, and Violin. His terms may be known by enquiring at No. [address hidden], and at Mr. Rivington's. N. B. He proposes to supply his Friends and Scholars with the best instruments and printed Music from London on the same terms they are there sold in the shops, only allowing for freight and package."
15¹ Advertisement in the New York Packet, May 22, 1786: "JACOB ASTOR, No. 81, Queen-street, two doors from the Friends Meeting-House, Has just imported from London, An elegant assortment of Musical Instruments, such as piano fortes, spinnets, piano-forte guittars, guittars, the best of violins, German flutes, clarinets, hautboys, fifes, the best Roman violin strings, and all other kinds of strings, music books and paper, and every other article in the musical line, which he will dispose of on very low terms for cash."
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.