Scan 39
Musical Courier 1895-12-11: Vol 31 Iss 823, 1895
92 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 40. See the scan on archive.org.
1BOSTON OFFICE OF THE MUSICAL COURIER.
217 Beacon Street, December 7, 1895.
4"THE bottom is out," said one of the Boston piano manufacturers to us on Friday last, and after a complete round of the trade we must reach the conclusion that the top and bottom both are out. The simple truth of it is all embraced in the statement that there is no business of any consequence, and mere meagre reports can be given in this article. Other matters relating to Boston houses are treated separately.
6The one item of genuine news is in the case of the Vose & Sons Piano Company.
8Messrs. A. & S. Nordheimer, of Canada, are the great house of the Dominion. In addition to a piano made by the firm the house handles the Steinway, the Chickering and now the Vose pianos, Mr. Albert Nordheimer having been in Boston to close arrangements for this representation last week. Vose pianos were selected for the main house at Toronto and for the branches at Montreal, at London, St. Johns, Hamilton, &c.
10Many years ago, before the piano making fever broke out in Canada, Mr. James W. Vose sold Vose pianos by the hundreds to the Nordheimer house, and when large orders for pianos were unknown he received a telegraphic order from the Nordheimers one day for 50 pianos; an hour afterward he received another telegram duplicating the order. "This order for 100 pianos to one house in one day was unprecedented in those days," says Mr. Vose.
12However, the Vose piano has all along been holding its position in the trade, and there is a constant and steady demand for it. On Saturday a carload of Vose pianos was shipped to Geo. J. Birkel, San Diego, Cal., through the Curtaz house, of San Francisco. As we said before, there is always a steady outflow of Vose pianos. It is a staple instrument.
14Strange Dealer
16One of the three piano dealers at Haverhill, Mass., does not read THE MUSICAL COURIER, and, of course, no other music paper, and this is the reason he gives us: "I am in business to sell pianos and organs. Music does not interest me. I never listen to any if I can help it. What use is a music paper to me?"
18But his competitors read this paper, and as they do and he doesn't they know so much more every week than he does. He is constantly at a discount so far as they are concerned. They are constantly at a premium so far as he is concerned. That condition must suit them. They probably will not even like to see us calling his attention to this, for they must hope to continue him at a discount. No wonder some dealers don't get along and others do!
20Mr. Scanlan.
22There were reports in the Boston trade to the effect that Mr. Scanlan intended to retire from the retail trade. Mr. Scanlan tells us that thus far he knows nothing about it, and he believes if it were so he would be able to confirm the report.
24He is now beginning to advertise "This building is to be demolished or torn down. Removal sale." The signs were to have been up on Monday, and a rush is expected.
26If Mr. Scanlan does not succeed in finding just what he needs in the shape of a retail wareroom he can retire to his factory and do retail from the large floor rooms there until the proper piece of property offers him his opportunity. There is no hurry about this at all.
28The Steinert Delay.
30Speaking of hurry reminds us that the injunction against the contractor (or whoever may have been technically involved) of the Crocker estate building, to be put up for the Steinert wareroom on Boylston street, has not yet been dissolved, and on Friday it appeared as if a litigation might ensue which would necessarily delay operations.
32The new location of the Steinerts is by no means as favorable a spot as the old one, which is by all means the first and most conspicuous piano wareroom in this country, relatively speaking. We mean to say that in no city on earth is there a piano wareroom that is so prominent a wareroom for its city as the present Steinert wareroom is for Boston. Whatever may be the rent of the new place, it is not worth one-third as much, considering prominence of location, advertising strength, superior advantages over competition by means of this prominence and identification with local landmarks—not one-third as much as the old. The new place is in line with all other warerooms. The old place is the apex of a pyramid, the collecting and distributing corner to which several million human beings are driven annually by force of the traffic wave, and from which that wave disintegrates daily. It is the greatest corner in Boston, and by all odds certainly the greatest piano corner.
34The new place is on a business block, in it, although on the corner of a narrow street or alleyway, but not a corner in the common acceptation of the term. It can never be made a landmark, a position toward which the public gravitates.
36There has been an enormous amount of exaggeration published regarding the sum of money made by the Steinerts in the lease deal. They had to pay $50,000 of it to Mr. Scanlan, but a number of persons who were engaged in engineering it through must have received moities or shares of the profit. Alexander Steinert's father-in-law, Mr. Shuman, is said to have been in it and others, and when the net sum is considered, the highest possible amount, and then the vast, the incalculable diminution of value of the new place as compared with the old—we cannot find that the great lease deal amounts to a deal after all. Besides this, there are reports that certain members of the Steinert house and family are disgruntled on account of the manner of distribution of the profit of the deal; but this is merely a rumor.
38If a litigation should ensue which should delay the completion of the Crocker building, Steinerts would be compelled to go to temporary quarters, for the present premises must be vacated by July 2, 1896. How is it that if such a tremendous fortune was made the Steinerts are not putting up their own building? Well, that is easily answered. With the exception of great profits made in selling leases of piano warerooms, there is more money in pianos than in buildings.
40Merrill.
42We shall probably be able to publish something of more than trade interest about Merrill and the Merrill some time around New Year's. The Merrill piano has made great friends ever since it has been marketed. Each piano is a recommendation for its makers.
448½.
46The new Emerson 8½ upright is already firmly established. It will be one of the great selling pianos of 1896. Watch it! Mr. Payson is back from his business trip. Mr. O. A. Kimball, of the company, was at the New York branch during the week.
48Mason & Hamlin.
50The great pianist from Holland, Martinus Sieveking played the Saint-Saëns G minor concerto at Music Hall at the seventh Boston Symphony rehearsal and concert on Friday and Saturday. Our regular Boston reviewer, Mr. Philip Hale, considers his performance in the Boston letter, as will be perceived.
52We were intensely interested in the piano he used—a Mason & Hamlin concert grand—from which he evoked a delightful quality of tone, rich and mellow, and of a musical character seldom found in pianos played in great halls—for there are many pianos played that do not possess a character to be designated as musical. It may be a piano character, but not necessarily musical, so as to blend perfectly with orchestral color as the Mason & Hamlin grand did. In addition, the instrument is endowed with 'power, with crystalline brilliancy, with carrying and vibrating qualities and with a distinct and prompt response. Altogether, it is one of the greatest concert grand pianos we have heard in the past quarter of a century, during which we have listened to every great concert pianist, and it constitutes a great victory in the piano building art for Mason & Hamlin.
54Briggs.
56The Briggs Piano Company had to work its men at night for several weeks to fill orders, and the filling is continuing at a rapid rate. The month will be the greatest known in the history of Briggs.
58Mr. Furbush returned from his Western trip on Thursday night.
60Notes.
62Mr. Poole, of the Poole Piano Company, was in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and other places in that direction during the week. It would surprise many people in the trade to know the number of Poole pianos made and shipped in 1895. Mr. Poole, who by nature is not made to speak of his own success, has said very little about the business he has been doing, but for a young concern, especially in these days, the business has been remarkable.
64Mr. Brenner, of Peter A. Brenner & Son (or Co.), Augusta, Ga., was in New York and Boston last week. It is probable that Solomons, now a partner of the house, will retire by January 1.
66Mr. Harry J. Raymore, of the Shaw Piano Company, Erie, Pa., paid a visit to Boston. Although no large number of Shaw pianos have been sold in Boston, yet those disposed of have given unqualified satisfaction and gratification to the purchasers. What a really splendid upright that Shaw upright is!
68Mr. George Cook, of the Hallet & Davis Company, was in New York last week.
70Mr. George G. Endicott, of the Chickering house, is South on a quick business trip. Mr. Ambuhl, Sr., is in Ohio.
72Among strangers in town last week was Mr. Karl Fink, of Dolgeville.
74The name of the new corporation in St. Louis in which Mason & Hamlin are interested is to be the O. A. Field Piano Company. The opening is to take place this week.
76See additional Boston news in other parts of this issue.
78Those Fachutar Violins.
80THE following communication has been received from Wm. E. Hill & Sons, the musical instrument dealers, of London, England. Readers will recall the story and illustration printed a few months ago of the instruments purchased by Mr. Fachutar while he was in Europe:
82LONDON, November 26, 1895.
84Editors The Musical Courier:
86We have read in a recent issue of your paper the very interesting account of how Mr. Fachutar became the fortunate possessor of a violin, viola and violoncello, which he fully believes to be examples of one or other of the famed Italian makers. Our natural surprise at his good fortune in picking up these three specimens at the very inadequate price mentioned, and in Italy, too—the land above all others where they are no longer to be found—became mingled with amusement when we found our name appeared in connection with them. Either Mr. Fachutar is of a more innocent and gullible nature than most people, or the whole account is intended for a joke. Surely we are credited with understanding our calling sufficiently not to reject an authentic Amati 'cello which, as stated, was offered to and declined by us for the paltry sum of 600 lire—less than $120. This fact ought to convey its true inference.
88May we trespass further on your space by replying to a paragraph headed A Kentucky Violin, signed by "W. J. L."? No genuine Maggini violin ever bears a dated label, and the maker did not word his name according to the way in which it is worded on the label of this instrument. The violin is not therefore a genuine Maggini, but one of the numerous copies with which the world has been inundated and that have been turned out in France and Germany for many years.
90Your obedient servants,
91Wm. E. Hill & Sons.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.