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Musical Courier 1895-12-25: Vol 31 Iss 825, 1895
56 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 70. See the scan on archive.org.
1The Philomele.
3The philomèle is a revived and improved form of the old Greek instrument mentioned by Homer, which belonged to the viol family, and had only two strings, played by a bow. The name philomèle is the French rendering of the old Greek philomèla, a nightingale, and is most appropriate. For centuries this instrument has been out of fashion and almost forgotten, but about three years ago Herr Schulz, the eminent zitherist, conceived the idea of developing the old and imperfect instrument, and he has achieved wonderful success, the instrument having already superseded the bow zither.
5The philomèle is shaped like a viol, or in some cases like a Stradivarius violin, having semitone frets, which accounts for the great ease with which the most satisfactory results may be produced. It has four metallic strings, tuned in fifths like the violin, but reversed in order. The head of the instrument is rested on a table or stand, and the body held in the lap, the player bowing it in front of him, and stopping the strings like a zither. The tone is sweet, powerful and mellow, with curious flute-like timbre, and with an entire absence of the scraping and squeaking produced on the violin by an unskillful player. Herr Schulz has constructed a philomèle quartet of treble, tenor, contra and bass.
7Some authorities have called the philomèle "the rival of the violin," but as yet it is only on its trial, and I should not presume so far as to indorse this statement. It certainly can be learned and played effectively with comparatively little trouble, and it does not present half the difficulties that surround the violin. Miss Mabel F. Downing, of Clifton, the gifted harpist and mandolinist, has done much to make this instrument popular. At a fraction of the cost of time, trouble and money given to learning to play the piano badly, it is possible to learn this pleasing instrument, and to produce therefrom very beautiful results.—London Bazaar, Exchange and Mart.
9Reeds and Reed Instruments.
11Unlike the history of stringed instruments, that of the woodwind is not fraught with interesting anecdote of eminent virtuosi and their great performances. Its recital speaks more of the vicissitudes through which the "woodwind" passed, their imperfections of construction, and the many attempts, successful and otherwise, to repair their shortcomings. Even when all seemed made good, the number of votaries was exceedingly small in comparison with those who favored stringed instruments. The distinctive quality of the tone of the oboe apparently claimed but little attention, and it was not until the arrival of Kaitch, the eminent oboist, on these shores that the instrument can be said to have attracted the notice of musical artists.
13The name of Kaitch has a memorable association with the foundation of the Royal Society of Musicians. So celebrated was Kaitch as an oboist that he received engagements at two or three private parties of an evening; although at that time it was the fashion only to listen to great executants of the violin and piano and popular vocalists. Notwithstanding that Kaitch earned considerable sums he, through improvidence, left his two sons, mere children, destitute at his death, and this melancholy fact becoming known, his former colleague, Vincent, the oboist, and Festing, the violinist, together with Dr. Greene and other composers, started a subscription, not only for the relief of Kaitch's orphans, but also for the alleviation of the distress of the widows and orphans of musicians generally, and this benevolent act formed the nucleus of that splendid institution, the Royal Society of Musicians.
15The names of the famous oboe players Griesbach, Fischer and Vogt call to mind their especial preference, and consequent disagreement, one with the other, in their selection of reeds, and it was from this very circumstance that the individuality of each of these artists became subsequently so marked. Thus the beautiful quality and roundness of tone which distinguished the florid performances of Fischer was the result of the adoption of a small reed of moderate strength only. Griesbach, on the other hand, used a very strong reed, as large as that ordinarily employed for a bassoon; his tone, on this account, became remarkable for its strength and richness, albeit demanding great exertion, as well as strength of lip, to produce this effect. A very small soft reed was that chosen by Vogt, and though he obtained the utmost possible execution, his tone was always thin. Notwithstanding the marked difference attending this various adoption, the performance of each was equally appreciated in its day.
17The choice of reed, answerable as it is for the making or marring of the tone, cannot be made too carefully, for any defects in the cane from which it is made renders the efforts of the player abortive. But this is not all, for in spite of the better finish bestowed on recent reed manufacture much remains to be done in the way of shaping and paring away the reed before it is ready for artistic purposes, an operation often made a lengthy one through the fastidiousness of the player. Apparently there is no test for determining the effectiveness or worthlessness of a reed save by submitting it to the process described and practically trying it. Holding the reed to the light as a test of transparency, examining its characteristics of graining, are but little to go upon, though be it said that a reed of close fibre would be preferentially chosen to one wide in the gain.
19Greater amount of care must be exercised in the making of the double reed, for here the two component parts should be found in perfect accord before they are fastened together with the binding thread. So sensitive is the reed that in the making of it even the most skilled have to be cautious. A rub or two too many with the "rush" will often render a reed valueless which without this misapplication might have proved perfect. The cane, or, to speak more accurately, the "water grass," from which oboe reeds are made is sold cut in strips of moderate length and tied in bundles; it is the old "Arundo donax," grown and used for this purpose by the ancient Egyptians.
21An oboe player will buy perhaps 2 sovereigns' worth at a time. All the best pieces he will reserve for himself, and if he be of a practical turn of mind he works up the remainder with a view of selling to the shops. The player meets with so much disappointment in the making of reeds, by finding that time and trouble have been wasted on an unreliable object, that numberless attempts are often made ere he can add one reed to his "case."
23The best seasoned wood is indispensable, and the semicircular root of the tongue must be shaped to a nicety to insure its being perfectly fitted to the instrument. It seems almost incredible to the uninitiated that so significant a thing as a reed can be invested with the power of working good or ill, but so it is, for the most perfectly fitted oboe is useless without the aid of this all important factor. A player has to be his own judge in the matter of selection, advice given being of little value, for a reed that will suit the playing of one oboist may not be found suitable for another's requirements.
25As a general rule players prefer a reed of medium strength, which is responsive to easy intonation, productive of a full round tone, and on which the notes G above the stave to C can be easily sounded. The playing of the oboe demands the utmost control over the respiratory organs, for the slightest waste of breath previously retained materially affects the tone. Again, the study of allowing the breath to escape by minute degrees is one which offers difficulties to all players.
27Any facial contortion or irrelevant movement of the lips is scrupulously avoided by good players, and be it especially noted that the tone is rendered heavy by a protuberance of the lips, while if these be too distended the tone produced is of an unpleasant, bagpipe character. The high notes above C, when taken unprepared and attempted piano, are most difficult of production. Many substitutes, metal among the number, have been devised to replace cane, which is so liable to warp and splitting from a blow or indeed from the moisture of the lips, which in course of time soddens the reed and rots it.
29The tone produced by an ordinary reed could never be obtained from a metal one, hence its impossibility of adoption. The reed is not the only care, for to the clarinet player the mouthpiece gives an infinite amount of trouble if not frequently examined and the defects promptly attended to. A deterioration, though scarcely perceptible, will materially affect the power of the instrument. An unevenness of the edges surrounding the orifice, an indentation worn at the base of that orifice, usually caused by the action of the moisture passing in under the reed, results in a "quacky" tone, for the reason that, owing to the altered condition of the mouthpiece, the reed is prevented from coming in perfect contact with it.
31Players test the trueness of level by inserting a strip of paper. If this can be passed between the reed and the mouthpiece without its going down one side more than another, the level may be adjudged true. Even a skilled repairer can hardly make good the damage when considerable, for in using the planing tool to regain a proper level he unavoidably "throws back" the mouthpiece, thus increasing the aperture too much between it and the reed.
33To obviate this inconvenience and to render permanent the parts which usually wear away, several suggestions have been made. A metal plate and edging is one, while even glass has (we believe) been tried, but neither of these has been adopted, owing to their impediment to production of tone. The troubles which string players have to contend against we have always with us; those experienced by the woodwind player, though greater in proportion, are little, if at all, known; some of our sympathy may, therefore, be well extended to players of the oboe, clarinet, bassoon and other members of the woodwind family.—London Musical News.
35Briggs.
37The latest designs of Briggs uprights are far above the average standard of artistic case work, but this is not all.
39The general improvement in case work has only kept pace with the evolution of the piano itself as a musical instrument. There is more tone volume, more power, more resonance, more force of tonal character in the Briggs piano than ever before, and the instrument must be classified among the representative pianos of the United States.
41YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, IN A GENERAL WAY, THAT THE Blasius Piano
43is a superior instrument. Everybody does. But are you acquainted with those finer artistic qualities peculiar to the Blasius Piano which raise it above any other Piano made in the world? Do you know that Thomas A. Edison, the greatest living authority on sound, prefers and uses it for all his most delicate experiments in sound! You see the Blasius Piano played time and again in public, which it would not be were it not the choice of the greatest musicians. It has taken years of time to perfect the Blasius Piano, and a complete analysis of the entire Pianos of high grade of the world to determine just what is perfect for the Blasius Piano. All advantages—or 55 points of merit—are embodied in the construction of the Blasius Piano, making it the perfect Piano of the day. That is why the Hinrichs Opera Company use it exclusively. That is why such eminent authorities as S. B. Mills, New York's famous concert pianist and composer; F. Boscovitz, Chicago's superb Chopin player, and John Francis Gilder, Boston's eminent pianist and composer, indorse and use the Blasius Piano. They admit the superiority of the Blasius Piano, and admire its many improvements—original with us—such as the Blasius Note Indicator, the Blasius Practice Pedal, the Blasius Metal Key Bottom Supports, &c.
45A Great Leader for Progressive Dealers. A Superb and Peerless Instrument for the Retail Purchaser.
47WHOLESALE:
48BLASIUS PIANO CO.,
49Woodbury, N. J.
50Eight miles from Philadelphia.
52RETAIL:
53BLASIUS & SONS,
541101, 1103 & 1119 Chestnut Street,
55Philadelphia, Pa.
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