Books › Musical Courier 1928-12-13: Vol 97 Iss 24, 1928 › scan 57
Scan 57
Musical Courier 1928-12-13: Vol 97 Iss 24, 1928
107 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 58. See the scan on archive.org.
1Piano and Musical Instrument Section
3Rambling Remarks
5"Controversy equalizes fools and wise men in the same way,—and the fools know it."
6—OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.
8The Progress of Buffalo as a Music Center—Some Thoughts Induced by the Increasing Interest in Music and Declining Piano Production — An Analysis and the Cure.
10In the last issue of the MUSICAL COURIER, The Rambler had much to say about the selling of pianos. In the Expressions in this issue, there will be found much said about the production of pianos, and the statement made that there would be somewhere between 125,000 and 150,000 made in 1928.
12With these figures that are presented in the article written by the editor of this Department, there is brought to the fore the idea as to whether the piano is keeping pace with the advancement in music in this country. The National Bureau for the Advancement of Music has done a great work in this direction, but it has not been linked up closely with the sale of pianos, as it has been deemed in the past that this would bring art and commercialism into a conglomerate mixture that would not appear artistic.
14The Rambler does not agree with this opinion, for art and commerce are so interwoven that the one can not live without the other. So we must lay aside all that has been said in regard to this, for music is advancing in this country through the aid of the orchestras, the radio and other musical instruments in an astonishing manner. We who live in New York do not seem to realize the wonderful strides that are being made in the smaller cities of this country.
16Let us take Buffalo for instance, and that reflects but what is going on in cities of that size all over the country. Buffalo has a population of 600,000. That city has made strides as to the industrials and commerce that is astonishing. With it, there has been advancement made as to music that is also astonishing. They have a symphony orchestra in music that indicates that the people of Buffalo believe that music has a living influence, and in the Buffalo Courier-Express of last week appeared an account of a Buffalo Symphony Orchestra concert that played to 3,000 children in the afternoon program. It is well to print herewith the report of a Buffalo paper of this concert as an illustration of the work that is being done in an educational way to bring the minds of the young people to appreciate music of the highest degree.
18Music in Buffalo
20Two splendid concerts marked the visit of the Detroit Symphony orchestra in Elmwood Music Hall yesterday afternoon and last evening, with Victor Kolar, associate conductor, as leader at both concerts.
22At the young people's matinee concert in the afternoon, there were 3,000 children in attendance, which shows the continued and growing interest in these musical afternoons. Victor Kolar conducted and Miss Edith Rhett gave one of her delightful talks on the program which was listened to with flattering attention. Such numbers as Marche Miniature by Tschaikowsky, Minuet from Serenade by Brahms, Invitation to the Dance by Weber and the Strauss Valse, Vienna Woods, most intrigued the ears of the youthful audience and were greeted with enthusiastic applause. The teachers in some of the public schools, assisted by volunteer chaperons, Mrs. James W. Charters, Mrs. John T. Henderson and a Junior League committee of which Mrs. Jan P. Wolanek was chairman, kept a watchful eye upon these young music lovers in case they became overvociferous in their applause. one of two readings
23At the young people's matinee concert in the afternoon, there were 3,000 children in attendance, which shows the continued and growing interest in these musical afternoons. Victor Kolar conducted and Miss Edith Rhetts gave one of her delightful talks on the program which was listened to with flattering attention. Such numbers as Marche Miniature by Tschaikowsky, Minuet from Serenade by Brahms, Invitation to the Dance by Weber and the Strauss Valse, Vienna Woods, most intrigued the ears of the youthful audience and were greeted with enthusiastic applause. The teachers in some of the public schools, assisted by volunteer chaperons, Mrs. James W. Charters, Mrs. John T. Henderson and a Junior League committee of which Mrs. Jan P. Wolanek was chairman, kept a watchful eye upon these young music lovers in case they became overvociferous in their applause. one of two readings
25The program presented last evening, with Victor Kolar conducting again, was one of modern character and melodious beauty. Mr. Kolar was received with great cordiality and his reading were marked by an astute appraisal of the demands of each number and a regard for emotional as well as technical appeal. The opening number, Overture to The Secret of Suzanne, was a sparkling and beautiful performance, in the reading of which Mr. Kolar caught and held the fancy of his audience. There is a curious fascination about Wolf-Ferrari's music, and an exotic note that enthralls the listener.
27In the Symphony in B flat major by Chausson, the orchestra under Mr. Kolar's direction played with gorgeous tonal color and an arresting charm that made it a brilliant musical portrayal, full of rich harmonic tints and given with fine restraint. Mr. Kolar was tendered a demonstration of approval that brought him back to acknowledge the continued acclams.
29The Polovetsian Dances from Prince Igor, by Borodin, full of pagan beauty, were offerings in a dynamic range of mood and music and Pictures From an Exposition, by Moussorgski, were a series of intimate little musical sketches, each one painting a picture of bizarre, but realistic style—some comic, others dramatic and ending in one called The Gateway to the City of Kiev, which was full of barbaric splendor and ingenious weaving of Russian martial music. This won both conductor and players a deserved ovation. The concerts were under the auspices of the Buffalo Musical Foundation, Inc., with Marian de Forest as manager.
31Other Music
33Turning from this illustration of what is being done, there is a quartet in the Statler Hotel, of Buffalo, that again shows the appreciation that people of this country have for good music, for it but follows that while this music is being given by the Statler quartet, it is to the floating population that visits Buffalo, but The Rambler found that added to the floating population, the good people of Buffalo who appreciate this kind of music get up luncheon parties, not only to partake of the good food provided by the hotel, but the main thing is to hear the music of this quartet, or, as it is stated on the program, the "Hotel Statler Ensemble." This ensemble is composed of Cecille Steiner, violin; Martha Gomph, harp; Agnes Millhouse, 'cello; and Mary Reynolds, organ.
35It may interest the piano men of the country to know that the harp played by Miss Gomph is a Wurlitzer and the organ played by Mary Reynolds is a Wurlitzer.
37So much for commerce in this hotel musical offering. It is hardly worth while to enter into an explanation of what this means, for there is given with each of these offerings an analytical program. This is what The Rambler heard during his visit in Buffalo last week:
39Music Program
41Played by the Buffalo Statler Ensemble
43There is sweet music here that softer falls Than petals from blown roses on the grass, Or night-dews on still waters between walls Of shadowy granite, in a gleaming pass.
44—Tennyson
461. (a) PREISLIED……………………………Wagner
47(Prize Song from Die Meistersinger)
48To the opera-going public in general, Meistersinger is the most entertaining of all Wagner operas. Its gaiety and tunefulness are charming, and its story is easily understood by the audience. The Prize Song is the most noble effort of the composer in this opera, and is imbued with great beauty.
50(b) MATROSENCHOR………………………..Wagner
51The most popular opera in Germany today is the "Flying Dutchman," and it is also the one which was most promptly condemned by the critics after its first hearing.
532. MORGEN………………………………….Strauss
54One of the most gorgeous and probably the most popular of all the beautiful songs written by Richard Strauss.
563. OVERTURE: MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR………Rossini
57This overture, full of life and fire, is a fitting prelude to a splendid work and abounds in beautiful contrasts.
594. DUET FROM THE BARTERED BRIDE………….Smetana
60A work of delightful melody, which has had numberless performances. It is charmingly spontaneous and highly interesting, containing parts of the national airs of Bohemia.
625. ORGAN SOLO: ARIEL……………………..Joseph Bonnet
63Fairy music of airy, gossamer lightness and brightness, delicacy and grace; prettily melodious, and fashioned with consummate skill.
656. WALTZ BOSTON……………………………Drigo
66A really charming little waltz written by the composer of the well known "Serenade."
687. ON WINGS OF SONG……………………….Mendelssohn
69Far too well known to all lovers of good music to need any description, is Mendelssohn's "On Wings of Song," which is quite the best known of any of the songs written by this famous composer. Liszt made a transcendentally beautiful transcription of this lovely melody.
718. FLAPPERETTE……………………………Greer
72Written as a novelty piano solo of musical impressionism and, combined with unique rhythmic effects, gives keen delight to the listener.
749. SAGAMORE……………………………….Goldman
75This stirring march is written by Goldman, whose very name indicates that the composition is indeed one of musical value. Mr. Goldman is director of the famous band of the same name, and delights large audiences every week in New York City, as well as all through the country, via Radio.
7710. "IN A LITTLE WHILE"…………………..Ortman
78One of the "catchy" ballads from the musical comedy "Nobody's Girl."
80Ask for your favorite selection.
82Musical Progress and Piano Sales
84Let the readers of the MUSICAL COURIER engaged in the piano industry and trade compare what was said last week in this department with what is printed here in this illustration of the musical advancement in Buffalo. The Rambler visited Buffalo during the Pan American Exposition held there in 1901. We had no such musical offering at the Iroquois Hotel, then the leading hotel of Buffalo, nor was there any offering of music given by the city itself that could be compared in any way with what is being given today in all directions there.
86The piano men must cultivate and keep pace with the advancement in music. Here is one of the reasons why the piano has been allowed to fall off as to production, as shown in the Expressions in this issue. The piano men seem to have no real inclination toward music when they should be the very ones who are giving it attention in their own home towns. It matters not whether the center be a city like Buffalo with its 600,000 population, or a town of 10,000 inhabitants with its one or two or three piano dealers. The piano dealer should be the leader in music. Notwithstanding the protest of our good friend in St. Louis who says that music has nothing to do with the selling of pianos, The Rambler disagrees with him. It is a sad reflection upon the piano trade of this country that music should advance so much and the piano as to its production should recede.
88There is a music demand for the manually played piano that is going to increase. The piano men can not take any credit to themselves for the present condition where the piano itself is making its own sales through this music demand, and that is why the high grade pianos are working on an increased production over that of past years instead of a decrease.
90Why Not Music Merchants?
92The decrease in the piano production has come through the fact that the radio supersedes the piano in the homes of those who formerly bought the no-tone boxes, and they are getting a better service than they would through the cheap pianos that were not musical to start with and were of no value as to producing music of quality.
94It must be that the ears of the young people, for instance, those of the 3,000 children that attended the symphonic concert in Buffalo, are being tuned to tone, and the cheap pianos have lost out through the lack of tonal quality and the introduction of the radio which gives them the good music along with what we might term the popular and the bad.
96If the piano dealers would but be music merchants instead of piano dealers there would be a different story to be told about piano production. When The Rambler made the prediction the first of November, if memory serves, that the production for this year would be 200,000 pianos, he was basing his prediction on what was being presented in the way of sales in September and October. In November and December piano sales have fallen off so that this prediction seems incorrect, and a reading of the Expressions will show the reasons for this.
98It long has been taken for granted that the piano business in November and December would be larger than the other months of the year, but if one looks back and if the Old Timers will recall, piano sales never increase on account of the Christmas holidays. We might have thought of that when the prediction for 200,000 was made, but the facts are that the production will probably be nearer 125,000 than it will be to 150,000.
100Good Music Increasing
102It stands to reason that this great movement toward good music that is being found all over the country, and in a way the movie music that is utilized to make the moving pictures possible, is responsible for much of this advancement, for we find that under the leadership of "Roxy" (S. L. Rothafel), who is really the originator of the great orchestras in the movie theaters and who now presents the Roxy Symphony Orchestra, with Erno Rapee as director, in programs on Sunday afternoons over the radio that present music that is not surpassed by any of the orchestras that we have.
104All this should awaken the piano dealer to the fact that it is the high grade pianos, the old name pianos, that are creating the business that is being done today. This seems like a repetition of what is said in the Expressions, but the two link together so closely that it
106(Continued on page 56, preceding)
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