The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-09-20
AMERICAN PIANO-FORTEs AT THU PARIS
EXHIBITION
From the Boston Transcript.

1t will be highly gratifying to our leaders to
learn the marked success which has attended
the specimens of art which Amerie lns have
sent to the Paris Exhibition bat none OF
them has been attributed so much IN. rit as to
our celebrated American piano-fortes. 1t would
seem hardly possible that we could rivt, as yet,
France and England, and the other countries
of Europe so distinguished for their progress
in the arts and sciences, in so delicate and i'm
portant an instrument as the piano-fotte but
the intelligent correspondent of the Chronicle,
in his letter to that paper, dated Paris, August
IA, 1855, an extract from which we give below,
shows what rank our Boston piano-fortes take
abroad. We have before heard of the reputa-
ton of the celebrated instruments manufactured
by Albert W.-Ladd & Co., and it gives us the
greatest pleasure to add to that already just
gained reputation, that they now rival the world.
We congratulate our friends and the mechanics
of the establishment, that they have been able,
before such an ordeal, and in the presence of
three hundred French pianos, to take the first
prize; and we Americans should be proud, too,
that we have SO eminent o pano-forte manu-
factory among US. We need no longer to send
to Europe for instruments Of superior tone and
finish, but may rather expect to furnish her
with her best and finest pianofortes.
We copy from the Chronicle of Sept. 3;
"The great exhibition is now in more
fourishing condition than ever, and its future
will no doubt be very successful. The Jury of
award are now engaged in deciding as to the
merits of the various contributions. A remark
able affair has just taken place, relative to a
contribution from Boston, which will much
crafty the pride of Bostonians The trial, be-
fore the jury Of award, of the excellence of the
various piano-fortes on exhibition, took place at
the celebrated Paris Conservatory of Music.
The jury was composed of seven of the most
eminent professors of music in Europe.
"Joseph Helmesperger, director of the I'm
perial Conservatory of Music at Vienna, the
president, placed himself in a position where
he could hear the tone of the instruments with
out seeing them, so as to render perfectly i'm
partial opinion Of their merits. In addition to
this, the manufacturers names were I'll covered
Up with white cards, on each of which was
certain number. When all had been tried, Mr..
Helmesperger said, now for the American
piano. referring to one from Boston, which he
had on several occasions examined and tried at
the exhibitions, and which, for some unac-
countable reason, had been neglected to be
among the number and, supposing be referred
to that, they told him it had been tried. His
answer was positive that it had not been tried,
yet all this time he had not seen, but only lis
tened to the tone of the instruments. After
repeated assurances by them, and denias by
him, he came forward and satisfied them that
the one he referred to was not there, and direct
ed them at once to send to the exhibition for
it. Soon it arrived, and, when tried before that
talented jury, was pronounced the best piano
forte in the French exhibition, and, according
ly, it was awarded the highest prize medal.
This piano is from the mandatory of Messrs
A. W. Ladd & Co., of Boston. The above facts
are accurate to the letter, having received my
information personally from Mr.. Hefmesperger
himself. He is young man, not over twenty
five years of age. Having before heard the
superior quality of tone of the above instrument