The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-12
PARIS CORRESPONDENCE OF "T,HE
VIENNA LLOYD"

From the above journal we extract the fol-
lowing in reference to the American Pianos at
the Paris Exposition
ain my last letter informed you that the
Jury of Examination on Musical Instruments
had completed their arduous labors.Land sub
miLted the result of their examination to the
S3premig M ShS has naI1 eoiGed To- n
crease the number of the great International
Gold Medals from one Hundred TO Three Hun.
dTed and the Silver Medals from Three Hundred
to one ThOUSdnd-hence the hopes of many
despairing exhibitors have been suddenly re-
ViVed, and will doubtless be realized.
This result, though perfectly justified by the
great superiority of the American Instruments,
will doubtless create q profound sensation
throughout musical Europe. 1t is certainly
most humiliatlng, but nevertheless fact, that
even the most celebrated Piano-forte makers
of Paris, Vienna, Berlin and Leipsic only take
silver medals, ranking as second-class 1nstru
ments, and are therefore completely outdis-
tanced by their two great American rivals.
"The pianos from the United States represent
two entirely different systems of construction,
but all have full frame OF cast-iron, which in
Yention was patented and first applied as early
as the year 1925, by Alpheus Babcock, of Phila-
delphia, to square Pianos.
"This important change in the views of the
Imperial Commission has placed at the disposal
of the Supreme Jury on Plano-lortes ulree Grand
Internatfonal First Prize Gold Medals in place
of one. One OF these has been awarded to the
firm of "Steinway 81 Sons" of New York, one to
the American firm exhibiting from Boston,
classified according to merit, Messrs. Steinway
first, and the remaining one to Broadwood, Of
LondSon a., o,,oo,,,or, ., o,,, t.o,, e.o,,o ,,,o
Grand Pianos from Boston are constructed with
parallel strings on the same plan as the
European Grands, but are much superior to the
latter in workmanship and quantity and
quality of tone Without, however, wishing to
detract from the merits of other makers, must
say that the Pianos exhibited by StelnWay a.
Sons, of New York, have, through the marvel
lous grandeur of their tone, and the novelty of
their construction, excited by far the greatest
Wonderment and admiration of alike plano
makers, musicians, professional artists and the
general musical public who surround the Stein
Fnfai n frnD Inn
10 night.
"Stephen Heller, Kruger Alfred Jaell, Ritter
IaViPnac, and nearly all the leading artists in
Paris have performed on these pianos, and
exhibit decided preference for them over any
others in the Exposition. The venerable com.
roser Rossini, who still prides himself not
little on his piano-playing, recently examined
the SteinWay Pianos, and frankly eX pressed his
astonishment and delight at their prodlglous
sonority-yet at the same time exceedingly
musical and singing quality OF their tone
which enables the pianist TO produce at Will
any graduation of light and shade from the most
delicately whispered phrase TO the grandest or
chestral effects
''These masterpieces of ingenuity aud me-
chanical skill must be seen and heard to be
appreciated, and their wonder will cease at the
announcement that the firm of SteinWay q
Sons have, in the comparatively brief space of
fifteen years, succeeded in building up the
largest Piano manufacturing establishment in
the world.
"America may justly feel proud OF the.signal
and decided victory ach eyed by two of her
exhibitors, exponents of the new and old style
industry, in a European city, European jury
has awarded them the prizes of honor In fair
competition with over three hundred European
instruments.