Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-06-08
THE HARP AND PIANO

The rude,t form of the harp, as il
cxisted before the time of Hoses, Wa.
but the din prophecy Of the magnif-
cent piano-forte of to-day. The histo-
ry Of this instrument is full of poetic
interest, and is associated With the ele-
giant arts, the devotional exercises, and
popular amusements of many nations
and countries. Its authentic history
covers o period of more than 5000
years. The instrument is pictured on
the tombs of Egyptian kings, among
the mountains at the west of Thebes
it is often mentioned in Grecian and
Roman history: and it was employed
in rendering the orphic chants of the
Hebrew poets and musicians.
The gallant knights of Europe, for
two centuries, went wooing under its
inspiration; and the romance and
minstrelsy of the Troubadours of South
ern France and northern Italy are in.
separable from the history of the harp.
And now, among all the musicalinstru-
ments and cherished objects to be
found in the homes of the most en-
lightened nations, the harp-in the
superior form of the best piano-is,
of all others, the one that ministers
most essentially to the happiness of our
social life.
The ear and the judgment are often
singularly influenced by our personal
preferences, or previous conviction.
People who are not ordinarily prone to
profanity yet swear by Henry Ward
Beecher, and accept him as the univer-
sal oracle, to be believed in and quoted
alike by Christians and infdels. The
newspapers all print the grotesque say
ings of Mark Twain as the quintes-
sedtial extract of real wit. People
who love to run in groove, praised
Steinway and Chickering, until those
gentlemen came to be regarded as the
only worthy representatives Of all the
excellence to be found in string instru-
ments such as they manufacture In
deed, it was some time since taken for
granted that all the gold medals aud
premiums, including the Legion of
Honor, and the stereotyped testimon.
ials of a legion of interested witnesses,
must, as matter of course, be award
ed to those parties, who certainly have
assisted toward perfscting the most
valuable musical instrument in the
world.
The preprietors of the Arion Piano
Forte, comprehending this chronic
habit Of mankind, and believing their
pianoes were really superior to all
others, suggested the fairest possible
method OF testing tho relative merits
Of the several instruments exhibited il
competition by the different makers.
This trial occurred Immediately after
the Paris Exposition, in presence of
the officers OF the American Institute.
The instruments Of different manutac-
turers, including Chickering'S, Stein
ways, the Arion, and others, were all
covered Except the keys,) so that
the eye could not distinguish one from
another thus leaving no opportunity.
for the expression Of biased iudg-
ment.
Alter fair trial OF all the pianos,
which occupied two hours, ithe judges
distinguished audaeminent musicians
-concurred I'D the selection of one
instrument rs superior to the others,
which, on the removal of the covering,
proved to be the Arion. With a view
of rendering this trial the more deci-
sive, the players and judges then retir-
cd from the room. In their absence
the pianos were again covered, and
their position changed. The reader is
left to imagine the surprise and NOR
LITIGATION of the chief competitors when
the second trial ended in the selection
Of the same instrument.
There is little occasion for further
comment. 1t is we'll known that ex-
cellent opinions may be obta ined for
a liberal commission on the sales that
such opinions may be instrumental in
accomplishing. But in this case there
was, neither private interest nor perso-
nal prejudice to influence the judy
ment. No fairer test could have been
devised, and the result of this memoir
able trial certainly confers upon the
proprietors of the Patent Arion Piano
a distinction of far greater practical
Importance than the Legion of Honor.
philadelphia Post.