The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-01-23
LETTERS FROM EUROPE.

n Written expressly for The Dallas Herald
D VlrSSA September O, 1873
= Passing into tho French dcparI
ment one day, ! heard what SCENE
/. TO mo TO BIO n bAnd Of strlngo
Y instruments, but could no wlor
r perceive one, A man sNt ut plan
= apparently playing, but could hca
nothing like the sound Of that in
, slrumcnt, Approaching near,
found that tho music 1 heard rcall,
!, emanaled from tho piano, and
( closer examination disclosed
rosincd roller inside, which by
means ola pedal managed by tb'
foot, was kept revolving and by
means Of tho keyboard its string
were pressed against this roller
thereby causing them TO produce
sounds similar to tho tones Of th,
violin, violin clio and bass viol
This instrument is manufactured
by Baudct, No, 20 Rue Favart
Paris, and Is called tho "Planc
Quator," because it has tho piano
form and because it Stimulates q
quar- toto Of stringed Instruments
The imitation is perfect, and ], who
have always longed to be able to
play tho violin, felt that this invcn-
ton secured an approximation to
that courtod delight.
The form employed is that Of the
upright piano, rs that is the form
most common in Europe, our square
pianos being almost unknown.
People who have largo rooms and
plenty ofmcans have grand pianos,
which, as you know, are very largo
and harp.shapcd. In upright
pianos the strings run vertically
instead OF horizontally, and II seven
octave instrument occupies about
rs much space as n large bureau,
being some longer, but no broader.
For small rooms they are very con
venicnt, but as they cannot have the
same length of string as tho square
or grand, they can never equal
them in power, briliancy or tho
singing quality. Around this Piano
Quator were grouped many elegant
pianos, and they are scarcely a
moment silent.
The young men who have
them in charge are fine players,
and do their best to "show of" their
wares. We realize fully, as we
watch the nonchalant manner with
which they glance at the curious
,rowd around them, while their fin.
5crs fly so swiftly over the keys,
that they are not to blame for the
inc harmony and bril- liant melody
hat answers to their touch. They
are like the little boy that said he
LID not whistle in school, ST whs-
tied itself. These pianos play
themselves. Anybody could sit
there and shake their fingers over
the keys in that careless manner,
but why does not some one open
that large case Of cleaning wind
instruments and give them Oh ance
to blow off? I've no doubt they
could do it, if they could only get
Air enough but shut up so tightly
they can oaly silently shine. I'd
like to set them all to going, get
those big drums down, put the
sticks upon them, set gentle cur
rent of air going through those
winding horns, start the bows across
the violins, and then listen to the
spirit Of music" breathing through
all. But the old fogyism Of these
AusstelIung directors interieres with
my plans; they have no faith,
and in their presence the spirit
would be dumb, but i'll had only
believers around me I'd try it.
Tho French appear to excel in the
making Of flowers and wreaths of
diamonds, somo of which are
exquisite and dazzling. Sprays of
diamonds. trembling and flashing
forth innumerable white rays. Birds
OF Paradise with diamond tails; and
coroncts which, like the face of
Moses, would compel all boholders
to close their eyes to their glory.
The grand diamonds of tho world
are all herein imitation--but | do
not know but it is just as satisfactory
to see the limitations rs tho genuine
when one can possess neither. The
Grand Mogul of Russia, the largest
cut diamond known, weighs two
hundred and seventy-nine carats