New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-31
THE GREAT PIANO WAR.
WEBER TO THE FRONT AGAIN.

LETTER.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune
SIR: In my letter of January %, stated as
maxim that whenever abuse is rcsorted to in a
controversy 1t shows plainly that the facts are
wanting" The best illustration OF this IS the
letter of the Messrs Steinway, January %, in
your paper. One might well excaim, Mud! MUD
everywhere, and not grain Of fact
While they are whstling to keep up their courage
against this terrible Weber yet in letter of theirs
less than column long, his name appears no less
than twenty times Consistency, thou art jetre'"
"Oh. we don't care anything about Weber," say
they; " bis pretension is simply absurd )" and IN
the same breath admit that they have carried on
an immense correspondence running over many
months have travelled thousands of miles, and
made two ocean voyages at enormous expense to
fight this same Weber. One gentleman OF the firm
states that they are prepared to appropriate
$500 900 (half million doars) to fight this Weber
This is slightly. very slightly inconsistent with the
fact that they don't look Weber as very formd-
able competitor. / am glad there is so much money
lying around loose in tho piano business. Some
body is going to be short, that's sure don't think
it will be Weber!
When l gave them the friendly advice to put
their money in their pianos not In outside issues IL
was we'll meant They ignore it and must prepare
for the consequence. shall deal strictly ,c'h facts
and if one unkind, harsh, or abusive word escapes
me. apologize in advance.
LONDON EXHIBITION, 1862.
The Messrs. Stenway claim the highest. or first
prize among 3O2 instruments. say the Messrs
Broadwood & Sons have recered IT, Read the Official
award. The Mcssrs. Steinway g. Sons, of New
York, stand eighth and last on the list, and arc
especially awarded medal for powerful, clear
and brilliant tone, with excellent workmanship, and
for square pianos of large dimensions"
Now read Broadwood's report:
Messrs Broadwood & Sons UNITED KingdOm)
stand tchO controversy at the head Of the pidnof0rtc
makers uho exhibit on the present occasion. The jury
award them medal for excellence in every kind of
piano, power and QUALITY of tone, precision of
mechanism and solidity."
Let the intelligent reader look at both reports and
Judge.
Ii may not be amiss here to remark that the
Mcssrs. Stcnway did try to get this same iatroduc-
ton to the award adopted in their report in Phia-
delphia with which the Messrs. Broadwood were
COMMUNICATED but tailed 1t will also be noted that
the recognition given to the Messrs. Steinway IN
London is simply brllliancy of tone while receiving
credit for rOlume and power and brildncy they were
lacking QUALITY of tone and richness. These quail
ties were awarded to the Messrs. Broadwood &
Sons
Further on. says tho report "The jury cannot
speak TOO highly of Messrs. Broadwoods instruments
either in quality of tone or in perfection of manufac-
ture." There certainly is nothing ambiguous about
these awards. They as clear as the MONDAY
sun and as far apart rs the poles.
Allow me one depression here. The same recogni-
ton which was given to Messrs SteInway in Lon
don was given them in Philadelphia, viz, largest
volume purity of tone. and extraordinary carrying
capacity. Thus, in fourteen years, as to quality
of tone they stood still according TO their CeneG-
NAL report.
Now look ut Wcber's report:
"For sympathetic pure and rich tone, combined rih
greaesi p0er.' Here is expressed the highest ideal
of quaii'y sympathetic richness and purity. with
greatest power This is feeling based upon strength;
an instrument with soul in 1t. This is why
Nilsson Kellogg. Cary, Albani. Marie Roze, Lucca,
Patti Murska. Strauss. Torrani. Carreno, Capoul,
Campanini, Wehll-in fact every great artist pre-
fer the Weber piano. They can feel it. When you
hear cremona under the skilful hand OF master,
it vibrates within YOU it becomes living force. 1t
is thus with the Weber piano.
Now let MS turi.Once more to the official report Of
the London Exhibition. 1t says: The strings of
the lower part of the instrument (in he Steinway
piano. arc placed across the Others, at a slightly
higher level which enables the bridges TO be placed
in a more advantageous part of the sound-bosrd and
gives other constructive advantages This method
cas skoun in Russian pianO orts exhibited in 1851 and
has been adopted BY other Continental makers" This IS
the orcrstrung system. Now, Messrs. Steinway have
tried to buldoze the American people with the state
ment which they still persist that they the
inventors # the oyerstrung system. 1t has been
dnged into the ears of the public through the Press
for twenty-five years, till the vast majority of the
people actually believe it. But here according TO
the official Jurors report, London, 1862, their
great intention has come TO grief. The Messrs. STEM
way commenced business in 1882. and after a few
years so innoceRHy invented the Oyerstrnng systom.
and now 1t seems that their great invention proves to
be- Russian inreation and was actually exhibited at
the London Fair, 1851 year before they commenced
business! am afraid Innocence uds ABROAD"
How apropos they say, in their card, January %.
1878 Regarding the silly expressions of Mr.. Weber
concerning tho record of Steinway & Sons at
European world fairs none of which he ever at
tended, andof which he consequently knows nothing
about ,re prefer 10 make statement" should say
not-thc less said tho better. From Philadelphia they
telegraphed in October 1876, to The TRIDUNP and
every paper in the United States. that they had re-
ceivcd the first prize at London Paris Vienna, aud
Philadelphia. l think it is pretty clear that we
must in Justice to the great rld honorable house
of Broadwood Il Sons. arl to the other eminent
makers who exhibited in London, 1862, strike Of
the first prize received 81 London. They tart ont
with chair with four legs Q.ondon, Paris, Vienna
Philadelphia. The public will agrco with mo that
the London leg must Off; this leaves them a
three-legged stool to stand upon.
shall try my scapel in my next letter on the
Paris and Vienna Exhib ions, and am afraid justice
Will compel me to leave them without leg to stand
OH there.
f. In ,innnd AInHRr WYnRR