Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-01
ELEGANT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.
Pianos are Decorated to Suit Their Sur
rOundings.

Aianos arc Decorateu TO suit Their Sur.
roundings.
UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE THE STYLES
OF PIAHos-EFFECTIvE LIGHT woops-BEAU-
TRULY DECoBATED NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ABOUT FINE GUITARS. BASJos AND v1oIrNs
The piano and the billiard table have had 10
concede something Of their suficiency. The
piano especially has always been particularly
arrogant article of furniture. At this moment
II Is overawing hundreds Of thousands of homes
from the Atlantic to the Gulf. 1t follows
closely the Bible and the traditional Jug of
whisky in the march of civilization. It has
pushed its polished surfaces to the habitable
limits of the frontier. II is amusing in cabins
where space is precious and mankind sleep
three in bed to see this mounted oblong
block, consuming half the room and putting to
blush the admiring visitor by impertinently
showing him his unshorn face in its shining
side.
But when the decorative fever is abroad the
piano has had to fall into line. II is not
much itself as it is part Of something else. And
all the glitter and beautiful decoration that il
lavished uDOn ii cannot entirely hide the fact
that the proud piano has suffered humiliation
But up to certain point the piano still holds
its own. 1t cannot exist but under certain
conditions. As mounted or upright rectanSle
or triangle with its apex knocked off its lines
are clumsy and ugly. At the same time they
must be accepted. There have been various
attempts to get around these. A Belgian has
invented
CLAvIER HARP
to take its place. This is a harp lying on its
long straight line above box Of ivory KEYS
1t is really beautiful piece of furniture, and
accepts decorations handsomely, but it is not
and cannot be the woodworking instrument
that Is the piano. There is instance also of
a grand piano made in the last century in
which the harp-like works are upright and
mounted above the keyboard with the covers.
opening Ike wings. The effect is very fine.
Such a piano. Ornamented in the prevailing
mode. would be one OF the most superb pieces
OF furniture that could be placed in a room.
and II Is pity that some one who can afford
the experiment will not allow it to be made.
III successful. it would inaugurate a new era
IN pianos. everybody recognizes their i'm
pracucabIlty as furniture under their present
shapes.
The all-conquering architect is the man who
has subdued the piano. In the beautiful music
rooms which a feature of the fine houses he
prescribes the outward semblance of the nova
bles which go into it. As these rooms are light
and elegant in character the whole tendency
has been to refine as much as possible to the
lines of the piano. to render it lighter in effect,
and by decoration to call away attention from
Its lntractable features. To this end
LIGHT WOODS
are very generally substituted for rosewood
and mahogany, except where the fitting of the
room demands dark wood. The light woods
are the lustrous satin-wood, certain varieties of
naples, and In more serious cases oak. Some
of the yeneers are of wonderful beauty One
company has a burl. a tawny wood sug-
costing a cross between q tiger and q tortoise
shell cat. which comes from the Caucasus and
Is supposed to be a diseased French walnut
Another and more beautiful veneer is the ca
NINA, an incident of South American impOrta-
ton, supposed also to be diseased growth
This has been exhausted in the cases of some
OF these marvellous new pianos. 1t is several
tones darker than satIn-wood, but of equal
beauty of grain, and gives a relief to painted
decoration that the lighter veneer does not
give.
Where the veneer is not used in its own
beauty, gold leaf lacquered and enamels are
used. In Mrs. Whitelaw Reds music room
the architects encased the superb grand
piano IN a case of white enamel traced with
delicate lines of gilt, which is as exquisite in
effect as If 1t was an ivory piano box. The first
of these
DECORATED PIANOS
was made for the Newport villa of Miss Catha-
rlne Wolf. 1t OVERLAND with the beautiful
Gamma wood and decorated with painted
panels. Cecilia and Orpheus and two scenes
from Millions Penseroso and Allegro As il
was intended to stand out in the room the
back was an elaborate composition of perfo-
rated carving about a large panel containing
allegorlcal representations of music and dane
ing These paintings were special orders from
London, and as works of art gave immense dis
junction to the piano.
The handsome piaro decorated by Mr. Alma
1adema for MIR. Marquand Is a later and more
notable instance. but has been too frequently
described to require more notice than recall
as the supp emest limit to decoration has yet
gone. One of the most superb pianos vet
produced has been full grand piano for
Mrs Thomas Scott, of Philadelphia. 1t is en-
cased IN Gamma wood, and over the top painted
as II carelessly strewn by hand. are peonies and
roses. The inside is OVERLAND with gold. and
on the under side of the cover is painted large
ldylllc landscape, so that when the cover is
raised the inside of the piano rivals the beauty
OF the decoration without.
An elegant piano something in kind is
owned by Mrs Sydney Dillon Ripley who was
formerly Miss Nellie Cheney and the daughter
OF the generous art patron. This is encased in
Gamma wood The outside is festooned in
painted wreaths. In front the center panel
reveals three musicians seated fiddling on a
curved bench. and on each side are oval panels
containing painted nymphs. Description cannot
fully render the effect without insisting on the
beauty OF the soft tlnts of rose. green and blue
relieved against and in harmony with the rich
mOttled yellOws of the Gamma veneer
FAyoRITE FASHION
Is to entwine amid all this decoration legend
or the legend Is made to furnish a large part
of the decoration. This is usually chosen bv the
owner. Col John Hay, for example. IN his WASH
lngtOn house has a fine instrument in Gamma
veneer. adorned with painted wreaths and rib
bons, and Greek legend in the characters of
the original, which are of themselves an unioue
decoration. A specimen of this kind is baby
grand overlaid with gold lacquer The sides
are festOOned with wreaths united bv medallion
portraits Of the great composers. On the cover
Is a beautiful rendering of Corots Dance of
NymPhs, and so soft it seems like an iIlumina-
ton. surrounding this painting is the follow
ing from Longfelow:
The Great Master gave various gifts to each
IL charm. TO strengthen and TO teach.
Less robust, but more musical, from Milton;
Far from eating cares
Lap me III soft Lydian airs
And married to immortal verse;
Moves about allegorical medallions IN Tho
varied cover upon the KEYS
Nothing could be MOI respondent than tbese
gold lacquered pianos when mingled with these
u.aff NrVrf9 Of L.. 4