New-York tribune., 1902-12-31

ments have been very generally adopted III Gu
rope we'll in the United States
The position of the piano industry IN tne
United States early as 1851 is indicated ny
the statement of English writer regardins
the pianos exhibited at the International Exnl-
bition in London in 1851 that England had far
outstripped every other nation, with the ex-
ception of America. in the manufacture OF
pianos Since that date, as SHOWN py slaus
tics given earlier in this report, the progress OF
the industry has been very great At the same
time. the art of piano making has oeen nrousht
to great perfection. Almost all the Important
inventions within the last half century by
which the tone and dura ability of pianos have
been enhanced and increased have originated
with American manufacturers. many or THESE
improvements being initiated in Europe as soon
as the details became known. No grand piano
Of foreign make has ever been publicly heard
in the United States since the advent OF Thal-
berg, now nearly forty years ago; put many
first class American concert pianos have peen
and at present publicly used in the art
centres of Europe by the greatest artists
The manufacture in the United states mas
been favored by the abundance of wood su1taoie
for sounding boards as well as for piano cases;
The president of the New-York Piano Makers
Association remarked in address some years
ago. Just as italian and Tyrolese forests made
Amati violins possible in Cremona. so ArneTi-
can lumber has made it possible to bring plano
making to it's highest perfection in this country.
The history of the piano manufacture IN tne
United States is characterized by the rise OF tWo
schools the "New-York School, and the BoS-
ton School. It is curious to note how cities
comparatively near each other were able 1or
to maintain technlcal cOncept!oHs
and customs in relation to piano construction
so considerably at variance The fuil cast IRON
frame originated in Boston and was soon gen
orally adopted in that city Manufacturers In
New-York however, refused for years 10 see lls
superior advantages. On the other hano. boS-
ton manufacturers clung to an inferior piano
action long after the improved action had peen
generally introduced INTO pianos Iidue III -'e"
York -- >.
The Boston School was American, such tradi-
tions as it possessed being chiefly English, and
IT'S Instruments were light in action, and tnln
sensitive and very musical in tone Inc NeW-
York school on the other hand, was essentially
German in it's antecedents lIs ihsIt u.IeNto
were such as might be expected from musicians
who "worshipped the lusty genius OF beethoven
and Wagner These differences were marked
as late as 1876 but have largely disappeared
since then.
artisans were of American nativity, while since
that time and now for many years. almost ali
are either foreign born (mostly Germany or SONS
of foreign born parents
during the first half of the nineteenth century
were square pianos. 4 species OF upright
pianos had been made by Loud & BIOS, OIL
PHILADELPHIA as early as 1876, and Jonas Cnlch-
ering one of the pioneers of the American piano
industry had constructed the first American
grand plano in 1910. Up to the year 1000, now
ever fully 81 per cent of all the pianos MADE IN
the United States were square pianos since
IN tba niano industry The manufacture of
square pianos has now almost entirely ceaseu
The production in the United states IN l3oo
consisted of 91.4 per cent upright, I'd per cent
grand and one-tenth of l per cent square
pianos The manufacture of pianos in the
United States was formerly confined to New
York Boston Baltimore and Philadelphia Be-
tween 1880 and 1890 the industry began TO as
sumo Importance in Chicago, and this city IN
1900 ranked next to New-York in the value Of
produced