New-York tribune., 1902-04-06

and the cabin of the frontiersman until the first
great American art craft should be piano making making:
and the one great musical instrument OF Aie I'd
become the piano.
THE STEINWAY AND THE ARCHITECT.
All this was accomplished while plastic arts
at their lowest ebb. But wealth Increased
II had been possible to import and distribute musi-
cal culture by the medium of the concert tour
Mr.. Tretbar-the most musical and at the same
time most practical OF men-took care OF that
The house of Steinway, under his inspiration, had
accomplished this on its own behalf II nefdeu t
contact With the Manufactured arts OF Europe. At
PhiladelPha and again at ChiGsgo ht the was tRer
birthrght to beauty and crafts began to spring
ncp MP Os forced upon
tion American architects began TO study In Paris
Just as in matters musical America had previously
gone to Germany A style of building. free In CON
struction but dependent on decoration for its dis
tinctive features is a necessity in New-York and
other congested cities such schools Of arcnecs
the only architecture that can be successfully ap
gsd 10 the d era @ 6s Is s focb Of
Francis Is founded upon Italian art that of Louis
Aatbera5as Ma1 ois XIV eSperienced the shock of
Chinese and other Oriental taste; Louis XNi went
Pompeii and the Napoleonic invasion Of Egypt
sa 9 of nd f5e Of he
France adopted and transformed everything beau
guide America. which comprises ali the artistic
peoples of he world could select We have re-
students We shall end by metamGrP,hGsng;, o. her
How does piano making stand related to this
French furniture and decoration modify the res,
onanee of American interiors Blu: in the vital
question of vesture. in the piano case, the piano
is at the very heart of the movement. French in
Of Be Of stenway
felt the wave Of decorative art in advance. and.
when America should taste the. delights of artistic
ment with her ii1 accustomed mpetuosity Under
his guidance the steinway Art-Piano Case de-
bus Exposition inflated the present demand for
color. original handwork, and its many crafts The
we're the forerunnegs Of the present fashion OF
Of the styles Of the French interior
build and equip complete series OF aeliers for the
year ss the h writer 9th Of this article called attention
to the effort made by them to open a new avenue
Of the American piano Decorated plano cases
had long been more or less in demand, but Stein
piano on American soil. Such unquestionably is the
W. G. Drexei by Mr.. E. H. Blashfeld.
The rsnaissanee Of American arts and crafts Is
their way into art as a means Of livelihood and
Ing and even metal work absorb their attention
These tasks are certain to become as they should.
In this connection the value of private wealth
means Of developing the arts again l. comes ONES up
Is the case with the artpiano runs into thousands.
ana through pe s Into t
apartment of the wage-earner and the cottage OF
the farmer There would be crafts capable of
supporting thousands of families by their success
ful prosecution, and Offering fame and riches to
the great genius certain to arise under their opera
ton. Without the great corporation. with its mill
ions OF dollars. the creation of art like the
manufacture of the Steinway piano would be a
manifest impossibility. What a .paternai govern
ment does for European art private capital. the
nassinR together of manv single fortunes under
the guidance of g single mind. does for American
arts and crafts. The stock company is the demo-
cratic solution of the European functions of pat
ronage. where the government Is the artists cap-
talist This IS relation OF capital to art
The great citizen bankers Of Italy were the capi-
tansts OF the Italian renaissance. What Cosmo
de Medici did for italian art Charles steinway is
to-day doing for the art of piano making. He has
brought the instincts of banker and fnancier to
the practical advancement of great and complex
art-an art which must be served with the devo-
ton OF an artist. and financed with the consum-
mate ability necessary TO American Industrial
cess The wealthy connoisseur Is necessity to
art Without him there be livelihood.
ambition. no invention
II was chiefly TO provide accomrnoda ton for this
special class or patronage that Steinway r. Sons
have opened their warerooms at the Windsor
Arcade. Fifth Avenue, close in the neighbor-
sh.. sh.ood OF their ,stanchest patrons. There among
hitting SURROUNDINGS stand the beautiful pianos
apples OF gold set In pictures Of silver. which rep