The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1907-10-17

according to the official figures, OBJ
viously, nothing could have been more
futile than the fears that this indus
try would be damaged by the automo-
mobile mania or the great output oil
musical monographs. No doubt these
had their effect; but It was more than
counterbalanced by the vast number
Of instruments needed to go with the
mechanical plano players the de-
mand for which Is now being supplied
by more than seventy rival makers.
There are many thousands Of persons
who would never have thought Of buy
ing plano had not the application Of
the perforated.roll principle enabled
them, after an hours experience, TO
play pieces which, by the old method,
would have required years of daily
dFHdgery.
It Is with some degree Of amuse-
ment that we read the complaint OF
Ernest Pauer, written a quarter Of a
century ago, that the escape.move-
ment and other improvements in the
mechanism of the keyboard had les
sened the earnest study on the part Of
the player which was formerly neces-
sary for the production Of tone and
for securing a smooth execution. He
would have been doubtless scandalized
at the present-day piano player"
which relieves the performer Of all
finger work, leaving his hands and his
mind free TO attend to the expression
alone. He would have good ground for
contending that heretofore the mechan-
zeal players have left much to be de-
sired in the production of tone and in
the matter Of accentlng the melody.
The tone problem still remains, no real
substitute for the touch Of the fingers
having been found as yet; but recent
ingenious Inventions make It possible
60 emphasize the melody in q way
which places such instruments on
much higher artistic level. The touch
problem seems invlncible; yet 1t Is un-
safe to pFophesy, In view Of the mar
wells already achieved. There are play
ers" which enable the performer to re-
produce infinitely all the details OF
phraslng and shading in the interpre'
tations of masterworks by great plan
lists; others, which require no retrac-
ing performer at all, but give repro
auctions Of the style of the great plan
lists as exact as the cameras copies OF
their faces. The very latest OF the
marvols is the promised conveyance,
BY electric wire, of a musicians per
formance to hundreds of homes, hun
dreds OF miles apart, thus filling the
"long-felt want" OF having music on
tap, like gas or water.
The popularizatiou Of the pianoforte
(forty years ago the annual output was
only about S25,000) has had as an in
eyitabe result the cheapening of the
Instruments in quality as well as in
price. The best pianos in the world are
undoubtedly made in the United States
but only a very few firms can claim
credit for this. The average American
piano is not equal to the average Eng.
glish, French, or German instrument;
very often, indeed, II Is so fiimsy in
construction as to be fraud on the
purchaser at any price, Fortunately,
not only is a vigorous war being waged
against the fake or stencil" piano,
but a large number of firms are at this
very moment raising their prices again.
to avoid further lowering in quality,
or to keep pace with the increased
cost OF production. 1t is only by a
resolute move In this direction that
American firms can hope ever to com
pete With the Germans in supplying
satisfactory instruments for export tc
South America, Africa. Australia, In
dla, and other countries with tropical
climates. The German makers are
credited with an income of several
million dollars a year from such colo
NAL sources.
So far as tone is concerned, The
best American piano is a noble work o
art. equal in its way to the violins o.
the old Italian makers. But the bes
piano is very far from perfection wheI
we look at Il from other points Of view
COMPARED with the clavichords ant
the harpsichords of the time Of Bacl
and Handel. with their thin, brief
small tone, incapable Of variation Il
.Ioudness, the modern pianoforte s.
indeed a marvel of progress. Eve
Beethoven and Schubert had no pre-
monition Of the luscious beauty c
tone. and the power Of sustaining
which we enjoy. But IN one respee
me pianoforte is still far inferior I
the voice, the violin, and the wind IL
struments: It lacks the power Of II
creasing OF decreasing the ioudnes
OF tone or q chord after It has bee