The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-09-07

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 o.
musical monographs. No doubt these
had their effect; but It was more than
counterbalanced by the vast number
Of instruments needed to so 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 a piano 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
drudgery.
1t is with some degree of amuse-
ment that we read the complaint OF
Ernest Pauer, written quarter OF
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-
ical players have left much to be de-
sired in the production Of tone and in
the matter Of accenting 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
to emphasize the melody in way
which places such instruments on
much higher artistic level. The touch
problem seems invipcible; yet it is IN
safe to prophesy, in view Of the mar
wells already achieved. There are play
ers" which enable the performer to re-
produce minutely all the details OF
phrasing and shading in the interpre-
tations of masterworks by great pian-
lists; others, which require no retrac-
ing performer at all. but give repro
auctions Of the style Of the great pian-
lists as exact as the cameras copies OF
their faces. The very latest Of the
marvels Is the. promised conveyance,
by electric wire, Of musicians per-
Torrance to hundreds Of homes, hun
dreds OF miles apart. thus filing the
"long-felt want" Of having music on
tap, like gas or water.
The popularization Of the pianoforte
(forty years ago the annual output was
only about $25.0OO) has had as an in
evitable 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, it is SO flimsy In
construction as to be fraud on the
purchaser at any price. Fortunately,
not only is q vigorous war being waged
against the fake or stencil" piano,
but 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
resolufe move in this direction that
American firms can hope ever to COM
pete with the Germans in supplying
satisfactory Instruments for export to
south America, Africa, Australia, In
Aia. and other countries with tropical
climates. The German makers are
credited with an income Of several
million dollars year from such colo
NAL sources.
So far as tone is concerned, the
hest American piano is 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 whel
we look at it from other points OF view
Compared with the clavichords AM
the harpsichords of the time OF Bec!
and Handel, with their thin, brie:
small tone, incapable Of variation ii
loudness, the modern pianoforte i
indeed a marvel of progress. Eve
Beethoven and Schubert had no pre-
monition of the luscious beauty 9
tone, and the power Of sustaining
which we enjoy. But in one respec
the pianoforte is still far inferior I
the voice, the violin, and the wind II
struments: 1t lacks the power Of il
creasing or decreasing the loudnes
of a tone or a chord after it has bee
struck, which is one Of the most pov
erful media OF musical emotion. Som
judges hold that the individuality
49, n;anoforte would be mar-ed If tn.