American Institute Fair: 36th

“Dodworth’s Twenty-second regiment band performs every night.”

“Dodworth’s 22d regiment band engaged.”

“This evening the organ concerts commence and will doubtless attract crowds of visitors.”

“An instrumental concert will be given at the American Institute Fair, in the armory, corner Fourteenth street and Sixth avenue, this afternoon at four o’clock, when several of our best organists and pianists will perform upon the pianos, parlor organs, &c., on exhibition.  This is the first of a series of such concerts which the managers of the Fair propose to give to the public.”

“American Institute. Visit of Gen. Hooker—Continued Attractions—Organ Concerts—Playing by Mason, Mills, Morgan and King.

            The present week is by far the most successful of the Fair of the American Institute. New features are added daily, and as the entire mass of machinery on exhibition is in perpetual motion, it cannot fail to render a visit to the rooms both entertaining and instructive. The visit of Major-Gen. Hooker and his staff was the occasion of a grand demonstration. The superb band heralded the coming of the old Commander of the Army of the Potomac, and, as the brilliant cortége filed into the great hall, where are placed the more ponderous articles of note, cheer upon cheer greeted the gallant soldier, and a thousand voices shouted forth a welcome.

            Among the most interesting specimens of American workmanship on exhibition are

the reed organs

of the two great houses, Messrs. Mason & Hamlin and Carhard, Needham & Co.—the latter of Philadelphia. Probably instruments in which the tones were produced by reeds were among the earliest invented; certainly reed-organs have been known and used from time immemorial. In modern times, however, until within a score of years, these instruments have not been in much favor, and indeed have not deserved to be. The very name reed organ had come to be one of reproach, suggesting the idea of thin, sharp, metallic, noisy, but not musical tones, which seemed inevitable in instruments constructed of reeds. Even to the present day this prejudice against reed instruments is not entirely removed, though it is fast disappearing. At the time of which we speak, however, it could hardly be called a prejudice, for it was a well-founded dislike of what was certainly not good. Something more than twenty years since, the first important progress was made in the introduction of the melodeon, an instrument differing from those which had preceded it chiefly in that its tones were produced by drawing the air through the reeds instead of forcing it through, as had previously been done. The improvement was material, the tones being much more musical, smooth and good, and the melodeon became popular, and did something to remove the prejudice previously existing against reed instruments. Yet it never attained the best quality of tone, and was greatly deficient in power and volume, and in capacity for expression. The tones of the best melodeons, though sweet and flute-like, yet lack breadth and body; they are thin and lack that rich sympathetic quality which continues to please. These imperfections prevent it from being an entirely satisfactory instrument, especially for use in large rooms, and with considerable numbers of voices, where volume is essential. While the melodeon was, therefore, unquestionably an important improvement upon previous instruments of the class, yet it has failed to satisfy musicians fully, and especially to meet the widely felt need of an economical substitute for the large church organs. Nevertheless the melodeon has enjoyed much popularity, and large numbers of them have been sold, stimulating manufacturers to renewed exertions for improvement.

            In 1855 another important step was achieved. This was the invention and introduction, by Mason & Hamlin, of an instrument which they termed the Organ-Harmonium, a great advance upon the melodeon in capacity. Its tones were of improved quality, and especially had much more volume or body, while it was capable of considerably greater variety. So highly was this instrument appreciated   that the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics’ Association, at the earnect [sic] recommendation of its Committee of Judges, composed of some of the best musicians in the country, awarded it a gold medal, which it never bestows for any slight superiority, but only in recognition of very marked improvement upon all previous productions in the same class. The judges declared it ‘altogether different from and far in advance of any that have heretofore been manufactured of its class,’ recommending that the highest prize be awarded Mason & Hamlin ‘for this great and valuable improvement.’ In Europe, instruments of the parlor organ kind are very extensively used in chamber music, and for the general purposes of household music. Most of the best composers have written extensively expressly for them, and special publication of this class are numerous. Yet it is an unquestioned fact that the American instruments of this class, and especially the cabinet organs, are much superior to any of these European instruments. We say this fact is unquestioned; for we have yet to meet a competent organist, or other judge of such instruments, acquainted with the best foreign instruments of this class, who did not admit the superiority of the Cabinet Organ. Very recently it came quite incidentally to our knowledge that the very eminent organ builder of Germany, who had just returned from setting up the great organ built by him for the Boston Music Hall, happening to meet in London some friends who spoke of purchasing there a harmonium to bring to this country for their own use, advised them strongly not to do so, assuring them that they would find the Cabinet Organs of Mason & Hamlin much superior to any European instrument of the class.

            We are led to speak more particularly of this class of instruments by the fact that a great deal of attention has been drawn by the present exhibition to the specimens on view from the two houses mentioned. Our most eminent organists and pianists have visited the fair during the week for the express purpose of testing these instruments, and now almost every night the visitors are favored with what may well be termed first-class

organ concerts.

            When such men as Morgan, Wm. Mason, E. S. Mills, King, and others of celebrity play, the concerts may be well called first-class. Yesterday afternoon Mr. Mills favored an immense audience with an hour’s trial of the organs on exhibition, showing fairly and conscientiously their points, good and bad, and serving a dish of aural delight such as few of the participants had before enjoyed.

            The organ of Carhard, Needham & Co. is a superb affair; its case is elegantly carved, and the show part of the front cannot well be excelled. The upper, more fanciful and dessert portion of the organ is undeniably fine, but in the diapason it seems to us wantonly fitful, uneven and ill-suited. Its price seems excessive, because for a few hundred dollars additional a pure pipe instrument could be obtained.

            We have never seen a finer instrument of the kind than the one from the factory of Mason & Hamlin. The case is not as elaborate as that of its rival, although other smaller ones are its equals; but the reed tones are essentially those of an organ, rich, full, round and sympathetic. Its quickness of speech adapts it peculiarly to the utterance of secular music, while its simplicity and thoroughness of construction make it durable, and not likely to be effected by change of climate.

            We regret that we cannot speak with great favor of any of

the piano-fortes

on exhibition. They are woodeny beyond belief, almost without an exception.”