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THE PIANO (Picture...)
In polite society, it was important in the nineteenth century to have appropriate entertainment for guests. In 1867, the sale of 25,000 pianos per year, not counting imports, clearly indicated the prominence of the piano in providing entertainment at home. "Amost every home between the Delaware and the Schuylkill," said the
"Philadelphia Mirror of Taste and Dramatic Censor" in 1810, "has its piano or harpsichord ... . Almost every young lady ... can make a noise upon some instrument or other ... we take it for granted that we are a very musical people." The piano also held an attraction as a suitable way of drawing the interest of the opposite sex. According to Grover Cleveland, "In many a humble home throughout our land the piano has gathered about it the most sacred and tender associations ... with its music each daughter ... touched ... the heart of her future husband ... . "
Florence Hartley, in The Ladies' Book of Etiquette (1860), observed that "a lady without her piano, or her pencil, her library of French, German, or Italian authors, her fancy work and tasteful embroideries, is now rarely met with ... ." Learning to play music, then, was an important social standard. According to an estimate made in 1887, there were half a million pupils studying the piano in the United States.
That translated into 8% of America's youth.
As musical education in the United States increased, the books on decorum took notice. Hostesses were advised that, if there was to be music at their social gathering, all who sing or play should be invited to favor the company with a number; but one was enough. Lady singers were admonished to sing or not sing, but certainly not to complain about their cold or hint that acquiescence might place an intolerable strain upon delicate vocal chords. If they did sing, songs should be avoided that were "descriptive of masculine passion."
The piano girl was cautioned not to show up at a social occasion with her music or to indicate that she expected to be asked to perform. Do not display anxiety to play, the etiquette books advised, nor insist upon being coaxed. If it is your intention to play, then play. The nearest gentleman would offer his arm, escort the pianist to the instrument, hold her bouquet and gloves, and -- if he read music -- turn the pages for her. The musician was informed that it is impolite to compare the hostess' instrument unfavorably with another or point out that it needs to be tuned. In her performance, she was cautioned to avoid dramatic tricks, as they startle the listeners. The listeners, on their part, had the obligation to be quiet and attentive. The possibility was raised that hearty applause could be interpreted as relief that the program was over.
Guests were not asked to sing or play more than once. It was not considered
correct to tax one person too severely for the entertainment of other guests. Similarly, performers should banish any notion of performing more than once in an evening, as their abilities might not be so pleasing as they might desire.
It was a duty of the hostess to invite a guest to play or sing, being careful not to offend any amateur performers by forgetting to invite them to favor the company. Still, hostesses were advised to sacrifice, for the good of the others, the desires of those who perform badly. According to
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, "It is torture to listen to bad music."
Between 1890 and 1900, the number of pianos in use in American homes increased more than five times as fast as the population. At the beginning of the new century, the general public owned a million instruments. In 1905, there were more pianos and cottage organs in the United States than bathtubs.
The 1890 Weber piano currently found in this room was in the medium price class at something more than $200.
MUSICIAN'S CHAIR (Picture...)
This chair was made by the Beethoven Chair Company in England in 1900. It has a cane seat.
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