Ragtime Music in Canada

Featuring Some Rag (1910) by Willie Eckstein and other Piano Rags by Canadian Composers

By Ted Tjaden

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Chapter 4: Piano Manufacturing in Canada

Canada had a strong history in the manufacturing of quality pianos. Dr Carmelle Bégin in Opus: The Making of Musical Instruments in Canada describes the early history of piano-making in the "history" chapter of Opus: The Making of Musical Instruments in Canada:

Piano making began in Québec, thanks mostly to artisans of German and British origins. Frederick Hund was the first piano maker to carry on his trade in the city, in 1816. A number of other piano makers, including Thomas D. Hood, achieved success in the first half of the nineteenth century. In 1851, there were four piano makers in Toronto, ten in Montreal and three in Québec. From the time of Confederation to the turn of the century, several piano manufacturers prospered, including Heintzman, Mason & Risch, R.S. Williams, Willis, and Lesage. However, few of the firms survived the 1930s depression. By 1980, only Heintzman and Lesage pianos were manufactured in Canada.

In Downright Upright: A History of the Canadian Piano Industry (Kelly:1991), Wayne Kelly paints a vivid picture of the early days of the industry, with there being over 220 individual organ and piano manufacturers in the past 175 years (Kelly, 1991:13), with most of them long since out of business. But these Canadian-made pianos, many of them exported to the United States or Europe, were well made and remain playable and valuable as antiques. Many Canadian piano players are familar with the famous Canadian piano makes, including Bell, Doherty, Dominion, Heintzman, Lesage, Mason & Risch, Nordheimer and Sherlock-Manning.

Kelly (1991:14) describes the importance of pianos in these terms:

The piano was the first and only form of creative expression most households would know. Many hours each week were spent in the presence of the keyboard . . . . "Mailorder" brides moving to the Canadian west often insisted that log cabins and sod huts be equipped with a piano. In schools, lodges, church basements, community halls, and public buildings in every corner of the province, the piano was a piece of standard equipment.

An advertisement for Mason & Risch pianos in the December 21, 1910, The Gazette (from Montreal) boasts that the "advent of Mason & Risch in the piano field was practically the renaissance of the piano in Canada".

Many of the Canadian piano manufacturers would provide customers or prospective customers with a copy of free sheet music, with the cover often providing some advertising for the company. Most of these compositions, some of which are set out below, were not of high quality.

 

Samples of Piano Company Sheet Music

 

	Adams, Frederick W. The Newcombe March and Two-Step. Toronto, ON: Newcombe Piano Co., 1901 or 2. [view sheet music] Source:  Library and Archives Canada   [top]
	Berger, H. L. Mason and Risch Two Step. Toronto, ON: Imperial Music Publishing House, 1900? [view sheet music] Source:  Library and Archives Canada   [top]
	Carkeek, William J. The Derby: Two-Step. Toronto, ON: Frank Stanley Piano, 191-? [view sheet music] Source:  Library and Archives Canada   [top]
	Duganne, J. Mahlon  The Ennis: March and Two-Step. Hamilton, ON: Ennis & Co., s.d. [view sheet music] Source:  Library and Archives Canada   [top]
	Fritz, Carl. Karn Piano Intermezzo. Woodstock, ON: D.W. Karn Co., 19?? [view sheet music] Source: University of Toronto Music Library   [top]
	Havermeyer, Theodore. Silver Bell: Two-Step. Guelph, ON: Bell Organ & Piano Co., s.d. [view sheet music] Source:  Library and Archives Canada   [top]
	Gustin, Louise V. Dominion March: Two-Step. Toronto, ON: Imperial Music Publishers, 1899. [view sheet music] Source: Library and Archives Canada
	Glionna, James B. The W-R: Two Step. Toronto, ON: Whaley, Royce & Co., 1895. [view sheet music] Source: Library and Archives Canada  [top]
	Hulme, D'Arcy. Heintzman & Co. Waltz. Toronto, ON: Heintzman & Co., 1899. [view sheet music] Source: Library and Archives Canada  [top]
	Léon, Paul. Ever Ready: March Two-Step. Toronto, ON: Whaley, Royce, s.d. [view sheet music] Source: University of Toronto Music Library   [top]
	Sekinger, Louis. Toronto Exposition March. Toronto, ON: Whaley, Royce & Co., 1899. [view sheet music] Source: Library and Archives Canada  [top]
	Stephenson, Harry. Doherty Rag. Clinton, ON: W. Doherty Piano & Organ Co. Ltd., 1913. [view sheet music] Source: Library and Archives Canada  [top]
	Tapley, Byron C. The Berlin Polka. St. John, N.B.: G. R. Davis, 1901. [view sheet music] Source: Library and Archives Canada  [top]
	Tarbox, Charles Smith. The Bell Waltzes. Toronto, ON: Imperial Music Pub. House, s.d. [view sheet music] Source: Library and Archives Canada  [top]

 

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In the next chapter, I discuss the ragtime revival in Canada that started in the late 1950's.

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