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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Richard W. Gertz.
It is always interesting, to read of the
"silent workers" in the music trade—the
men identified with the designing and
planning of those piano scales which have
drawn forth enthusiastic comments from
great musical authorities. In this connec-
tion Richard W. Gertz, for some time
prominently connected with the Mason &
Hamlin Co. as superintendent and also
piano expert,, comes under consideration.
Quite recently Mr. Gertz returned from
Europe, where he journeyed last spring for
the dual purpose of recuperating his health
and visiting the many large piano factor-
ies on the Continent, besides looking after
his business in Hanover. It is interesting
to learn that during his stay at his old
home in the Fatherland he found time to
work out, with his brother, Emil A.
Gertz, a new scale for a small parlor grand
which he is now developing at the Mason
& Hamlin factories.
Richard W. Gertz was born in Hanover,
Germany, April 2:, 1865; second son of
Wilhelm Gertz, who was for more than
forty years connected with the celebrated
Royal Opera of Hanover as first violinist.
Pupil of the celebrated violin teacher
David, of the Leipzig Conservatory.
Wilhelm Gertz played with Joachim
together at one desk in the Hanover Opera
under the baton of the great composer
Marsehner.
Wilhelm Gertz was also a
friend of Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner
and Theodor Steinway, and one of the
great piano dealers of Germany, besides
being for more than a quarter of a century
agent for the world famous houses of Stein-
way & Sons and the Mason & Hamlin Co.
Richard W. Gertz received his first in-
struction in piano making in the repair-
rooms of his father, where grands and
uprights of all the celebrated makers of
the world were repaired, getting acquainted
with all the different actions and scales of
the old masters, and had the good fortune
to be able to be spoken to by Wagner,
Liszt, von Bulow, Brahms and other
famous men in the warerooms. His first
ideas of scale drawing he received by mak-
ing large concert grands, too old for con-
cert use, into small grands for renting
purposes by cutting the pianos down and
putting in a new smaller scale, which idea
he received from T^heodor Steinway, who
was often a guest of the house.
When foiirteen years of age he learned
to tune pianos in his spare time, being a
student of the Kaiser Wilhelm Gymna-
sium. When fifteen years he left the gym-
nasium and learned the cabinet maker's
trade from one of the best masters in Han-
over, Studying English, mathematics and
mechanical drawing in the evening.
In the year 1880 Mr. William Steinway
visited Hanover and asked young Mr.
POOLE
Gertz to come to New York to the Stein-
way & Sons factory. After making a set
of finely veneered and French polished
furniture without use of any machinery
whatever (they didn't have machinery of
any kind in those days in cabinet making
shops) as a so-called masterpiece, R. W.
Gertz came to New York in the fall of 1881
and entered the Steinway & Sons factories,
where he remained for several years, hav-
ing access to all the different departments.
After that he went to Bollman Brothers in -
vSt. Louis, Mo., as tuner and repairer,
getting acquainted with the different makes
of American pianos and doing all kinds of
repairing, from revarnishing of cases to
regulating and tuning of concert grands.
Going back to Europe after a stay in St.
Louis of more than a year, he completed
his studies in Gertnany and worked with
his elder brother, a distinguished piano-
maker in Hanover, besides having access
to the Hamburg branch factory of the
Stein ways and other celebrated German
piano factories; also having the pleasure
of often visiting the great inventor, Mr.
Theodor Steinway, who was residing in
Braunschweig, a short way from Hanover.
Coming back to this country the second
time and travelling all over the South for
a branch house of D. H. Baldwin & Co.,
as salesman and piano tuner and repairer,
Richard W. Gertz went to the Mason &
Hamlin Co. to study all the branches of
organ building and tuning, and going once
more to Germany to utilize his knowledge.
Coming to America the third time, R. W.
Gertz took a position with Walter D. Moses
& Co., in Richmond, Va., as head of the
piano department, but was called back to
Germany a year later to the bedside of his
beloved father, who died a few weeks after
his arrival, leaving his large piano and
organ business and property to his wife
and children, to be managed by his two
sons, Mr. Emil A. Gertz and Richard W.
Gertz, but the latter wasn't quite ready to
settle down yet, and after getting up a new
scale upright piano at home with his
brother Emil, he came back to the country
of freedom in search of new things, as well
as to save his citizenship of the United
States, going to Strich & Zeidler of New
York. Both Mr. Strich and Mr. Zeidler
are dear old friends of Mr. Gertz from the
RICHARD \V. GERTZ.
time all three of them worked together in
the factory of Steinway & Sons.
Going from New York to Boston on a
business trip to the Mason & Ilamlin Ci\,
R. W. Gertz was asked by Mr. Edward P.
Mason, president of that company, to make
some improvements on their pianos, which
he did, and after returning to Europe
he was offered a year later a position by
Mr. Edward P. Mason as piano expert in
the Mason & Hamlin piano factory to re-
model their pianos and make new upright
and grand scales for them. One year later
he was made also superintendent of the
Mason & Hamlin piano factory.
LOOK AND LISTEN.
Yes, look at it and see an organ artistically made of the best
materials and with the greatest skill of the most experienced work-
men. Look it all over, from pedals ^ — . to music rack, and
it's just the same. ^ — — - —
i 1 / \ But listen! Ah, if the
look pleased you, \ ^ ^
Ti C I Iw \ ^ o w m u c n more the
tone? And yet, it \ ^7 f i \ i v V J
\ isn't strange that
fifty years of voicing \ £~ I • / \ / ^ Mm \ reeds should result
in the sweet toned \ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
__-—•——~~ Estey, ever sweeter
and clearer with each L__—
""""
new instrument that comes
from the factory, else what were the uses of experience ?
SEND FOR CATALOGUE
ESTEY ORGAN CO.,
PIANOS
*RATTLEBORO, VT.
Precious, Perfect, Peerless
As to Tone, Touch, Design,
Durability and Value. . .
5 and 7 AFFLETON STREET. BOSTON. MASS-