Music Trade Review

Issue: 1899 Vol. 28 N. 23

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
.
. , THE HOUSE OF GABLER
. . .
A CONSPICUOUS INSTITUTION IN THE ANNALS OF PIANO MAKING THE GABLER TALENT FOR
MUSIC AND MECHANICS—PROGRESSIVE AND HONORABLE PRINCIPLES APPLIED
TO BUSINESS DEALINGS—TWO GENERATIONS OF GABLERS.
It was in 1856 when Emil Gabler, then a
youth, imbued with ambition and hope,
left his native Prussia to join his brother
Ernest who had preceded him to America
and had laid the foundations of the busi-
ness which was destined eventually to
become world-famous.
Since the establishment of the Gabler
house in a modest way in 1854 the business
began to be characterized by a growth of a
solid character owing to the fact that the
Gabler firm was composed of men who
were thoroughly conscientious in their
work and adhered strictly to progressive
and high-minded dealings with their
agents.
Ernest Gabler, the older brother, was a
skilled piano-maker, and under his guid-
ance his brother Emil graduated in every
department of the business and added
materially to the Gabler prestige by his
conscientious work and original ideas, so
that upon the death of his brother, which
occurred in 1883, he became managing
head of the Gabler institution.
Emil Gabler belongs to the old guard of
piano-makers who have done so much to
make the American piano the superior of
its European rival. Having inherent mu-
sical and mechanical ability, he felt, when
the entire management of the Gabler busi-
ness fell upon his shoulders upon the death
of his brother, that the name and fame of
the Gabler instruments should be material-
ly increased, and that the pianos bearing
his patronymic should be forever intimate-
ly associated with all that is highest and
best in America's mu-
sico - industrial affairs.
That he carried on the
business, the founda-
tions of which were so
admirably laid by his
brother, to higher and
greater possibilities, is
now h i s t o r y , and to
write of the life and ac-
complishments of Emil
Gabler is to chronicle
the deeds of a man who
typifies all that is best
in the great Germanic
race.
miliarized with every department of the
business. In other words he is a thor-
oughly practical piano man.
He has
been particularly fortunate to develop his
knowledge of the mechanical part of the
business under the watchful eye of his
uncle who has taken almost a fatherly in-
terest in the young man, upon whose
shoulder must ultimately fall the entire
management of the Gabler business.
Emil Gabler is a man
of striking personal ap-
pearance.
He has a
ruddy c o m p l e x i o n
which betokens perfect
health; hair, mustache
a n d goatee of silvery
whiteness and of silky
texture; his kindly blue
eyes sparkle with a life
and keenness that show
that although the snow-
fall of time has whit-
EMIL GABLER.
EMIL ERNEST GABLER.
ened his locks it has
dealt Vindly willi him,
as he bears his years as
lightly as his honors.
His associate in busi-
ness is his n e p h e w ,
Emil Ernest Gal Icr,
son of the o r i g i n a l
founder of the business.
Emil Ernest Gabler is
a rare blending of the
artistic and the business
element. That he pos-
sesses an artistic tem-
perament may be seen
from his features. He
loves music, is a mu-
sician of character and
talent, and at the same
time he has developed
in one so young, phe-
nomenal business in-
stincts.
After completing his
education he entered
the factory in 1896,
upon reaching his twen-
ty-first b i r t h d a y , and
became thorous>hlv fa-
It would seem that the younger Gabler
exemplifies to a remarkable degree the
laws of heredity in that he possesses an
inherent love for music as well as mechan-
ics,—factors which have been strong traits
in the Gablers for generations.
The business history of the Gabler es-
tablishment compasses the life of an in-
stitution which has been built from its very
inception upon meritorious worth rather
than bombastic statements, for it must be
admitted by all that the Gablers have
always carefully eschewed everything that
savored of the bombastic or over-boastful.
They have preferred rather that their
actions should be their mouth-piece, and
the result is to-day that from ocean to
ocean the absolute standing, musically and
architecturally, of the Gabler instruments
is of the highest. Practical piano men
know that in every Gabler piano is em-
bodied a musical as well as architectural
value. They know, too, that the Gabler
institution has not been content to rest
upon past laurels. It has been progressive
in all that the word implies, and the vital-
izing influence of this house in the devel-
opment of the pianoforte is acknowledged
by unprejudiced critics. The later Gabler
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
14
products have won the highest endorse-
ments and surpass anything- hitherto cre-
ated by this establishment.
Dealers who have sold Gabler pianos for
a quarter of a century are the warmest ad-
vocates of Gabler excellence.
America's leading dealers may be always
found staunch Gabler adherents.
* * * *
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Value of a Name.
In this iconoclastic period in the com-
mercial world when valuable trade names
and trade marks are being thrown into the
"trust" crucible and melted up into an un-
distinguishable mass known by some
high-sounding name, it is well to dwell
on the statement recently made by a prom-
inent manager in discussing the trade
" I n the Gabler piano we have accom- situation, that if he were given the choice
plished just what we tried to accomplish. between the right to use the trade mark of
We intended to make an entirely satisfac- his company or their entire property in
tory piano at a moderate price. We set our ground, plant, materials on hand, perfected
standard first, and then we made our price. organization, etc., without the same trade-
We made as good a piano as we knew how, mark, he would instantly take the former,
and then we decided how reasonably we even without a dollar to back it up.
could sell it."
It was strong testimony to the com-
This is what the Gabler firm have to say mercial value of a good name, long before
with reference to their business policy as it the public, known in every home in the
has been from the start, and as it is to-day. land, and regarded as a guaranty of the
It is true, every word of it, and as gen- highest quality. It expresses the feelings
uine as the Gabler products. The contin- of manufacturers in this industry who
uous success of Ernest Gabler & Bro. is have some pride in their name and business
the best proof that the above declaration and w T ho place them above the induce-
of policy is something more than mere ments of promoters or blandishments of
talk.
the few who financially weak would like
The true ring of honest conviction, to "come in" for a "good thing" under the
based on knowledge and experience, is protecting arms of a "trust."
also easily recognizable in the following
declaration, made by the firm in their latest
M. T. N. A. Convention
publication:
"The Gabler is a strictly high grade
The twenty-first annual convention of
piano sold at a reasonable price. That the Music Teachers' National Association,
price is the lowest price for which a good which meets in Cincinnati, June 20-23, this
piano may be bought. It would not be year will offer unusual advantages of the
possible to make a good piano a cent professional kind to teachers of music,
cheaper. It would not be possible to make because of the varied programmes and the
a better piano than the Gabler for any special sessions of the teachers of the dif-
amount of money.
ferent branches of the musical art. At
"The tone is the vital part of any piano. these professional sessions every active
Without that all other improvements are member will have the privilege of asking
worthless. The tone of the Gabler is questions of the speakers and will also
faultless. You will realize that when you have the right to speak on the topics under
hear it for the first time. Our five year discussion. Further advantages at this
guarantee insures the lasting sweetness of meeting are the first performance of many
the tone and the durableness of the piano. American compositions, many of them
The best advertisement we have is the played by the composers themselves, and
forty thousand users of the Gabler piano. the fact that the whole programme is de-
Listen to the piano itself, and you will voted to showing the work of the Ameri-
realize the perfection of its tone. Listen can composer in itself should prove no
to those who have used it, and you will small attraction. The railroads have made
realize how well that tone will wear."
a fare of one and one-third for the round
trip for the occasion, with the privi-
A Satisfactory Record.
lege of an extension of the return limit
until after the Saengerfest, which is held
Henry Behr, of Behr Bros. Co., when
in Cincinnati the following week. Musi-
asked by The Review on Tuesday regard-
cians from far and near have signified
ing trade results this season said: " W e
their intention to be present at this meet-
have made a very satisfactory record. To-
ing, for this will be the one occasion of
day, even, with hot-weather conditions pre-
the century when those interested in the
vailing, we have quite a number of instru-
encouragement of native talent will be
ments in process of completion for ship-
able to see and hear at one time the very
ment to customers.
best works which the American composer
has been able to produce, and will thus
Klock Traveling.
be able to form an estimate of the heights
O. C. Klock, manager of the wholesale which American art has reached, and will
department of Keller & Van Dyke, will be able to judge of its claims to represen-
take a run through Pennsylvania, reaching tation upon the programmes of the or-
Buffalo in time to be present at the meeting chestral concert season.
of the Western Council of the Mystic
Shrine in Buffalo on June 14, 15 and 16.
The Waterloo Organ Co. are making
It is understood that the sands will be large shipments these days of their organs
warm on that occasion.
to England.
Byrne Still Enlarging.
The C. E. Byrne Co., now at their new
quarters, 523 West Twenty-third street, have
already discovered that the space available,
embracing seven floors, each 100 feet deep,
is still insufficient for current requirements.
Mr. Byrne informed The Review on Tues-
day, in answer to an inquiry, that negotia-
tions are now in progress for an addition-
al factory building, as nearly adjacent as
possible to the present factory.
On the evening of May 25, the opening of
the establishment at 523 West Twenty-third
street was celebrated by the giving of a mus-
icale and reception. Mr. C. E. Byrne invited
his friends, and a most enjoyable evening
was spent. There was music, the Byrne
piano being used. Thirty couples parti-
cipated in the dancing. Mr. Byrne re-
ports business as steadily growing, with an
excellent outlook for fall trade.
Bach's Spinet.
OLD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WELL PRESERVED
IN A BERLIN MUSEUM.
In the museum in the Schinkelplatz, Ber-
lin, where Prof. Dr. Fleischer has collected
the marvelous royal collection of musical
instruments, the old spinet used by the
composer Bach is still preserved. The in-
strument has kept its tone remarkably
through all the years. The little "thorn "
(Latin, spina) or sharpened quill, with
which each brass or steel wire is thrummed,
is more durable than the cork or felt ham-
mer of the modern piano.
Bach's first preludium, as played by Dr.
Fleischer on the occasion of a recent visit
to Berlin, sounded most beautiful- on this
little instrument. The composition was
harplike in character, and one could well
imagine that many of Bach's and Haydn's
productions might be better adapted to
rendition on the spinet than on the modern
piano. Bach's instrument has two banks
of keys and stops at the side to reinforce
each tone by its duplicate, octave and
double octave. Mozart's traveling spinet,
no larger than a 'cello case, lay open near
Bach's spinet.
;
Angelus Orchestral Display:
vSome fine examples of the Angelus Or-
chestral are now on view at the Wilcox &
White warerooms. Visitors and purchas-
ers are more numerous than ever at Mr.
Keeley's charming Fifth avenue quarters.
The good taste displayed in decorations,
fittings and the placing of the exhibit are
frequently the subject of favorable com-
ment.
Vose Progress.
There is no cessation of business activity
with the Vose & Sons Piano Co. of Boston.
Their output since the first of the year af-
fords every assurance that this will be the
greatest year in the history of the house.
The number of pianos made during May
was phenomenal. It was the biggest May,
with one exception, since the house was
founded.

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