Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Fair is more and more visited, both by jobbers
and manufacturers, the number of these latter
belonging to the musical instrument industry in-
creasing from fifty in the year 1897 to 106 in
Business Unusually Quiet—Concerns Founded on Uncertain Financial Footing—Suffering—Fail- the year 1907. The novelties to be exhibited at
ure of Gebruder Niendorf—Talking Machine Trade in Bad Shape—Automatic and Small the Fair beginning the end of August I will
Musical Instruments Better Fixed—Preparation for Leipslc Fair—Some Historical Facts refer to in my next report.
Regarding This Great Institution—Berlin's School for Piano Workers—Stuttgart to Es-
* * *
tablish a Technical School for Piano Builders the Coming Autumn—The Strike at Graslitz.
The readers of The Music Trade Review have
already been informed of the establishment of a
(Special to The Review.)
The manufacturers of automatic instruments technical school for piano building in this city.
Berlin, Ger., August 5, 1908.
are fully employed at the moment with prepara- Strictly speaking, the term "technical school" is
June and July are customarily the quietest tions for the Leipzig Fair. This institution, not adequate, for what is given is in reality only
months of the year, but it is decades since we which is a product of historical development, will finishing courses, appended to the compulsory
have had a summer so entirely lifeless as this strike the American reader as a somewhat re- continuation schools which every apprentice un-
year. There appears also little prospect of im- markable phenomenon, the more so when it is der nineteen years of age is compelled to attend
provement, and the various prominent manufac- remembered that the number of visitors to the in Berlin. As no rent is required to be paid for
turers, with whom I have had the opportunity of Fair not only does not decrease, but shows on the the premises where the instruction is given, and
speaking recently, are unanimously of the opin- contrary a substantial increase in the course of as the "Frele Vereinigung der Berliner Piano-
ion that the coming autumn and winter will the last few years. Leipzig's significance as a forte-Fabrikanten" grants a substantial yearly
be counted among the worst seasons of recent Fair city dates back more than 400 years. The subscription, the cost of tuition has been fixed at
years. For some years past we have enjoyed, fair took its origin in the regular meetings of the the remarkably low sum of 5 marks per half-
like our confreres in the States, a veritable tradesmen from all the countries of Europe and year for all subjects, that is, for geometry, alge-
"boom" in all kinds of business, with the result the Orient in this most central city of Europe, bra, acoustics, design, commercial instruction
that many establishments have been founded on where all lines of traffic from North, South, East (bookkeeping, etc.), draughtsman's work, in all
uncertain financial footing. These 'concerns, as and West cross one another. In the course of 7 hours per week. This arrangement permits
well as all undertakings of doubtful solidity the passing centuries the Leipzig Fair has passed every apprentice, if he has the slightest inclina-
which owe their existence to an easily granted through many different stages of evolution. tion, to educate himself beyond the mere manual
credit, will naturally suffer in the present period Originally the Fair was the scene of direct trad- work of his trade at little- trouble and expense.
of liquidation. Regarded from this standpoint, ing in goods, of buying and selling of wares
* * *
the general depression in trade might well be brought by the various tradespeople; nowadays
The technical school for piano builders to be
welcomed were it not for the fact that the just, the Fair is a German and international commer- opened at Stuttgart this autumn is established
as well as the unjust, suffer in the "cleaning up" cial meeting place for the sale of goods on sam- on an essentially different basis. This has been
process.
ples. It is no longer a place for the sale of actual designed as an actual school for complete instruc-
It is not to be wondered that the number of wares brought by the manufacturers and whole- tion, and will demand a correspondingly greater
bankruptcies have increased to an alarming ex- sale dealers, but a center for the giving and tak- outlay for outfit and maintenance. The govern-
tent. Even such a well-known firm of piano ing of orders on the samples shown. At the pres- ment of Wiirttemberg has given a first subscrip-
makers as Gebruder Niendorf, whose instru- ent day—the age of traffic—where the tradesman tion of 10,000 marks and a yearly grant of 9,000
ments are known at home and abroad, have sus- has not only the post, the railway, and steam marks, the city of Stuttgart Mk. 3,000, grant
pended payment. This, in a measure, has been shipping at his disposal, but also the special 2,000, and finally the "Verein deutscher Piano-
brought about through lack of business, and the trade journals, so important in industrial and forte-Fabrikanten," by which the establishment
fact that they suffered a severe loss last year commercial life, the Leipzig Fair is naturally of the school was instigated Mk. 5,000, grant
through the complete destruction of their plant only of significance for such branches of trade Mk. 3,000. The organization has for object the
by fire. This, however, is the sole instance of in which descriptions and illustrations of wares education of foremen, tuners, etc., as also the
bankruptcy proceedings, among prominent piano are insufficient to permit of a judgment being technical tuition of the sons of manufacturers.
manufacturers, and there is no need to antici- pronounced on their value. To this category be- The chief instruction consists in practical work
pate that any other firms in this class will fol- long naturally the larger musical instruments, under the superintendence of a competent, perma-
low. As the majority of our piano manufactur- objects of great weight and frequently represent- nently appointed expert. Complete instruments
ers, having once won the confidence of their cus- ing a value of several thousand dollars. Such are made, and then sold for the account of the
tomers by the production of good instruments, instruments must be seen and heard; samples are association. To be accepted as a student i t is
are able to help themselves through temporary impossible. Where samples cannot be sent to required to have completed the usual term of
the customer, the reverse process is the only pos- apprenticeship and to have worked practically in
financial difficulties.
sibility, that is, the purchaser must go to where a piano factory for two years. The fee is 150
* * * *
This is, however, not the case in the talking the goods are to be seen. Hence in Leipzig, marks per year. The course of instruction is for
machine industry. Here the big profits made by in the first week of March and September one year; a longer attendance at the school is
the leading firms have led to such a degree of of every year, the musical instrument jobber or however permissible. The hours of instruction
over-production, and its inevitable consequence dealer can find every creation in which he is extend over the whole day and include, besides
of under-price selling, that even without the un- interested gathered together in the short space practical work, also such theoretical branches as
expectedly rapid slump a smash was bound to of a single street one-quarter of a mile in length, constructive drawing, acoustics, piano playing,
come. As the facts stand, there are few manu- and he can examine and pass judgment on the calculation. The development of this technical
factories now to be found which were not already whole and place orders within one or two days, school and its influence on the training of com-
in existence before the "boom"—all the others in a manner totally impossible in any other place petent workers will be watched with great in-
terest. In any case the establishment of this in-
have disappeared. This applies naturally only to in the world.
the manufacturers of machines and supplies, as
It is therefore no wonder that, despite the stitution is an agreeable sign, for here the good
the manufacturers or disc and cylinder records perfection of modern means of intercourse, the of the many is cared for to the exclusion of the
have a wide and profitable field, and thus suffer Leipzig Fair has not decreased in significance, personal advantage of the few.
less from the crisis.
but rather grows from year to year. The last
* * *
* * *
Fair was, for instance, visited by foreign whole-
The strike in Graslitz continues without
change. Some few workmen have taken up
The manufacturers of automatic musical in- sale dealers in the following numbers:
work in the course of the past week, but the
struments and "small instruments" which repre-
1908.
)03.
1,070
From Austro-Hungary
578
social democratic organization have resolved to
sent more the articles required by restaurants
96
167
carry on the struggle so long as their funds hold
and professional musicians (civil and military),
"
Russia
297
out. That the local musical instrument trade
have much less to fear for the future than those
178
Scandinavia
255
may receive a blow from which it can perhaps
manufacturing instruments for the home, such
163
Great Britain
340
never recover appears of little importance to
202
as pianos, harmoniums, piano-players, etc. Even
Holland
328
these gentlemen, so long as their principles do
in the worst times the public houses in this coun-
"
France, Switzerland. 192
not suffer.
48
try are always full—some maintain that they are
Italy
24
fuller now than when times are good—and the
120
120
America
The Flanner-Hafsoos Piano Co., Milwaukee,
restaurant keepers are thus willing and able to
8,383
933
Germany
5,933
purchase and pay for automatic music instru-
A personal examination of the goods and a dis- Wis., recently sold a style 15 A. B. Cameron
ments, as they assist them in the sale of liquor, cussion with the manufacturer allows a clear idea piano to Fred D. Underwood, president of the
and foods, thus the cost of these instruments is of the value of the novelties being grasped by the Erie Railroad, to be placed in his elegant sum-
willingly borne by the guests as a voluntary tax. wholesale dealers, and thus it is that the Leipzig mer home in Wauwatosa, a suburb of that city.
MUSIC TRADE NEWS FROM GERMANY
POOLE
PIANOS
Appeal to cultivated tastes. They are
marvels of beauty and form at once a
valuable accessory to any piano store
* and 7 APPLETON STREET. BOSTON, MASS.