{"title":"Steingraeber \u0026 Söhne Piano History","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0075\/9758\/8550\/files\/Steingraeber_history_large.jpg?v=1545045737\" alt=\"Steingraeber \u0026amp; Söhne Piano History\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 180px;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Art of Piano Making in Bayreuth since 1852\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.steingraeber.de\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Steingraeber Pianos\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eSteingraeber \u0026amp; Söhne\u003c\/a\u003e have been making upright and grand pianos since 1852 in the Festival City of Bayreuth.\u003c\/strong\u003e Around 35 first-class craftsmen and women work daily in this family-run business.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThese hand-crafted pianos are among the finest instruments produced by an elite group of manufacturers.\u003c\/strong\u003e Steingraeber pianos are played worldwide by an array of distinguished artists and in the most-renowned concert halls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThe story begins in the \u003cstrong\u003e1820’s with the first factory in Thuringia.\u003c\/strong\u003e Eduard Steingraeber (from the family’s second generation) \u003cstrong\u003emoved his works to Bayreuth in 1852, where he produced his ‘Opus 1,’ a revolutionary masterpiece.\u003c\/strong\u003e Steingraeber pianos have regularly been awarded international prizes since 1867, and in \u003cstrong\u003e1906, world-famous designers began to fashion piano cabinets for Steingraeber.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0075\/9758\/8550\/files\/generations.jpg?v=1545046146\" alt=\"Steingraeber Generations\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUdo Schmidt-Steingraeber,\u003c\/strong\u003e a sixth-generation family member, has been \u003cstrong\u003ehead of the firm since 1980,\u003c\/strong\u003e with the seventh generation already in the starting blocks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 210px;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0075\/9758\/8550\/files\/Steingraeber_Familie_640.jpg?v=1545046222\" alt=\"Steingraeber Family\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThree generations with dog: Gathered around Magdalene, the most-senior member of the family, are her grandchildren, Fanny and Alban, as well as the current heads of Steingraeber \u0026amp; Söhne, Cordelia and Udo Schmidt-Steingraeber. In this photo, taken in January 2014 on the occasion of our senior partner’s 97th birthday, you will see the Steingraeber ‘Liszt grand piano’ in the foreground and the founder’s ‘Opus 1’ masterpiece in the background.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot only has the family tradition remained strong;\u003c\/strong\u003e so have recognition through international accolades, the company’s historic residence and, above all, the benevolence of distinguished artists worldwide.\u003cstrong\u003e Steingraeber \u0026amp; Söhne also remains a leader at the cutting edge of new developments in the construction of world-class instruments.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0075\/9758\/8550\/files\/Steingraeber_History1.jpg?v=1545047592\" alt=\"Steingraeber History\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThen as now, Steingraeber has been a leader of new developments in the construction of our world-class instruments.\u003c\/strong\u003e Occasionally \u003cstrong\u003enew innovations\u003c\/strong\u003e will draw upon earlier playing features, such as the \u003cstrong\u003eMozart Rail® which reduces the key depth\u003c\/strong\u003e in grand pianos from 10 to 8mm, or \u003cstrong\u003ethe Sordino®, a thin strip of felt inserted between the hammers and strings creating a sound\u003c\/strong\u003e which Franz Schubert called for with his “\u003cem\u003efp\u003c\/em\u003e” dynamic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eIn tandem with the family history, \u003cstrong\u003ethe head office\u003c\/strong\u003e also remains located in Bayreuth’s Friedrichstraße, \u003cstrong\u003eand Steingraeber Haus\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of the \u003cstrong\u003efew buildings in the rococo style to have been preserved largely in its original form\u003c\/strong\u003e. The Margravial Camerier v. Liebhardt erected the splendid palace in 1754, which Eduard Steingraeber subsequently bought in 1871 and turned it into the artistic expression of the successful piano manufacturer you see today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThus the \u003cstrong\u003e‘Rococo Hall’\u003c\/strong\u003e – it has \u003cstrong\u003ebeen preserved in its original form to this day\u003c\/strong\u003e – was endowed with an appropriate grand piano, today know \u003cstrong\u003eas the ‘Liszt Grand Piano’.\u003c\/strong\u003e For \u003cstrong\u003eFranz Liszt was a frequent guest in the Steingraeber Haus,\u003c\/strong\u003e where he would play the piano and meet with friends. The suite on the ground floor was perfectly suited to the presentation of pianos, as it is still today, while the former servants’ house now functions as a wing to Steingraeber Haus, with three halls dedicated to the selection of pianos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eVisitors can get to know the workshop spaces in the neighbouring building during regular factory tours. In addition, around seventy events take place each year, featuring renowned artists and aspiring master pianists in the so-called Chamber Music Hall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWorld Heritage \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFranz Liszt and Eduard Steingraeber\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0075\/9758\/8550\/files\/world_heritage_steingraeber.jpg?v=1545048404\" alt=\"world heritage steingraeber\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt is unquestionable that the most important piano virtuoso of the 19th century was Franz Liszt\u003c\/strong\u003e (1811-1886), who always gave dazzling performances using his technical abilities. Liszt alone had the courage to do something we take for granted today: In 1839, he gave the first public solo piano recital in Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe connection between Franz Liszt and Eduard Steingraeber began in 1846,\u003c\/strong\u003e when the latter as a young man worked at the famous piano manufacturer Nannette Streicher in Vienna. Liszt contacted Steingraeber, who then became Liszt’s own concert technician. \u003cstrong\u003eIf Liszt’s grand piano developed a fault during a concert, it was Eduard Steingraeber who would have to fix the instrument in front of both Liszt and the audience in order to ensure the continuation of the concert.\u003c\/strong\u003e After Eduard Steingraeber passed his master craftsman’s examination in 1852, he founded the pianoforte manufacturer ‘Steingraeber’ in Bayreuth. It provided grand pianos for Liszt, who had great influence upon the special qualities related to both the construction and tonal richness of every Steingraeber \u0026amp; Söhne grand piano. \u003cstrong\u003eIt was surely Liszt who prompted Eduard and George Steingraeber to create new soundscapes, which still sound incredibly modern today.\u003c\/strong\u003e Many world-class pianists, such as Daniel Barenboim, appreciate the unique sound of a Steingraeber instrument.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eToday there are still traces of Liszt in Bayreuth, for example the Liszt Museum, a little mausoleum and, of course, Steingraeber Haus itself.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHe would often play in the Rokokosaal (Rococo Room), where the original ‘Liszt grand piano’ dated 1873 still stands.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThere, he would play together with friends and colleagues, and would hold public recitals. Today, concerts are still played on the Liszt grand piano. In July 1886, the Steingraeber supplied Franz Liszt with a grand piano model 205 (known today as the C-212), production no. 4328, Liszt’s last Steingraeber instrument, which you can also see in Steingraeber Haus. This instrument served as a template for the construction of current special grand piano model ‘C-212 Liszt’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eInteresting fact: The stave you can see in the Steingraeber logo is taken from Franz Liszt’s ‘Bagatelle sans tonalité’ from 1885. Steingraeber \u0026amp; Söhne donated the restored manuscript to the Weimar Classics Foundation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRichard Wagner and Eduard Steingraeber\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0075\/9758\/8550\/files\/Wagner.jpg?v=1545049048\" alt=\"wagner\" style=\"float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eIn his autobiography ‘Mein Leben’ (My Life), Wagner recalled his very first visit to Bayreuth in the summer of 1835, when traveling by stagecoach from Prague to Nuremberg. He must surely have visited the Baroque town centre back then, and in 1864 read ‘Siebenkäs’ by Jean Paul. Subsequently in late 1870, when looking for a place to house his life’s work (which however was under the jurisdiction of his patron, King Ludwig II of Bavaria) he chanced to read about Bayreuth’s Markgravial Opera House, famed for the size of its stage. Even though it proved to be unsuitable for Wagner’s plans, the decision in favour of Bayreuth was made upon his very first visit there with Cosima on 1 February 1871. One year later, sites for both the new Festspielhaus and the Villa Wahnfried had been chosen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eAs far \u003cstrong\u003eback as spring 1879, Wagner asked Eduard Steingraeber if it would be possible to produce the four pitches of the ringing bells in ‘Parsifal’\u003c\/strong\u003e (C, G, A, and E in the lower bass register) \u003cstrong\u003eon a piano-like instrument with large hammers and wide keys. Steingraeber drew up plans for an instrument consisting of a tall, narrow case in the shape of a piano.\u003c\/strong\u003e At 220 centimetres, the extraordinarily long strings would be struck by four, 8cm-wide hammers, and the keys themselves would be 7cm wide. \u003cstrong\u003eIn August 1881, Wagner gave Steingraeber the contract to start manufacture.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0075\/9758\/8550\/collections\/banner_steingraeber_e7f3b571-6a7b-44cf-8891-fd9e2d7d1d69.jpg?v=1545045752","url":"https:\/\/www.silkpianos.com\/collections\/steingraeber-sohne-piano-history.oembed","provider":"Silk Pianos","version":"1.0","type":"link"}