What if Japan had Developed the Piano?
What would the piano have looked like if it had evolved independently in Japan? From the early 1600s until 1853 Japan was closed off from most of the world. This… Read more »
Category: Historical
New Book: Erard — A Passion for the Piano
Robert Adelson’s new book “Erard — A Passion for the Piano” is a concise, fascinating exploration of the history of the Erard company. Adelson has had a lifetime interest in… Read more »
Le Silex – Pianos Past and Present
Edelweiss Pianos is one of the few remaining British piano makers. The company hand-builds bespoke acoustic self-play pianos at its workshop just outside Cambridge. Its models include a grand piano,… Read more »
Fazioli Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Fazioli, the Italian piano manufacturer known worldwide for its instruments of exceptional quality, is celebrating its 40th year. And to mark the occasion a beautiful new book Fazioli Grand Pianos:… Read more »
200th Anniversary of Érard’s Double Escapement Action
In 1821 Sébastien Érard patented a new piano action – the “double escapement”. The importance of this development cannot be overstated. It was the birth of the modern grand piano… Read more »
Exceptional Collection of Rare Pianos to be Auctioned
UK auction house Dreweatts is to auction the David Winston Piano Collection on 23 September 2021. This is the most important sale of historic keyboard instruments since that of the… Read more »
Sampleson Releases Klavee — a Virtual Klaviphon
The Klaviphon is a small, budget electric piano. It was manufactured in Czechoslovakia between 1958 and 1966 by the state run National Company Harmonika Hořovice and by the Rieger Kloss… Read more »
Butterfly Pianos and Symmetrical Grands
A few days ago a nice example of a Wurlitzer Model 235 Butterfly Piano sold at Great Gatsby’s “A Lifetime Collection at Auction” sale. It had an estimated value of… Read more »
Bösendorfer celebrates Beethoven’s 250th Birthday
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthday Bösendorfer has released a new version of its Beethoven Model Grand Piano as part of the limited edition Artist Series…. Read more »
Poul Henningsen’s Iconic Pianos
Poul Henningsen (1894—1967) was an influential Danish architect, designer and cultural author. He is famed around the world for his classic modern creations predominantly from the 1920s and 1930s. He… Read more »