Author Description

This is the remarkable story of Steinway & Sons, builders of premium pianos in America for the past century. The large and talented family of German immigrants founded their workshop in 1853 and had assumed a prominent role in the social, political, and cultural life of New York by the latter half of the 19th century. The craftsmanship and technical innovation practiced in the Steinway factory set the standards for the modern piano and brought phenomenal acclaim for their instruments. Great business acumen characterized the Steinway management from the beginning and extended through four generations of the family. The mutual success of famous pianists in promoting the Steinway piano and of Steinway & Sons in promoting artists brought Anton Rubinstein, Ignace Paderewski, Josef Hofmann, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Artur Rubinstein, Vladimir Horowitz, and many others to concert halls across America. Steinway artists dominated musical performance in America from the turn of the century. To accommodate the popular taste for instruments in elaborate cases, Steinway & Sons established an art department, originally headed by a member of the Tiffany family. Color photographs and watercolor sketches record many of the most flamboyant pianos commissioned by customers in historic furniture styles that range from tasteful to bizarre. This lavishly illustrated volume is the complete history of the Steinway piano and the only one authorized by the firm. It is a fascinating document of an important cultural artifact and a beautiful record of craftsmanship. - Jacket flap.