Square piano “op. 1”

Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (1797-1871)
Seesen
1835
Städtisches Museum Braunschweig, inv. no. 0012-0114-00
Donated by Grotrian-Steinweg 1985

The square piano “op. 1” is considered to be the first surviving instrument by Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (1797-1871). The piano is a purely wooden construction with a hammer action. The body is made of ash wood, the soundboard of spruce. There are two knee levers on the back of the instrument, which can be operated if required: The left-hand lever pushes a strip of felt between the hammers and strings – and the sound is muted. The right-hand lever lifts the bar to which the dampers for the strings are attached. After the hammers have returned to their original position, the strings can continue to vibrate and the sound resonates for a longer period.