Fortepiano

Christian Friedrich Theodor Steinweg (1825-1889)
Wolfenbüttel or Braunschweig
1859/1860
Chris Maene Collection, www.chrismaenecollection.com, inv. no. CM 13 118 

At the end of the 1850s, Steinway & Sons in New York built the first grand pianos with cast frames and cross-stringing. Henry Jr. (1831-1865) in particular made a significant contribution to the new design and was granted a patent for it in 1859 (US Patent No. 26532). Theodor (1825-1889) was in close contact with his brother and made very similar instruments in Europe. The grand piano from the Chris Maene collection in Ruiselede is a perfect example of this – it has the characteristics mentioned above. At the lower end, i. e. above the keyboard, the strings are guided to the tuning peg through holes in so-called agraffes, which enables a more precise and stable positioning of the strings and thus a better sound. Theodor worked intensively on this small component; several of his registered patents deal with its construction (e. g. US Patent No. 26300 / 126848 / 170646 / 204109 / 230354).

The grand piano is made of ‘Spessart oak’. The keys are covered with ivory and ebony. The case is featuring the typical wing S-curve made up of several parts “in the old manner”: bent into the corresponding shape by using steam, and then glued to the adjacent walls. Around twenty years later, Theodor Steinweg developed a process known as rim bending, which made it possible to build the case in one piece and thus ensure greater stability. It is still used by Steinway & Sons today.