The New World – Steinway & Sons | Instrument and Innovation

From 1853 to 1856, Steinway & Sons produced only square pianos. Following on from European traditions, these were initially purely wooden constructions with Viennese action. The tonal range of the instruments was five to seven octaves. To match the more extreme climatic conditions on the American continent, the pianos were designed to be larger and more robust. Experiments with cast iron frames and cross stringing produced a widely recognized sound quality: In 1855, Steinway & Sons received an award at the American Institute Exhibition in New York for the combined installation of the two construction elements.

 The last Steinway & Sons square piano was sold in 1888 for 850 dollars. The upright piano had won the race, and its growing presence on the American market can be traced back to Theodor Steinweg (1825-1889). Already in 1859, from Wolfenbüttel, Theodor had pressed his family to include it in the product range: In 1862, the first upright was produced at Steinway in New York. By 1888, Theodor had registered eleven patents, referring to this model alone. The main focus of the company however has always been on the production of high quality grand pianos. 

Viennese Action
The term “Viennese” or “German action” refers to a piano action that works according to the bounce principle: When the key is pressed, the rear end of the hammer bounces against a bar, causing the front end with the hammer head to be thrown against the string associated with the key. This type of piano action was mainly used in German-speaking countries. Piano makers in England often preferred the push action, in which the hammer is pushed upwards against the string via a so-called trigger.