A short excursion into composers, pianists and the instruments of their time. It is often forgotten that many of the great composers composed and played their great works on the very early upright and grand pianos, which were so different from anything we hear on concert stages or have at home today.
This chart gives a rough overview of when which manufacturers had their heyday and their instruments were in use. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin never knew a Steinway, Blüthner or Bechstein instrument. Schumann, too, can only have known Blüthner or Bechstein instruments in his last three years. And films often portray this differently.
So it is certainly interesting for many to hear the music of these composers on the instruments that were available at the time and used by the composers. There are pianists who have specialized in this – and released interesting recordings.
Composers and pianists were, and still are, of course always courted by the various piano manufacturers, in order to use a preference for their instruments in advertising as well. Steinway & Sons professionalized this very successfully even before 1900 with its artist and concert service program.
In fact, the declarations of pianists and composers in favor of certain makes were often also motivated by the fact that the manufacturers provided instruments free of charge for concert tours or that corresponding contracts had been drawn up. The signatures of many a composer and pianist stand beneath texts written by the manufacturer.
Nevertheless, there was certainly also genuine enthusiasm and preference for certain manufacturers – or, more precisely, for certain instruments of a manufacturer. The story of Glenn Gould and his Steinway grand piano no. CD318 is legendary. Likewise, Vladimir Horowitz famously took his own Steinway grand piano with him on all his travels. Secretly, pianists have always played other manufacturers’ grand pianos, too. And why not.