Piano History

  • 1.  Eight Octave Erard Grand Piano

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-21-2024 16:02
    In his "Notes of a Pianist," Gottschalk referred to his two "Mastadon" grands in 1863 as 10 feet long and 8 octaves.  

    While working through the Chickering production books this year I have made a list of "Monster" and "Mammoth" grand pianos built a little before 1863.  These all say they were 7 1/3 octaves and had no information about length;  the catalogs are useless as they are intentionally vague.

    It's possible those two Gottschalk pianos were non-production pianos, as he said they were built for him.  I don't know if he took them to South America, where he died, and we haven't found any of the "Mammoth" or "Monster" grands either.

    As far as Erard, they made about 400 90 note grands, there is one at Period Piano Collection.

    Regards,

    Bill





  • 2.  RE: Eight Octave Erard Grand Piano

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-21-2024 17:52

    Bill,

    Thanks for posting. I was actually considering, one of these days, writing a Journal article about monster pianos.

    So far in my notes I have the 11' Challen, Adrian Mann's 18', David Rubenstein's big model (12' I think), and a Chinese 15' grand made in the 50s I've heard about but haven't been able to confirm.

    Anyone have any other leads on giant pianos, or would want to tackle the subject for the Journal? Would be an interesting topic.

    I also have a note regarding David Klavins's 12'-15' verticals.



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    Scott Cole, RPT
    rvpianotuner.com
    Talent, OR
    (541-601-9033
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  • 3.  RE: Eight Octave Erard Grand Piano

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-23-2024 13:29
    I have seen a rather large Knabe, I believe over 10 feet. It is over in Shanghai. A friend of mine owns it and I asked for pictures. I'll see if he responds.

    Vince Mrykalo  드림

    An error in thinking does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.

    OSU  Greenwood School of Music

    Visit my blog at:  http://mrykalopiano.blogspot.com/

     

     

     




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  • 4.  RE: Eight Octave Erard Grand Piano

    Posted 05-22-2024 12:09
    I've seen a Youtube video of a 90 note
    Erard, but don't have the link handy.
    Very nice, too!

    --
     Richard Adkins 
     Keyboard Tuning and Maintenance
     Curator of Instruments 
             
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  • 5.  RE: Eight Octave Erard Grand Piano

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-22-2024 14:41
    An Australian teenager built a 19 foot one https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/adrian-mann-giant-alexander-piano


    Paulello built a 102 note piano

    Around 1840, French piano maker Pape exhibited an 8 octave piano. 

    Charles-Valentin Alkan wrote quite a bit of piano music for 8 octave piano, as well as for pedal piano (ie, a pedal instrument below the normal piano, as in an organ).

    An article on large range pianos
    Fred Sturm
    University of New Mexico
    fssturm@unm.edu
    Youtube Spotify Deezer Apple Amazon 
    http://fredsturm.net
    "Practice makes permanent. (Only perfect practice makes perfect)."




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  • 6.  RE: Eight Octave Erard Grand Piano

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-22-2024 15:52

    Stewart and Sons 3m 108 keys

    https://www.stuartandsons.com/stuartpianos.html



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    Larry Messerly, RPT
    Bringing Harmony to Homes
    www.lacrossepianotuning.com
    ljmesserly@gmail.com
    928-899-7292
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  • 7.  RE: Eight Octave Erard Grand Piano

    Posted 05-22-2024 15:58

    As an owner of the Fazioli F308, one of the greatest challenges to super-sized pianos is the balance of the lower and upper sections. The F308 achieves this. The extra soundboard area under the upper section enables tremendous power of the high range to balance out the power of the long strings in the lower range. The 2nd-generation and later 3rd generation of the F308 is especially well balanced. If that balance is not there, then the super-sized piano makes no musical sense, of course. 

    Also, the huge inertia of the long bass keys is an issue. Evert Snel is the inventor of the Magnetic Balance Action. Snel put that system in my F308. It solves that issue. Without that system, I would bet these super-sized pianos are very sluggish in the lower notes.

    Steve N.



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    Steven Norsworthy
    PianoSens
    Cardiff By The Sea CA
    (619) 964-0101
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