THE STORY BEHIND STEINWAY & SON
The grand pianos of the brand Steinway & Sons has an almost total dominance in the world's concert halls. The factory was established in New York by the German Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg in 1853. Since then, the brand has been synonymous with quality and innovation, and today holds no less than 139 patents of its own. Steinweg's brother took over the firm in 1862 and anglicized the name to Steinway.
In Lofoten there are today as many as 10 Steinway & Sons available to the public. Read more about the history behind the instruments here.
​
A WELL-KNOWN BRAND NAME FROM THE START
In the 1860s, the piano factory built its own concert hall – Steinway Hall – in Manhattan. There they also had an exhibition space that the public had to pass on the way in. Steinway Hall eventually became one of the major cultural centers in the city, which was on its way to becoming a metropolis. For 25 years, Steinway Hall was the base of the New York Philharmonic.
​
To meet an ever-increasing international demand, Steinway & Sons established a factory in Hamburg in 1880. To this day, the factory in New York supplies the American market, while the factory in Hamburg looks after the rest of the world. The company grew on a wave of interest in the piano as an instrument, something every furnished home had to have.
​
A LONG WAY TO THE AIRPORT
After Bartolomeo Cristofori invented the "pianoforte" in 1707 – a development of the harpsichord that allowed one to play both weakly and strongly – it took 100 years before it began to resemble today's instrument. In 1817, the English company Broadwood sent Beethoven himself a grand piano as a gift. The composer – himself a formidable pianist – was very interested in the development of the piano. Broadwood's instrument had a more powerful sound and a greater range of keys, and inspired Beethoven for his greatest sonata, No. 29, the so-called Hammer Piano Sonata. During the 19th century, the number of piano makers exploded. From the middle of the 19th century, public concerts also became more common.
​
Many of the great composers after Mozart wrote several of their best works for the piano. With a number of brilliant performers, such as Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelssohn and not least Liszt, an almost hysterical interest in this type of music developed. It can best be compared to the interest in today's biggest pop artists. At this time, the piano took on a very important function as a mediator of all music, be it opera, symphonies or chamber music. Everything could be arranged for piano.
​
Concert halls grew, which in turn required more powerful instruments. At the same time, the new generation of virtuoso pianists made greater demands on the mechanics of the instruments. It had to respond as quickly as lightning, but with steady impacts. While the sound had to be big and powerful, the instrument also had to be able to sing. It was here that the Steinway & Sons really took the lead.
FROM RAILWAY TO CARNEGIE HALL
As the grand pianos became more powerful, the pressure on the harp the strings are attached to increased. The harp, which was previously made of wood, eventually had to be replaced with steel. The Norwegian pianist and speaker Wolfgang Plagge tells how this happened.
​
After the Civil War, Andrew Carnegie became famous for building the railroad in the United States. Heinrich Steinweg is therefore said to have sought out Carnegie and his team of metallurgists to learn about the casting of steel. There he was helped by the expertise of the time on steel and calculations of metal stresses. The success, especially with railway bridges, made Carnegie rich. When he understood that Steinway intended to build an innovative and new grand piano with the help of his expertise, he is said to have exclaimed:
​
“Mr. Steinweg - build me the biggest and best grand piano in the world - and I will provide you with the best and biggest concert hall in the world!".
​
And this is how Carnegie Hall must have become a reality in 1890. Inside a Steinway & Sons, to this day they have crossbars shaped like railway tracks.
​
​
HIGH QUALITY OVER A LONG TIME
There are other factories that make excellent grand pianos. To this day, there are many pianists who prefer Bösendorfer, Bechstein, Yamaha, or the last straw, the Italian Fazioli. Korean Shigura-Kawai also delivers high quality. Nevertheless, there are few who have proven their quality over time like Steinway & Sons.
​
Edvard Grieg got a Steinway & Sons as a gift for his 50th birthday in 1893. The grand piano stands on Troldhaugen and is still used for concerts, 127 years after it rolled out of the factory. In 1988, Steinway & Sons' grand piano No. 500,000 produced. The instrument was emblazoned with the names of over 800 pianists and 90 ensembles, including van Cliburn, Horowitz and Billy Joel.
​
Despite the number, no one is the same. This despite the fact that they are built with the same materials and according to the same principles. Each instrument gets its own personality. There are still no pianists who object to playing on a Steinway & Sons.
​
The grand pianos of the brand Steinway & Sons has an almost total dominance in the world's concert halls. The factory was established in New York by the German Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg in 1853. Since then, the brand has been synonymous with quality and innovation, and today holds no less than 139 patents of its own. Steinweg's brother took over the firm in 1862 and anglicized the name to Steinway.
​
In Lofoten there are today as many as 10 Steinway & Sons available to the public. Read more about the history behind the instruments here.
​
A WELL-KNOWN BRAND NAME FROM THE START
In the 1860s, the piano factory built its own concert hall – Steinway Hall – in Manhattan. There they also had an exhibition space that the public had to pass on the way in. Steinway Hall eventually became one of the major cultural centers in the city, which was on its way to becoming a metropolis. For 25 years, Steinway Hall was the base of the New York Philharmonic.
​
To meet an ever-increasing international demand, Steinway & Sons established a factory in Hamburg in 1880. To this day, the factory in New York supplies the American market, while the factory in Hamburg looks after the rest of the world. The company grew on a wave of interest in the piano as an instrument, something every furnished home had to have.
​
A LONG WAY TO THE AIRPORT
After Bartolomeo Cristofori invented the "pianoforte" in 1707 – a development of the harpsichord that allowed one to play both weakly and strongly – it took 100 years before it began to resemble today's instrument. In 1817, the English company Broadwood sent Beethoven himself a grand piano as a gift. The composer – himself a formidable pianist – was very interested in the development of the piano. Broadwood's instrument had a more powerful sound and a greater range of keys, and inspired Beethoven for his greatest sonata, No. 29, the so-called Hammer Piano Sonata. During the 19th century, the number of piano makers exploded. From the middle of the 19th century, public concerts also became more common.
​
Many of the great composers after Mozart wrote several of their best works for the piano. With a number of brilliant performers, such as Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelssohn and not least Liszt, an almost hysterical interest in this type of music developed. It can best be compared to the interest in today's biggest pop artists. At this time, the piano took on a very important function as a mediator of all music, be it opera, symphonies or chamber music. Everything could be arranged for piano.
​
Concert halls grew, which in turn required more powerful instruments. At the same time, the new generation of virtuoso pianists made greater demands on the mechanics of the instruments. It had to respond as quickly as lightning, but with steady impacts. While the sound had to be big and powerful, the instrument also had to be able to sing. It was here that the Steinway & Sons really took the lead.
​
HIGH QUALITY OVER A LONG TIME
There are other factories that make excellent grand pianos. To this day, there are many pianists who prefer Bösendorfer, Bechstein, Yamaha, or the last straw, the Italian Fazioli. Korean Shigura-Kawai also delivers high quality. Nevertheless, there are few which has proven its quality over time as Steinway & Sons.
​
Edvard Grieg got a Steinway & Sons as a gift for his 50th birthday in 1893. The grand piano stands on Troldhaugen and is still used for concerts, 127 years after it rolled out of the factory. In 1988, Steinway & Sons' grand piano No. 500,000 produced. The instrument was emblazoned with the names of over 800 pianists and 90 ensembles, including van Cliburn, Horowitz and Billy Joel.
​
Despite the number, no one is the same. This despite the fact that they are built with the same materials and according to the same principles. Each instrument gets its own personality. There are still no pianists who object to playing on a Steinway & Sons.
​
It is not entirely without reason that Lofoten can boast of having entire 10 Steinway & Sons available for concerts. The Lofoten International Chamber Music Festival also collaborates with Steinway Prize Winner Concerts with own concerts.
​
Read more about the festival here >>>
