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Fortepiano, 1838
Conrad Graf (Austrian, 1782–1851)
Vienna
Walnut veneer, various woods, iron and brass strings, leather, and cloth; L. 93 1/4 in. (236.8 cm)
Purchase, Amati Gifts, in memory of Frederick P. Rose, 2001 (2001.272)
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Description
One of the preeminent fortepiano makers of his day, Conrad Graf was the recipient of a gold medal at the 1835 Austrian Industrial Products Exhibition. His instruments were owned and played by leading pianists and composers, including Beethoven, Czerny, Schubert, Schumann, Kalkbrenner, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt, and Brahms, as well as by such notables as the archduke and archduchess of Austria, the empress of Russia, the queen of Saxony, and the poet Goethe.
The nameplate of this fortepiano reads " CONRAD GRAF / kaiserl : kön : hof-fortepianomacher / Wien / nächst der Carls-Kirche im Mondschein No. 102." Graf worked at that address from 1826 until his retirement in 1842.
The six-and-one-half-octave instrument features a Viennese action, which provides a light, shallow touch and enables the player to execute runs and ornaments with great facility. The stringing is considerably thinner and under less tension than that in the modern piano; this provides less volume but a brighter timbre, which in its day was likened to that of a fine wind instrument. The case is constructed almost entirely of wood (there is no metal frame, as in the modern piano). There are four pedals controlling the dampers, two moderators, and a keyboard shift.
(Entry written by Stewart S. Pollens)
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