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Grand Piano

Joseph Böhm Austrian
ca. 1815–20
Not on view
Napoleon's second wife, Marie Louise, is believed to have owned this grand piano while she was grand duchess of Parma. The exotic elm veneer is enriched by mercury-gilt mounts depicting grapevines, acanthus, and Psyche at a tripod brazier; imperial eagles crown the legs and nameplate. The original griffin-shaped pedal support was lost during World War II. The instrument has a six octave range (seventy-three keys), the size that was customary at the time, around when Beethoven was composing his late piano works. Joseph Böhm, the builder of this sumptuous piano, was a member of Vienna's civic keyboard-maker's association.

Technical description:
Double-curved bentside with front ends of case incurved, Carpathian elm burl veneer over spruce (?) and beech, on 3 elm-veneered sinuous legs with new brass casters, legs surmounted by carved, gilt Napoleonic eagles and gilt molding, leg mounting blocks and case have gilt bronze mounts of scrolled foliate and floral motif, keywell veneered in dark-stained fruitwood with gilt brass leaf and lure mounts on either side of framed milk glass name plaque, 4-piece lid not veneered under main section, lid stick to lid, 2 brass lid hooks on bentside, hook eyes missing, pedal lyre a new replacement, lift pedal shifts action for una corda, right lifts damper, originally 3 other pedals, with some trapwork remaining on bottom of case, compass FF-f4 (73 keys), bone naturals, stained hardwood accidentals, Viennese action with brass Kapsels, pearwood shanks, maple heads, spruce key levers, adjustable escapement rail, spruce soundboard with grain parallel to spine, laminated beech bridge backpinned and notched, new dampers and damper rack and action cloth, leather-covered hammers, string gauges marked on bridge, maple pinblock veneered both sides, 2 iron gap spacers, soundboard stands free of belly rail, triple strung throughout.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Grand Piano
  • Maker: Joseph Böhm (Austrian, Vienna 1786–ca.1850)
  • Date: ca. 1815–20
  • Geography: Vienna, Austria
  • Culture: Austrian
  • Medium: Wood, various materials
  • Dimensions: L. 223.4 cm (88 in.); W. 126.4 cm (49 3/4 in.); Diam. 32 cm (12 1/2 in.); H. 93.7 cm (37 in.); 3-octave span 47.7 cm (18 3/4 in.); Sounding L. (1) f4, 5.5 striking, .5 cm; (2) c2, 27 striking, 3.2 cm; FF,173.2 striking, 16.6 cm
  • Classification: Chordophone-Zither-struck-piano
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Rogers Fund; Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher M. Brown III, Mr. and Mrs. Philip J. Hess, Carroll Music Instrument Service Corp., The New York Flute Club Inc. and Piano Technicians Guild Gifts; Gifts of Mrs. Etta M. Helmer, Alice Getty, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wellman, Mr. and Mrs. Peter M. F. Sichel, Craig E. Steese, Hilda Katz, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur A. Travis, and The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, by exchange; and funds from various donors, 1982
  • Object Number: 1982.138
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

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