Johann Andreas Stein

Johann Andreas Stein was born 16 May 1728 in Heidelsheim. Stein settled 140 or so miles away in Augsburg about 1750. He learned his trade as an organ builder from his father and he built the organ at the Barfüßerkirche - this was the first Protestant church in Augsburg. As a bonus, he became the organist at the church! By 1760, he had decided to give up the organ building trade in favour of building stringed keyboard instruments.

Taking Schroters action design as a model, he set out to improve it, making his first piano in 1768. By 1780, Stein’s daughter Nannette, a musician but also, having a sound scientific grasp of piano-building, was involved in refining the Schroter design. This action was the preferred choice of the likes of Mozart and Beethoven.

With this action, the ‘German’ or ‘Vienna’ School of piano building was firmly established. The advantages over the ‘English’ School was the very easy, lighter touch and the sweeter tone. What these pianos lacked was the capacity for a stronger, powerful tone. But, for the time being, and with the endorsement of the great masters, there was strong demand for Stein pianos.

A further development of the Stein action came in 1824, designed by Stein’s grandson, Johann Baptist Streicher. Piano-building was clearly a genetic condition passed down through the generations! This action was instantly approved by players and other makers.

Over Stein’s career as piano maker, he made about 700 pianos. His pianos were widely reproduced - especially in Vienna. Good grounds for his being called the ‘father’ of the Vienna School.

 He died in Augsburg 29 February 1792. 

© Steve Burden

 

Christophe Schroter

Christophe Schroter was born 10 August 1699 in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, and became a composer and organist. Schroter’s part in Piano History, though small, is worthy of being noted. He is one of those figures who is rarely mentioned in books on piano history. Perhaps, if he had been an instrument maker with some financial backing, things might have been different. As it was, he was a man if ideas who tried to sell the idea when the piano was still in its infancy and speculation on such a project would have seemed incautious.

Impressed by the tone and dynamic range of Hebenstreit’s Panteleon, Christophe Schroter realised the potential in making a keyboard instrument using hammers to strike the strings, so invented two ‘piano actions’ - one striking the strings from above, and one from below - diagram of 1717 action. He persuaded a cousin who was a cabinet maker, to produce a working model.

His ‘actions’ were basic, even primitive, but worked well enough as a prototype to be demonstrated to the King of Saxony, the King declined any help or investment. Schroter did not seek to develop his invention any further but his idea did find a following among the instrument makers of Germany who, used the principles of his action and adapted them to make their own pianos.

In 1724 some pianos were being made in Dresden using actions very like Schroter’s and in 1728, Silberman was making pianos at Freiberg using an action based on Schroter’s model. Thus, what became known as the ‘German’ school of piano construction was born.

Christophe Schroter died 20 May 1782 in Nordhausen.

© Steve Burden

Panteleon Hebenstreit

Panteleon Hebenstreit was born 27 November 1668 and was a German dance teacher, musician and composer.

On 29 January 1691 Hebenstreit started at the University of Wittenburg and by 1697 was employed as a violinist, keyboard musician and dancing teacher in Leipzig. However, having to leave Leipzig to escape his creditors, he took a position in Merseburg as a private tutor.

He constructed a large hammered dulcimer which created a flurry of interest. It had 186 strings and was some nine feet long. The strings were struck by hand-held hammers in the manner of performers playing a xylophone. Hebenstreit took it with him on a tour of  Europe. 

In 1705 he played before Louis XIV. The French king, being so impressed both with the instrument and with Hebenstreit's mastery of it, renamed it "Le Pantalon”.

Returning from France, Hebenstreit sought court employment in his home region. He was a versatile and talented musician and took a number positions before in May 1714 he accepted a position at the Electoral Court in Dresden on a very good salary - 1200 Thalers. By 1729 Hebenstreit's failing eyesight, increasingly limited his capacity to fulfil all of his responsibilities.

Despite his undoubted virtuosity as a musician, his Pantaleon was too large, too expensive to build and too difficult to play to generate the kind of demand that would  justify commercial investment. Even so, because the instrument was played using hand-held hammers, thus allowing a huge dynamic range of sound, it carried the hints of the basic features of the piano. Some even deem it a precursor to the modern piano.

On 15 November 1750 Pantaleon Hebenstreit died and was buried in Dresden.

© Steve Burden