Fortepiano after J. A. Stein by Paul McNulty
This fortepiano is after an original by J. A. Stein, c.1788. It is expertly crafted by world-renowned maker Paul McNulty. His instruments are famous for their performance quality and are housed in the most prestigious concert halls, opera houses and educational institutions.
This fortepiano has a five octave range from FF to f3. It has a sustaining knee lever and optional moderator stop. This instrument is highly attractive and is made from cherry.
Dimensions: 214cm x 98cm x25cm (approx.)
Weight: 72kg (approx.)
Optional Extras
Padded Transportation Cover with Leg Bag
Flight Case - complete with heavy duty wheels
About J. A. Stein
One of the most important fortepiano makers of Mozart‘s time was Johann Andreas Stein (1728–1792), who was born in Heidelsheim into the family of an organ builder. He apprenticed near Stuttgart under J. A. Silbermann and established his own workshop in Augsburg in 1751, building around 700 instruments in 41 years. By 1770 he was well known as an organist as well as an organ and fortepiano builder. When Mozart paused in Augsburg in 1777, he befriended Stein and used Stein‘s fortepianos in a public performance of the triple concerto given on October 22, the three soloists being Mozart, cathedral organist Demmler and Stein. Mozart was most impressed with Stein‘s instruments’ quality and wrote to his father:
...But now I much prefer Stein‘s instruments, for they damp ever so much better than Spath‘s instruments. When I strike hard, I can keep my finger on the note or raise it, but the sound ceases the moment I have produced it. In whatever way I touch the keys the tone is always even. It never jars, it is never stronger or weaker or entirely absent: in a word, it is always even. ...they have this special advantage over others that they are made with escape action. Only one maker in a hundred bothers with this. But without an escapement it is impossible to avoid jangling and vibration after the note is struck. When you touch the keys the hammers fall back again the moment after they have struck the strings...
After Stein‘s death, his son Matthäus Andreas and his daughter Nanette Streicher moved to Vienna where they continued building pianos using their father’s designs. Following developing trends, Streicher‘s instruments dominated the piano trade in Vienna until the 1870s.