Objekt 14
Fortepiano by Johannes Andreas Stein, 1792
Description
The fortepiano bears the signature of the Augsburg piano maker Johann Andreas Stein and the date 1791 in the form of a printed slip of paper on the soundboard. The last digit of the year is overwritten with a 2 in ink.
The instrument was completed in the year of Stein's death, presumably by his daughter Nannette and with the assistance of his son Matthäus Andreas. The latter continued to use his father's existing engraved vignettes with the year 1791 until 1794, overwriting the last digit in each case with the current date of completion of the instrument.
The fortepiano represents the late style of Johann Andreas Stein and thus still an instrument from the Mozart period.
The heart of the instrument is the so-called bouncing tongue action, which is said to have been invented by Stein. This mechanism allows precise playing.
Originally, this fortepiano had only a double knee lever, to be operated on the right and left side, which cancels the damping so that the strings can reverberate unhindered. The additional piano slide, where strips of cloth are pushed between the hammers and the strings, is a later addition.
Both the novel mechanism and the ease of damping impressed W. A. Mozart when he became acquainted with Johann Andreas Stein's fortepianos during a trip to Augsburg in 1777.
Object description
Johann Andreas Stein (1728-1792)
completed by daughter Nannette (1769 - 1833)
and son Matthäus Andreas (1776 - 1842)
Augsburg, 1792, dated
Jean André Stein / faiseur d'Orgues, des Clavecins / et Organiste à l'Eglise des / Minorittes à Augsbourg. / 1791 (printed) overwritten (handwritten) with 2 (slip of paper, soundboard, front left)
Cherry veneer (case)
Range F1 - f3; bounce action; upper damping
three knee levers: moderator (center), damper lift (l., r.)
H. 970 mm (total); H. 227-218 mm; W. 960 mm; L. 2615 mm (case); Stroke dimension 470 mm; Octave dimension 153 mm
Deposit Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel Inv. no. 1986.112.