Piyano 

Beethovenhaus Baden has launched a campaign to restore a grand piano once played by Ludwig van Beethoven. The instrument in question was made by Conrad Graf between 1811 and 1818 and is an early example of his celebrated grand pianos.

onrad Graf was one of the “grand masters” of piano design. Born in 1782, he started producing pianos in Vienna at the turn of the 19th century. By the end of his career (c1840) his firm had produced over 3000 instruments. He subsequently sold the business to Carl Stein, grandson of Johann Andreas Stein, pioneer of the Viennese piano. 

Graf’s pianos found favour with most of the great composers and pianists of the period including Chopin, Liszt, Mahler, Brahms and of course Beethoven.

The Baden grand piano is one of the very earliest surviving Graf instruments. Viennese pianos are generally quite delicate, however, Graf made his considerably stronger. Their sturdiness facilitated greater string tension, as a result, they were louder than most others of the time. Despite their strength, Liszt famously managed to “destroy” several of Graf’s instruments with his “enthusiastic” playing style.

Sunday evening at New York Café of the Hotel Boscolo Prague was dedicated to music, quality entertainment and competition.

Wilhelm Grotrian once said to his sons Kurt and Willi and thereby phrased one of the most important mottos for the GROTRIAN company.