Instrument of the Immortals
Genius, ever yearning for outward expression, demands the perfect medium in which to offer to mankind its God-given inspirations. The painter must have glowing pigments, the sculptor searches out the finest marbles.
Justly indeed has the title "The Instrument of the Immortals" been bestowed upon the Steinway Piano.
What finer tribute to Steinway pre-eminence could be given than the testimony of the immortal masters of music contained on this page?
Steinway & Sons has 99 musicians who carry the Steinway Immortal name. Below is a selected list of letters from Steinway Immortals to Steinway & Sons about their pianos.
Mr. Steinway,
Most Esteemed Sir: Again I owe you many and special thanks. The new Steinway grand is a glorious masterpiece in power, sonority, singing quality and perfect harmonic effects, affording delight even to my old weary fingers. Ever continuing success remains a beautiful attribute of the world-renowned firm of Steinway & Sons.
In your letter, highly esteemed sir, you mention some new features in the grand piano, the vibrating body being bent into form out of one continuous piece, and that portion of the strings heretofore lying dormant being now a part of the foundation tones and incorporated therein as partial tones. The utility is emphatically guaranteed by the name of the inventor.
Owing to my ignorance of the mechanism of piano construction, I can but praise the magnificent result in volume and quality of sound.
Very respectfully and gratefully,
- Franz Liszt
(Weimar, 1883)
My Dear Mr. Steinway,
From your communication I readily perceive with what enthusiastic love you seek to attain the incorperation of the most "spirituelle" tone into the piano, which heretofore served only as the exponent of actual musical sound. Our great tone masters, when writing the grandest of their creations for the piano-forte, seem to have had a presentiment of the ideal grand piano, as now attained by yourself. A Beethoven sonata, a Bach Chromatic Fantasie, can only be fully appreciated when rendered upo one of your piano-fortes.
Although I don not possess the slightest dexterity in piano playing, I delight in being able to do justice to your assumption of my inborn and cultivated sense of tone-pictures from my harmonic melodic senses.
In a word, I find your grand piano of wondrous beauty. It is a noble work of art.
- Richard Wagner
(Bayreuth, 1879)
Steinway & Sons,
I have heard the magnificent pianos which you brought from America, and which emanate from your factory. Permit me to compliment you upon the excellent and rare qualities which these instruments possess. Their sonority is splended and essentially noble; moreover, you have discovered the secret of lessening, to an imperceptible point, that unpleasent harmonic of the minor seventh, which has heretofore made itself heard on the eighth or ninth node of the longer strings, to such a degree able. This improvement , in connection with various others you have introduced in the manufacture of your pianos, is a great progress-a progress for which all artists and amateurs gifted with delicate perception are infinitely indebted to you.
Accept, I beg of you, with my compliments, my highest respects.
Your devoted,
- Hector Berlioz
(Paris, 1867)
Steinway & Sons,
Gentleman: On the eve of returning to Europe, I deem it my pleasant duty to express to you my most hearfelt thanks for all the kindness and courtesy you have shown me during my stay in the United States; but also, and above all, for your unrivaled piano-fortes, which once more have done full justice to their world-wide reputation, both for excellence and for capacity for enduring the severest trials. During all my long and difficult journeys all over America, in a very inclement season, I used and have been enabled to use your pianos exclusively in my two hundred and fifteen concerts, and also in private, with the most eminent satisfaction and effect.
Yours very truly,
- Anton Rubinstein
(New York, 1873)
Dear Mr. Steinway,
I had intended to send you a telegram to express to you my thanks for the superb piano which arrived to-day. Mme. Adelina Patti, who was the delightful interpreter when we had the pleasure of meeting you, joins me in the ecstasy and mutual admiration of your product, and although I do not possess the executive talent in bringing out the entrancing resources of your wonderful pianos, I at least feel that I have the necessary qualifications to appreciate thoroughly their unsurpassed merits.
I am overjoyed at the consciousness of being the posessor of one of you perfect instruments, and beg of you to accept the assurances of my highest esteem.
Believe me, etc.,
- Charles Gounod
(Paris, 1888)
Steinway & Sons,
In my estimation there is no instrument either here or abroad comparable to the Steinway Piano.
Your truly,
- Edward MacDowell
(New York, 1902)
Messrs. Steinway & Sons,
Gentleman: It gives me great pleasure to state that in all my experience as an orchestral conductor no piano played at any of my concerts gave me such thorough satisfaction and personal repose as the Steinway, owning to its unequaled musical beauty, power and purity of tone.
I wish to congratulate you most heartily and sincerly upon your undisputed success in having attained and maintained such a high standard in the piano-maker's craft, which I know has been the ideal of your house ever since its foundation.
No doubt every possessor of one of your instruments is as proud as I am to be able to add my name to the long array of eminent musicians who have testified to the honor which you have so worthily earned.
Very sincerely yours,
- Victor Herbert
(New York, 1906)
Messrs. Steinway & Sons,
Gentleman: The supreme qualities of your instruments have been for many years universally recognized. Public and individuals, amateurs and artists, have been looking upon your pianos as upon a standard of perfection. Whenever perfection is attained, progress is stopped; for there is no room for climbing when the summit hass been reached. And yet, in your case, this law of nature seems to have been defied.
Is there anything which could demonstrate more convincingly the wealth of resources of your firm, the astonishing vitality of your house? But there is in it something to rejoice the heart of everyone who is devoted to his profession: Young men inherit fame an fortune, general respect and universal recognition, most lefitimately acquired by the genius, industry, and honest, persistent labor of their illustrious forefathers. Instead of simply enjoying life, instead of dwelling passively upon the golden ancestral laurels, they concentrate, in noble, ambitious efforts, all their energy and up they go to a higher plane and, indeed, they reach still higher regions.
Such a thing can only be accomplished by a sincere love of profession, and it is to this love of profession that I wish to pay my tribute of high esteem and admiration.
Most faithfully yours,
- I.J. Paderewski
Dear Mr. Steinway,
I am very happy to have the opportunity of using your pianos for my concerts because I consider them to be perfect in every way.
Faithfully Yours,
- Sergei Rachmaninoff
Messers. Steinway & Sons,
Gentleman: Permit me to say to you that the wonderful Steinway Grand Piano, which you placed at my disposal, has greatly contributed to my success. In my opinion no great artist should us any other piano than the Steinway, if not obliged to do so by material considerations.
- Josef Lhevinne
Messrs. Steinway & Sons,
Dear Sirs: A masterpiece always inspires silent awe and reverent admiration. Hence all I can say is that I am happy that the Steinway has been my inseparable and faithful friend in all countries since the very inception of my concert career.
- Vladimir Horowitz
Steinway & Sons,
Gentleman: I have always found the Steinway piano a perfect instrument, combining remarkable brilliancy of tone in forte with exquisite delicacy of tone in piano, and both based on a perfect action.
Since my arrival in America, I have used only the Steinway piano and have composed on it my two las operas, "The Love for Three Oranges" and "The Flaming Angel."
Very sincerely yours,
- Sergei Prokofieff
Steinway & Sons,
Dear Sirs: I, too, want to swell the chorus of approval. Briefly: I have used publicly and privately every concert grand, parlor and baby grand of repute, on the stage and in private homes. My eperience forces the conclusion that whether on the concert stage or in the home, the Steinway is incomparable; in proof of which, I use it in my concerts and have bought one of your baby grands for my home.
- George Gershwin
Messrs. Steinway & Sons,
Dear Sirs: It is impossible for me to express in words my admiration for your beautiful pianos. They possess all the qualities which encourage true artistry as against mere piano-playing. To express one's self musically, one must be only subconscious of one's instrument and this is possible only with such surperb instruments as yours, responding as they do to every wish and intention.
The range of tone is so completely satisfying; one can always be sure that the softest pianissimo will carry and it is possible to build up a great volume of tone which never loses nobility of quality. But, above all, perhaps it is the exquisite singing tone which makes playing on a Steinway piano such a pure joy.
It is essentially a noble instrument and it has been the crowning satisifaction of my first tour in this country that I have had the privilege of playing on your pianos.
Sincerely and gratefully yours,
- Myra Hess
Messrs. Steinway & Sons,
Gentleman: I want to tell you how much I admire the Steinway Piano. The sonority of a Steinway is rich, varied and manifold, sometimes of the quality of the deep register of an organ, sometimes voluptuous and caressing like the warmth of reflected gold.
In its sonority the Steinway runs the gamut of romanticism and passion. Under the hands of the master it becomes as seductive as the refinement and courliness of an Eighteenth Century marquis. It lends tru atmosphere to a Mozart Sonata or concerto, transparent and radiant like an enchanted mirror reflecting the image of a masterwork.
How marvelously it responds in exacititude and promptness to the fervent call of the artist!
Thus, in forms a noble collaboration between the creators of this piano and the interpretative creator artist, one a complement to the other in the production of a complete oeuvre.
- Wanda Landowska