Palace Pianos

Palace Pianos http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/ ru Palace Pianos DataLife Engine Benedikt Anton Aufschnaiter http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/241-benedikt_anton_aufschnaiter.html http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/241-benedikt_anton_aufschnaiter.html Benedikt Anton Aufschnaiter (baptised 21 February 1665, Kitzbühel – buried 24 January 1742, Passau)

was an Austrian Baroque composer.

Aufschnaiter got much of his musical education in Vienna, where he lived for several years. Later he got a post at the band near to the emperor's court.
On 16 January 1705, he was appointed Kapellmeister at the Passau court by Bishop-Cardinal Johann Philipp von Lamberg as a successor of deceased Georg Muffat. He died there in January 1742.

He was married twice and from the second marriage, he had a son.

The most from Aufschnaiter's about 300 surviving works are sacred works.
In his Regulæ Fundamentales Musurgiæ, he named Giacomo Carissimi, Orlande de Lassus, Johann Kaspar Kerll and Adam Gumpelzhaimer as his idols...

For more info and complete Article see Full Story.]]> Freeman Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:24:54 -0500 Johann Peter Salomon http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/240-johann_peter_salomon.html http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/240-johann_peter_salomon.html Johann Peter Salomon (20 February 1745 (baptized) – 28 November 1815)

was a German violinist, composer, conductor and musical impresario.
He was born in Bonn and was the second son of Philipp Salomon, an oboist at the court in Bonn. His birth home was at Bonngasse 515, coincidentally the later birth home of Beethoven. At the age of thirteen, he became a violinist in the court orchestra and six years later became the concert master of the orchestra of Prince Heinrich of Prussia.
He composed several works for the court, including four operas and an oratorio. He moved to London in the early 1780s, where he worked as a composer and played violin both as a celebrated soloist and in a string quartet. He made his first public appearance at Covent Garden on 23 March 1781.

While in England, Salomon composed two operas for the Royal Opera, several art songs, a number of concertos, and chamber music pieces. He is perhaps best known today, however, as a concert organiser and conductor.

Salomon brought Joseph Haydn to London in 1791-92 and 1794-95, and together with Haydn led the first performances of many of the works that Haydn composed while in England. Haydn wrote his symphonies numbers 93 to 104 for these trips, which are sometimes known as the Salomon symphonies (they are more widely known as the London symphonies). Haydn's esteem for his impresario and orchestral leader can sometimes be seen in the symphonies (for example, the cadenza in the slow movement of the 96th, the phrase marked Salomon solo ma piano in the trio of the 97th, and the florid violin part of the second movement of the 103rd); the Sinfonia Concertante in B flat was composed for Salomon, who played the solo violin part; and the six string quartets opp. 71 and 74, written between the two London visits in 1793, though dedicated to Count Apponyi, were clearly designed for the public performances that Salomon's quartet gave in London. Salomon is also said to have had a hand in providing Haydn with the original model for the text of The Creation. He was one of the founder-members of the Philharmonic Society and led the orchestra at its first concert on 8 March 1813...

For more info and complete Article see Full Story.]]> Freeman Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:30:46 -0500 Marjorie Lawrence http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/239-marjorie_lawrence.html http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/239-marjorie_lawrence.html Marjorie Florence Lawrence CBE (17 February 1907 – 13 January 1979)

was an Australian soprano, particularly noted as an interpreter of Richard Wagner's operas.
She was the first soprano to perform the immolation scene in Götterdämmerung by riding her horse into the flames as Wagner had intended. She was afflicted by polio from 1941.
Her autobiography was filmed in 1955 as Interrupted Melody, with Eleanor Parker acting the role and Eileen Farrell singing for her. Lawrence later served on the faculty of the School of Music at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Lawrence was born at Deans Marsh, 135 km (84 mi) south west of Melbourne, Victoria. She was the fifth of six children of William Lawrence, the local butcher, and Elizabeth (née Smith) Lawrence, church organist. Her mother died when Lawrence was two and she was raised by her father's mother. Lawrence attended local schools, joined the choir at St Pauls Church of England and was a soloist by age ten.

Her interest in opera was sparked by gramophone records of Nellie Melba and Clara Butt. She won a number of vocal competitions when aged in her teens, and at the age of 18 she travelled to Melbourne for work...

For more info and complete Article see Full Story.]]> Freeman Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:24:41 -0500 Early Upright Piano Serial number 13725 http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/uprights-and-pianino/19th-century-upright/238-erard-upright-piano-13725.html http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/uprights-and-pianino/19th-century-upright/238-erard-upright-piano-13725.html An Early upright piano made by Erard Paris serial number 13725 finished in March of 1836. Originally sold April of 1836 and delivered to Rue du Faubourg Poissonniere. Piano was traded back in late 1845 or early 1846 and resold in January of 1846 to a Mme Dreyfus.

Early Upright Piano Serial number 13725

Charlotte Alexandre-Dreyfus was a piano teacher, and organist in Paris known as one of the celebrities of the music salons of Paris during this time! She is listed (Paris Library 1863) as a known musician...

For more photos and info see Full Story.]]> Freeman Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:58:51 -0500 Martin Freres à Toulouse Upright Piano Exposition 1835 http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/artcasepianos/237-martin-freres-toulouse-upright-piano-exposition-1835.html http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/artcasepianos/237-martin-freres-toulouse-upright-piano-exposition-1835.html Martin Freres à Toulouse Upright Piano Exposition - Year 1835

Exposition des produits des Beaux-Arts et de l’Industrie de Toulouse de 1835

Martin Freres à Toulouse Upright Piano Exposition 1835

Martin Freres à Toulouse upright pianoforte style Charles X.
Interesting case made of Rosewood having inlaid palmette motifs in fruits wood.
"Niche de Chien" form having pedal on the right and left sides of the hole...

For more photos and info see Full Story.]]> Freeman Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:35:26 -0500 Adelina Patti http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/236-adelina_patti.html http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/236-adelina_patti.html Adelina Patti (19 February 1843 – 27 September 1919)

was a highly acclaimed 19th-century opera singer, earning huge fees at the height of her career in the music capitals of Europe and America.

She first sang in public as a child in 1851 and gave her last performance before an audience in 1914. Along with her near contemporaries Jenny Lind and Thérèse Tietjens, Patti remains one of the most famous sopranos in history due to the purity and beauty of her lyrical voice and the unmatched quality of her bel canto technique.

The composer Giuseppe Verdi, writing in 1877, described her as being perhaps the finest singer who had ever lived and a "stupendous artist". (See J.F. Cone's biography Adelina Patti: Queen of Hearts; Amadeus Press, Portland, US, 1993.) Verdi's admiration for Patti's talent was shared by numerous music critics and social commentators of her era.

She was born Adela Juana Maria Patti, in Madrid, the last child of tenor Salvatore Patti (1800–1869) and soprano Caterina Barilli (died 1870). Her Italian parents were working in Madrid, Spain, at the time of her birth. Because her father came from Sicily, Patti was born a subject of the King of the Two Sicilies. She later carried a French passport, as her first two husbands were French.

Her sisters Amalia and Carlotta Patti were also singers. In her childhood, the family moved to New York City. Patti grew up in the Wakefield section of the Bronx, where her family's home is still standing. Patti sang professionally from childhood, and developed into a coloratura soprano with perfectly equalized vocal registers and a surprisingly warm, satiny tone. It is believed that Patti learned much of her singing technique from her brother-in-law Maurice Strakosch, who was a musician and impresario. Later in life Patti, like many famous singers with sizable egos, claimed that she was entirely self-taught...

For more info and complete Article see Full Story.]]> Freeman Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:06:25 -0500 Arcangelo Corelli http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/235-corelli.html http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/235-corelli.html Arcangelo Corelli was to become one of the most influential figures of the Baroque era.

He is considered a pioneer of violin technique and originated the practice of sychronized bowing in the orchestra. Corelli studied in Bologna during his early years, moving to Rome during the last quarter of the 17th century. There he joined the Arcadian Academy, an exclusive club of sorts that included some of the most celebrated artists and intellectuals of the era, including Alessandro Scarlatti and the mighty Handel. While at Rome, Corelli enjoyed enormous popularity, and his patrons included the queen of Sweden and Cardinal Ottoboni, for whom the famous Christmas Concerto was written.

He was a master of the trio sonata, a form employed universally during the Baroque era and developed in the latter part of the 18th century into the Classical symphony. He was well-known throughout Europe for his technical mastery of the violin (some consider him a 17th century Paganini) and organized many large concerts that were widely successful.
At one of these concerts, however, he made a host of blunders which hurt his reputation as a violinist somewhat, although his compositions remained the envy of lesser contemporaries for nearly a hundred years. At the time of his death in 1713, he was a very wealthy man and a musical icon. Corelli's influence is potently evident in much of the music of the 18th century, especially so in the works of Handel, one of his greatest students. His popularity remained strong even into the beginning of the 19th century--Thomas Jefferson took a special liking to Corelli's music.

For more info and complete Article see Full Story.]]> Freeman Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:57:11 -0500 Bull, Ole http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/234-bull-ole.html http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/234-bull-ole.html Bull, Ole (Bornemann), eccentric Norwegian violinist; b. Bergen, Feb. 5,1810; d. Lyso, near Bergen, Aug. 17, 1880. He was extremely precocious, and played the violin experimentally even before acquiring the rudiments of music. At the age of 9 he played solos with the Bergen Harmonic Soc.

His teachers were then Niels Eriksen and J.H. Poulsen; later he had regular instruction with M. Ludholm. Ignoring academic rules, he whittled the bridge almost to the level of the finger- board, so as to be able to play full chords on all 4 strings. He was sent by his father to Christiania to study theology, but failed the entrance examinations; instead, he organized a theater orch., which he led with his violin. In 1829 he played in Copenhagen and Kassel.

In 1831 he went to Paris, where he heard Paganini and became obsessed with the idea of imitating his mannerisms and equaling his success, a fantasy devoid of all imagined reality because of Bull’s amateurish technique. However, he developed a personal type of playing that pleased the public, particularly in localities rarely visited by real artists. During the season 1836—37 he played 274 concerts in England and Ireland; in 1839 he visited the great German violinist and composer Spohr in Kassel, in the hope of receiving useful advice from him.

In 1840 he played Beethoven’s Krentzer Sonata in London, with Liszt at the piano. On July 23, 1849, he announced the formation of a Norwegian Theater in Bergen, which was opened on Jan. 2,1850. While he failed to impress serious musicians and critics in Europe, he achieved his dream of artistic success in America; he made 5 concert tours across the U.S., playing popular selections and his own compositions on American themes with such fetching titles as Niagara, Solitude of the Prairies, and To the Memory of Washington, interspersing them with his arrangements of Norwegian folk songs...

For more info and complete Article see Full Story.]]> Freeman Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:19:51 -0500 Emma Albani http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/233-emma_albani.html http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/233-emma_albani.html Dame Emma Albani DBE (1 November 1847 – 3 April 1930)

was a leading soprano of the 19th century and early 20th century, and the first Canadian singer to become an international star. Her repertoire focused on the operas of Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and Wagner. She performed across Europe and North America.

Albani was born Marie-Louise-Emma-Cécile Lajeunesse in Chambly, United Province of Canada to the professional musician Joseph Lajeunesse and his wife, Mélina Mignault. Her date of birth is usually given as 1 November 1847, but other authors have placed her birth in 1848 or 1850, and Albani's memoir puts her birth in 1852.
She began her musical studies with her mother, and at age five her father took over her musical lessons. Her father was a proficient musician who was skilled with the violin, harp, piano and organ. He kept her on a strong practice regimen, with as much as four hours a day of lessons on the harp and piano.

The family moved to Plattsburgh, New York in 1852. In 1856 after the death of her mother, she continued her education in a Montreal convent-school, run by the Dames du Sacré-Coeur where her father had obtained the position of Music Master. This afforded her a better education than she might otherwise receive, and additional musical instruction.

On 24 August 1860 she and Adelina Patti were soloists in the world premiere of Charles Wugk Sabatier's Cantata in Montreal which was performed in honour of the visit of the Prince of Wales. However, she was ultimately unable to finance a musical education in Quebec, where singing and acting were considered unsavoury careers for a woman, and her family moved to Albany, New York in 1865. There she became a popular singer, an organist and teacher of singing and saved enough money to continue her studies...

For more info and complete Article see Full Story.]]> Freeman Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:18:16 -0500 Acoustigrande http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/232-acoustigrande-piano.html http://www.palacepianos.com/portal/piano-pedia/232-acoustigrande-piano.html

The Acoustigrande was a popular piano brand of the early 20th Century era, produced by Chickering Brothers (not to be confused with Chickering & Sons) of Chicago.

Chickering Brothers was established in Chicago in 1892 by Clifford Chickering, a distant relative of the famous Chickering & Sons of Boston.

Chickering Brothers built exceptional instruments, including the Acoustigrande and the Capacoustic Grand pianos.

These instruments were scientifically designed to get the maximum tone and volume for size, often being quite small in outward dimensions.
It appears that Chickering Brothers were out of the business before the Great Depression era...

For more info and complete Article see Full Story.]]> Freeman Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:03:42 -0500