Ignace Pleyel started the production of Pleyel pianos in 1807, making them one of the oldest French piano manufacturers.
This beautiful Pleyel baby grand piano was built in 1898-1899, at a time when Pleyel was at its height of popularity in Europe. It has an overall large and impressive appearance in person while still maintaining a delicate and formal look. The piano is made of a beautiful rosewood case with French polished shellac hand finish. This piano is not just a beautiful piece of antique furniture; the quality of the piano will compare to any top quality new piano. Fully rebuilt with a new complete roller action – this mechanism design allows you to perform across all different Piano pieces.
Auguste Wolff became head of the company in 1855. Like the Pleyels, he was also from a family of musicians. Wolff was a talented composer and an excellent musician. He was awarded fist prize in piano at the Paris Music Conservatory in 1839.
Wolff had active entrepreneurial skills that allowed him to extend the work of Pleyel. He became an exceptional piano maker and contributed greatly to the development of the company, especially by the ingenuity and the quality of his innovations.
The various innovations were guided by the final quality, reliability and especially the piano sound that emanated. The innovations of the mid 19th century included: the pedal piano, the tonal pedal on the piano and the improved double escapement. Particular attention was paid to the keyboard for accuracy, sensitivity and speed. The attention to tensions and a careful selection of materials gave more strength and lightness to the wooden structures. Wolff replaced the wooden frame with a cast iron frame in order to give a fine and distinguished sound to the pianos.
Crowning all these innovations, the Pleyel Company received a medal at the London World Exhibition in 1862.
Pleyel, the “French” sound
Following the disappearance of Auguste Wolff, Gustave Lyon took charge of the Pleyel Company. Lyon was an alumnus of the Ecole Polytechnique and held a engineering degree from the Ecole de Mines.
Also an accomplished musician, he used his scientific knowledge to improve the quality of pianos and deepen the acoustic secrets.
One of his fist innovations was to make a stainless steel metal frame for pianos. The famous “Pleyel steel”, a specificless carburised metal cast in one piece and not assembled.
His inventions earned him an honorary award at the 1889 Paris Universal Exhibition when the Pleyel Company produced its 100,000th piano. An exceptional title of glory since Pleyel was the fist piano manufacturer in the world to reach this figure.
It was Lyon that led pianists to adopt the famous Pleyel sound, embodying “the French sound” with its romantic colouristic characteristics.
Pleyel pianos had lightness, roundness, a powerful bass and an amazing sparkling treble, which gave them a real harmony. The sound of Pleyel pianos seduced the whole young generation composed mainly of Russian composers.
