Collection: Early Piano Restoration

This grand piano built by Louis Bas of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon in 1781 is the earliest known surviving French grand piano. A remarkable example of early European piano craftsmanship, it features several innovative and historically significant design elements. Most notably, this instrument includes an inverted wrestplank and an action mechanism derived from Bartolomeo Cristofori's pioneering design from around 1700 — the very system that laid the foundation for the modern piano action.

In addition to its mechanical significance, the piano also showcases an ornately decorated soundboard, reflecting the artistry and elegance typical of 18th-century French instrument making. This grand piano stands as an important milestone in the evolution of piano construction in France, bridging Italian innovation with French decorative and technical refinement.

In the 1730s, renowned composer Johann Sebastian Bach was introduced to one of Gottfried Silbermann’s early pianos. While Silbermann had closely followed Cristofori’s design, Bach was initially unimpressed, criticizing the instrument’s weakness in the upper register, which he felt limited its dynamic range — a crucial feature for expressive performance.

Though Bach’s feedback reportedly caused tension between the two men, it also inspired Silbermann to refine his instruments. By 1747, Bach had a change of heart. After trying one of Silbermann’s later models, he expressed his approval and even went so far as to act as a sales agent for the piano builder.

In 1749, Bach famously described Silbermann’s piano as "Instrument: piano et forte genandt" — a phrase meaning "an instrument called piano and forte," highlighting its unique ability to play both softly and loudly. This expression reflected the essence of the piano’s innovation: dynamic expression, which was not possible on the harpsichord or clavichord. Bach’s eventual endorsement played a significant role in increasing the piano's credibility and popularity among musicians and composers of the time.

Piano-making flourished during the late 18th century within the Viennese school,, home to some of the most influential early piano makers. Notable craftsmen included Johann Andreas Stein of Augsburg,, Germany, as well as Viennese makers like Nannette Streicher—Stein’s daughter—and Anton Walter.

These Viennese-style pianos were distinct in their construction: built with wooden frames, featuring two strings per note, and hammers covered in leather rather than felt. Interestingly, some of these early instruments had a reversed keyboard color scheme compared to modern pianos — the natural keys were black while the accidentals (sharps and flats) were white.

It was on such pianos that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed many of his beloved concertos and sonatas. Today, replicas of Viennese pianos are crafted and used by musicians dedicated to authentic-instrument performance, aiming to capture the original sound and character of Mozart’s era.

The pianos of Mozart’s time, known as fortepiano, produced a softer, more ethereal tone than modern grand pianos or English pianos, with less sustaining power. The term fortepiano now serves to distinguish these early instruments—and their modern recreations—from the later, more robust pianos we are familiar with today.