"The Golden Age of Pianos" An exhibition of unique, art cased pianos from the height of European piano making. As official partners of "the Leeds 2012", Besbrode Pianos transported a collection of 21 pianos from across Europe to feature exclusively in The Golden Age of Pianos exhibition, each of artistic and cultural interest. The collection included a piano designed by Peter Behrens (a leading Art Nouveau German artist), Oskar Kaufmann (A Hungarian-Jewish architect), a Broadwood designed by T G Jackson and made for Athelstan Riley's Music Gallery and pianos designed for the Great Exhibitions.

Around the turn of the twentieth century a period of prosperity inspired an interest in culture and the arts. As the only source of music in the home, the domestic importance of the piano was at its peak. At this time the wealthy commissioned bespoke, art cased pianos as visible status symbols to stand as centrepieces in a room. Technical innovation of the instrument had reached its maturity prompting a flourish in custom made, luxurious cases. The breathtaking craftsmanship illustrated by these pianos reflect a climactic time in piano making and stand as monuments to the position of the piano in social history. By 1905, gramophone and disc recordings were available allowing the passive enjoyment of music.

The exhibition was situated at Besbrode Pianos showroom which spans four floors of a Victorian mill based in Leeds. Besbrode Pianos is a specialist piano dealer and wholesaler. With over 250 new and secondhand pianos on display at any time, ready to play and compare, it is one of the UK's largest piano retailers. Agents for Steinway & Sons. The full range of Steinway, Boston and Essex pianos available to purchase. For last 6 years Besbrode Pianos has been official partner to the Leeds International Piano Competition, providing pianos for the competitor's rehearsals

The Leeds International Piano Competition was founded in 1963, by Dame Fanny Waterman, Marion Thorpe CBE, then the Countess of Harewood, and her late husband, Dr. Geoffrey de Keyser and is now regarded by the international music community as the greatest international piano competition in the world. The Competition has been a springboard for many celebrated musicians including Murray Perahia, Radu Lupu, Andras Schiff and Mitsuko Uchida. The 17th Leeds International Piano Competition 2012 took place from 29 August to 16 September. In 2013 the Leeds International Piano Competition celebrates it 50th anniversary.

Pianos featured in this exhibition:

1. A 1907, Bechstein Model E Grand Piano. Stamped with Trollope & Cols  

Reference Number: 1254 A 1907, Bechstein Model E Grand with a polished, fiddleback mahogany case. Cabinet features satinwood and boxwood stringing inlay. Corinthian style turned, fluted gate legs carved with acanthus leaf detail. Stamped with Trollope & Colls Ltd.

Trollope & Colls, 5 Coleman Street, London was once one of the United Kingdom's largest construction companies. The Company was formed out of the merger of George Trollope & Sons (founded by Joseph Trollope, a wallpaper hanger in 1778) and Colls & Sons (founded Benjamin Colls, a painter and decorator in 1840). On 30th November 1903, the company was registered to amalgamate the building businesses of George Trollope & Sons and Colls & Sons. The merged firm specialised in civil engineering and during World War I undertook pioneering work on reinforced concrete. In 1968 the Company was acquired by Trafalgar House. By 1994, it was the largest contractor in the UK by turnover. Major projects include: Claridges completed in 1897, Debenhams, Wigmore Street 1905-1908, Lloyds Bank, Head Office, Lombard Street, 1931, Interior work for Queen Mary (Cunard liner) 1936 and the Titanic.

2. An 1891, Broadwood Grand Piano, Inlaid with Mother of Pearl, Tortoiseshell and a Variety of Woods 

Reference Number: 1743 A stunning, Broadwood grand piano with an intricately inlaid case. Designed by T G Jackson and inlaid by C H Bessant Faber. Made for Athelstan Riley's Music Gallery at 2 Kensington Court London in 1892. Inlaid with scrolling foliage, inlaid pelter shields inscribed with 6 musical part-scores by JS Bach, Thos Augustine Arne, GF Handel, O Gibbons, W Byrde and H Purcell. Stand is american walnut with triplet pillars and carved scrolls. Keyboard has thick ivory fronts with turned arcading. Sharps inlaid with ebony and ivory. Framework is signed by John Broadwood.

There is a description of No 2 Kensington court in "In a Survey of London: Volume 42: Kensington Square to Earl's Court: Hermione Hobhouse 1986": "This the most striking house to be built at Kesington Court, was designed by T. G. Jackson and raised in 1883-4. The constractor was Albert Estcourt of Gloucester, who built widely for Jackson at this time, and Robert Edwards was clerk of works. It is Jackson's only London town house. The client was John Athelstan Laurie Riley (1858-1945), a twenty-five year old bachelor at the time of building." In "The Recollections of T.G. Jackson, 1835 to 1924", there is a description of the interior decoration of No 2 Kensington Court and this Broadwood piano is mentioned;"...But the pièce de resistance was a Broadwood grand pianoforte, with a case designed by Jackson in 1890 and inlaid by C. H. Bessant with satinwood, ebony, tortoiseshell and mother of pearl. This stood in the drawing-room and remains in the possession of the Riley family."

3. An 1895, Bechstein Model C Grand Piano with an Intricately Carved Walnut Case 

Reference Number: 1742 An intricately carved Bechstein Model C grand piano with an ornately carved, walnut case. Cabinet features carvings of two swans on the water on piano cheeks. Twisted around the rear piano leg is a two-headed serpent dragon. The front legs have elaborate feather scrolling. A serpentine, carved stretcher attaches the legs. The piano lyre features carved shell detail with brass shell pedals. Filigree style music desk with a flower and foliage design. Cabinet also features intricate brass hinges and name plate again echoing foliage. Amazingly the matching duet stool has survived.

In the last quarter of the 19th century, the Berlin musical instrument industry was at a boom. In 1895 around 320 companies produced pianos in this city alone. At the Berlin Trade Exhibition of 1898 there were more than 120 exhibitors of grand and upright pianos and amongst these C. Bechstein had pride of place. This Bechstein Model C stood adjacent to the famous "Rheingold" Bechstein on the Bechstein stand at the Berlin Trade Exhibition of 1896 and was available for the public to try. This is the only piano of this design in existence.

Professor Max Koch created the design for the 'Rheingold' Bechstein based on themes found in Richard Wagner's great Ring Cycle works. Wagner drew upon numerous works of German and Scandinavian mythology, both primary texts (usually in contemporary German translations, though Wagner had some knowledge of Old Norse and Middle German) and commentaries on them. The most important of the former were the Völsunga Saga, the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, the Nibelungenlied and Thidriks saga af Bern. The Ring cycle is comprised of four operas Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Siegfried and Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) Taking themes from the first opera, The 'Rheingold' Bechstein features three nymphs sitting at its feet; Woglinde, Wellgunde, and Flosshilde who protect the Rhein gold. The Rhein gold can be made into a magic ring which will let its bearer rule the world. The Rheingold Bechstein case work also feature swans and waves. The brass hinges are made in the form of aquatic plants. Inside the lid the Rhine maidens are again hand-painted. The Bechstein model C in this exhibition also depicts themes from the Ring Cycle. Again swans and waves feature on the case work along with shells and reeds. Twisting around the back leg is a two-headed serpent dragon climbing up a tree. A serpent dragon appears in the third opera 'Siegfried' perhaps inspiration for this design. The Rhein gold has been stolen and forged into a ring by Alberich, a Nibelung dwarf and guarded in a cave by a dragon, Fafner. Alberich's brother Mime plots to obtain the Ring for himself. He has raised a human boy Siegfried as a foster child, to kill the dragon.

4. A 1910 Bluthner grand piano with a Jacaranda case with intricate, marquetry inlay all over case in a variety of designs and woods 

Reference Number: 1763 A 1910 Bluthner grand piano with a Jacaranda case with intricate, marquetry inlay all over case in a variety of designs and woods. Case shows tessellated marquetry panels in walnut, ebony, mahogany, fiddleback mahogany and boxwood. Lyre stands on two square pillars and attatched to leg stretcher. Cabinet features unusual piano cheeks with carved egg and dart detail. Filigree music desk. Oval piano legs feature ornate filigree bronze panels.

There is a reference to this Bluthner piano in 'Magazine for musical instruments 1910-1911 Leipzig' describing a visit to the Bluthner showroom in Leipzig, stopping to describe each piano: 'The showroom of Julius Bluthner in Leipzig, divided into two parts by a staircase.. the walls were made of wood panels, with a yellow and gray tint and decorated with floral ornaments made of metal.... A very nice and interesting piano in Jacaranda, illustrating diligent and distinguished inlay work. This elegant piano is original in design right to the feet showing oval filigree ornament made of metal. There is a harmony in the lines of colour ' This Bluthner model was on display at the Brussel's 1910 World Fair and features in the Exhibition catalogue

Julius Blüthner ( 1824 to 1910) started the Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik in Leipzig, Germany in 1853. During World War II, the factory was burned to the ground. It waslater rebuilt and reopened at the same location in Leipzig. Today the company is run by the great-great-grandson of Julius Blüthner. Blüthner pianos are known around the world for their extremely high quality and degree of workmanship. Blüthner pianos are still mostly handmade instruments, and it is estimated that the total number of Blüthners ever manufactured is around 150,000 instruments.

5. A Pleyel Grand Piano with a Hand-Painted Case and Carved Walnut Frame. Signed G. Meunier 

Reference Number: 585 An 1893, Pleyel grand piano beautifully hand-painted with a fairies, satyrs, nudes, monkeys, mythical creatures, birds, flowers and crested composers names. Signed by G. Meunier. Interesting carved fish on piano cheeks. Carved lions head on lid lock. Carved bevelled edge on lid. Piano case sits on ornately carved french walnut frame, carved with foliage and flowers. Piano has six cabriole legs with scroll feet.

Georges Meunier (1869 - 1942) was an eminent french poster artist. He worked under Cheret at the Chaix print house in Paris where he produced more than 50 original posters advertising products and parisian events. His works are now considered iconic and reflect a golden era of french poster art. Meunier was born in Saint-Cloud, France in 1869. As a young man he moved to Paris and studied at the National School of Fine Arts and studied under Joseph-Robert Fleury. Later he attended The School for the Decorative Arts where he trained in both classical and modern design. Meunier started work at the Chaix print house in 1894 working under Cheret, the founder of the advertising poster movement. He drew his posters directly onto lithographic plates. He stayed until 1898. During his time there he designed 44 to 56 dated posters. Meunier became well known in Paris, his posters were exhibited in salons across the city. Source: "Georges Meunier, affichiste 1869-1942: exposition, Bibliothèque Forney, 20.05.-01.07.1978"

Ignace Pleyel (b. Ignaz, 1757-1831), Austrian of birth, set up as a piano manufacturer in 1807, aged 50. His early career was as a pianist and composer. He was Haydn's pupil at Eisenstadt, Austria. In 1795, he moved to Paris and set up a music publishing firm 'Maison Pleyel' that published thousands of works. In 1805, Ignace Pleyel joined forces with Charles Lemme, a well-known piano builder. Pleyel lacked the skills in piano building but had the money to invest. Their partnership lasted only a few years. After the split, Pleyel took on foreign workers, and set up his own business building square pianos and harps. It was a time of economic decline and his business suffered. By 1822, when Ignace formed a partnership with his son Camille and Pleyel had only sold approximately 600 pianos. In the late 1820's Pleyel became associated with the famous teacher Kalkbrenner which brought in fresh money and clients. The company received its first gold medal at the 1827 expo (followed by 1827, 1834, 1839 and 1844). In 1832, Chopin gave his first concert at the Salons Pleyel, rue Cadet. This proved to be the best marketing for the company and its success went from strength to strength.

6. An 1897, Rococo Style, Bechstein Grand Piano with Brass Ormulu Mounts 

Reference Number: 1598 An 1897 , Bechstein grand piano with a rosewood case in Louis XV, rococo style. Ornate, brass Ormulu Mounts cover the entire case. The pierced, legs mimic the shape of the piano lyre. This Bechstein piano formerly belonge resided at Swinton Park, North Yorkshire and belonged to William Whitelaw, Home Secretary under Margaret Thatcher.

William Stephen Ian Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw, KT, CH, MC, PC, DL (28 June 1918 - 1 July 1999), often known as Willie Whitelaw, was a British Conservative Party politician who served in a wide number of Cabinet positions, most notably as Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister.

Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon, North Yorkshire. The Cunliffe-Lister family (who later took the Swinton title), bought Swinton Park, a blackened stone stately home on the outskirts of Masham in the early 1880's. At the time, the estate had been shortlisted by Queen Victoria as a possible country residence, but she chose Sandringham in Norfolk instead, where the shooting was said to be a little less challenging. There is a strong political history at Swinton Park visitors include Churchill and Chamberlain. Scratchy cine-film footage is available to guests on a homespun video, showing Harold Macmillan and Rab Butler enjoying a snifter on the neighbouring grouse moors. 'Willie' Whitelaw was a regular and Ted Heath and Reggie Maudling were filmed meeting on the Swinton lawns. Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk and http://www.morethangoodmanners.com

6. An 1897, Rococo Style, Bechstein Grand Piano with Brass Ormulu Mounts 

Reference Number: 1669 A 1902, Bechstein Model C grand piano with a mahogany case, inlaid with a variety of woods in an Art Nouveau design of flowers and tendrils. This piano had one previous owner Julius Gutermann, a wealthy victorian industrialist.

Professor Dr. Sonja Günther, an Art Nouveau specialist wrote in a description of the piano 'Der Flügel ist etwas streng in der Kontur; die Ornamentik symmetrisch. Sie deutet in ihrer Herkunft auf Darmstadt hin.' 'The piano is somewhat severe in outline, the ornamentation symmetrical. That points its origin back to Darmstadt, Germany'

The piano was delivered to Julius Gütermann to the town of Gutach / Breisgau. Bechstein's sending journal (the only written paper that made it through the WW in Berlin), states: Serial Number 61262 was sent on 30th of November 1902. The piano was delivered to the Villa Orehta, named after his 6 children: Oskar, Richard, Erich, Hedwig, Thea and Annie. The Gütermann family is renowned for its manufacture of stitching silks. Gütermann & Co. was founded in Vienna in 1864 by Max Gütermann specailising in the production of silk threads from raw silk. At the age of 36 in 1864, Max Gütermann founded the company Gütermann & Co. in Vienna, at that time the largest transshipment point for silk. At first he purchased already-spun and twisted yarn spun from silk waste and had it dyed, wound onto cards and bobbins before selling it on. Three years after the foundation of the company in 1867, Max Gütermann purchased a site in Gutach in what was then the Grand Duchy of Baden and moved the company headquarters into the Elztal. This was a path-breaking decision because the company headquarters is still located here today. At the fifth world exhibition in Vienna in 1873, Max Gütermann presents a revolutionary innovation: the sale of sewing silks in units of length - instead of, as previously, according to weight.

7. Arts and Crafts Ibach Grand Piano Designed by Dutch Architect Pierre Joseph Hubert Cuypers 

Reference Number: 1279 A 1916, German Arts and Crafts, Ibach grand piano with a mahogany case and carved panel detail. Rectangular lyre with 3 circular columns. Rectangular style and columns continued on legs with carved foliage detail at top. Piano cheeks feature square cut indents. Music desk features twisted brass spindles.

This Ibach piano serial number 49571 is one of four ever made. It was designed by a Dutch architect, Theodorus Joannes Josephus (Joseph) Cuypers (Roermond, June 10, 1861 - Meerssen, January 20, 1949). Cuypers is predominantly noted as the architect of many Catholic churches. He was a knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion and Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. He was a son of the architect Pierre Cuypers and singer Antoinette Alberdingk Thyme. He trained at the Polytechnic in Delft, where he graduated in 1883 and then worked as an assistant to his father in his business.

The Arts and Crafts Movement was an international design movement that flourished between 1880 and 1910. The movement stood for traditional craftsmanship using simple forms and often applied medieval, romantic or folk styles of decoration. It sought to reassert the importance of design and craftsmanship in all the arts in the face of increasing industrialization, which was felt was sacrificing quality in the pursuit of quantity. Arts and Crafts objects were simple in form, without superfluous or excessive decoration, and how they were constructed was often still visible. They tended to emphasize the qualities of the materials used. The movement was successful in raising the status of the craftsman and promoting respect for native materials and traditions.

8. Biedermeier Style , Steinway Model M Grand Piano with a Mahogany Case  

Reference Number: 1761 A Biedermeier style, Steinway Model M grand piano with a french polished, mahogany case and stringing inlay. Piano has five baluster legs. Design based on the first piano made by Heinrich Steinweg in 1836. The piano has high cheeks with a folding lid with the appearance of a square piano from a front view. Instrument in original condition.

Steinway Origins Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg first made pianos in 1820s from his house in Seesen, Germany. He made pianos under the Steinweg brand until he emigrated from Germany to America in 1850 with his wife and eight of his nine children. The eldest son, C.F. Theodor Steinweg, remained in Germany, and continued making the Steinweg brand of pianos, partnering with Friedrich Grotrian, a piano dealer, from 1856 to 1865. In 1853, Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg founded Steinway & Sons in the Manhattan district of New York City.

Biedermeier is a style of furniture design from Germany from the period 1815 - 1848. It is based on utilitarian principles and emphasis was kept upon clean lines and minimal ornamentation. Biedermeier furniture was the first style in the world that emanated from the growing middle class. It preceded Victoriana and influenced mainly Germanic-speaking countries. As the period progressed, however, the style moved from the early rebellion against the overly ornate Romantic era to increasingly extravagant commissions from a rising middle class, eager to show their newfound wealth.

9. Biedermeier Style , Steinway Model M Grand Piano with a Mahogany Case  

A 1900, Schiedmayer grand piano with an Art-Deco case inlaid with mother of pearl, lapis lazuli and malachite in geometric designs. The lid design resembles an angels wing. Music desk made from brass with a sunburst design. Legs feature geometric square pillar design this is also echoed in the piano lyre. This Schiedmayer piano was designed by Peter Behrens.

In 1899 Peter Behrens was invited to build a house on land bought from Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and the Rhine. The Grand Duke, a noble friend of the arts, sold land to seven artists, Peter Behrens, Joseph Maria Olbrich, Patriz Huber, Rudolf Bosselt, Hans Christiansen, Paul Bürck and Ludwig Habich. The Artist Colony of Darmstadt was born. Peter Behrens' house was the most expensive villa built there. Peter Behrens spared no cost at bringing his design to life. He designed two wall mosaics for the music room produced by Villeroy & Boch. Behrens gave his grand piano design to the Schiedmayer Pianofortefabrik in the town of Stuttgart as he had been impressed by other Schiedmayer art case pianos. The brass inlay of the company's name Schiedmayer was made in Peter Behrens own typography, the "Behrens Letters" designed in 1900. Today the location of the original sketch made by Professor Behrens is not known. There are a lot of black and white pictures of the Schiedmayer grand piano in all kind of art lovers magazines. In the catalog of the House Behrens the piano is described as "grand piano made of grey maple with black feet and inlays of natural wood". The colour pictures tell another story. Peter Behrens has designed an art deco piano thirty years before its time. Its wonderful design and the inlays of mother of pearl, lapis lazuli and malachite are unique and breathtaking.

Peter Behrens (April 14, 1868 - February 27, 1940) was a German architect and designer. Known initially as a German Art Nouveau or Jugendstil artist, he was later founder of the German Werkbund and in 1907 went on to be an artistic consultant for AEG. He designed the entire corporate identity the logotype, product design, publicity, etc. and for that he is considered the first industrial designer in history. In 1910, Behrens designed the AEG Turbine Factory. His students and assistants were Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Adolf Meyer, Jean Kramer and Walter Gropius.

11. Steinway Model B Grand Piano with an Ebonised Case and Carved, Barrel Legs. Designed by Oskar Kaufmann  

A Steinway model B grand piano with an ebonised case. Case features three tiered mouldings at base. Music desk has a geometric filigree design. Piano has three barrel legs each carved with figures playing musical instruments and floral relief detail. The Steinway piano was commissioned by Leo Lewin circa 1910 for his villa in Breslau, Germany.

Leo Lewin came from a family of textile producers. The family became wealthy during the first world war selling large orders of military clothing. Lewin was a prolific art collector and in 1917 purchased a spacious villa in order to create an exhibition space for his collection of paintings. Initially a collector of German art works by artists such as Liebermann, Slevogt and Menzel what made his collection truly famous was his acquisition of canvasses from leading European painters such as Manet, Monet and Picasso. The collection was known as the Silesian art collection. Leo Lewin commissioned Oskar Kaufmann to design the interior of his villa including the design of all the furniture. The piano was one of the pieces specifically designed for the Lewin villa and was situated in the music room. Leo Lewin and his family escaped Germany at the beginning of the second world war emigrating to Great Britain. They were forced to sell much of the art collection, however, eight containers of furniture and paintings arrived in the UK including the Kaufmann Steinway piano. The piano has remained in the Lewin family ever since. Source: http://www.silesiancollections.eu

Oskar Kaufmann was an Hungarian-Jewish architect born in 1873. He is noted for his design of the Krolloper, the Hebbel Theater and the Renaissance Theater, all located in Berlin, the Neue Stadttheater in Vienna and the Habima Theater in Tel Aviv. He gained a strong reputation as a theater architect however, the first world war had a large impact on his business. It was around this time Kaufmann began taking on private commissions for private villas. Many of these villas still stand today. Leo Lewin's villa in Breslau is one of these.

9. An 1885, Bluthner grand piano with a black case. Piano features pillar legs with arches and an ornate filigree music desk in a design of flowers and stems  

An 1885, Bluthner grand piano with a black case. Piano features pillar legs with arches and an ornate filigree music desk in a design of flowers and stems. Formerly owned by Sir Arthur Bliss, Master of the Queens Music. Sir Arthur Edward Bliss, CH, KCVO (2 August 1891 - 27 March 1975) was an English composer and conductor. Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army. In the post-war years he quickly became known as an unconventional and modernist composer, but within the decade he began to display a more traditional and romantic side in his music. In the 1920s and 1930s he composed extensively not only for the concert hall, but also for films and ballet. In the Second World War, Bliss returned to England from the US to work for the BBC and became its director of music. After the war he resumed his work as a composer, and was appointed Master of the Queen's Music. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Arthur_Bliss

12. An Ibach upright piano with a rococo style case and gilt detail.  

Reference Number: 1819 Rococo also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century artistic movement and style, which affected several aspects of the arts including painting, sculpture, architecture, interior design, decoration, literature, music and theatre. The Rococo developed in the early part of the 18th century in Paris, France as a reaction against the grandeur, symmetry and strict regulations of the Baroque, especially that of the Palace of Versailles.[1] In such a way, Rococo artists opted for a more jocular, florid and graceful approach to Baroque art and architecture. Rococo art and architecture in such a way was ornate and made strong usage of creamy, pastel-like colours, asymmetrical designs, curves and gold. Unlike the more politically focused Baroque, the Rococo had more playful and often witty artistic themes

13. Debain et Cie upright piano with an ebonised case intricately inlaid with ivory and covered with brass ormolu mounts  

Reference Number: 1066An art cased Debain et Cie upright piano with an ebony case. Intricately inlaid in bone with ink highlights in an empire design. Case covered with gilded bronze ornament in classical and Egyptian motifs. Piano features ornate swag handles and candlesticks.

14. Erard grand piano with an inlaid, mahogany case. A replica of Marie Antoinette's piano.  

Reference Number: 632An Erard grand piano with an inlaid, mahogany case. Cabinet features stunning flame mahogany panels accented by satinwood crossbanding inlaid with diamond ebony detail. Piano has six tapered, octagonal legs with stringing inlay and brass finials. Piano lyre has claw and ball feet. A replica of Marie Antoinette's piano.

Marie Antoinette, baptised Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, 2 November 1755 - 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria from 1755 to 1770, a Dauphine of France from 1770 to 1774 and the Queen of France and of Navarre from 1774 to 1792. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa. In April 1770, on the day of her marriage to Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France, she became Dauphine of France. Marie Antoinette assumed the title of Queen of France and of Navarre when her husband, Louis XVI of France, ascended the throne upon the death of Louis XV in May 1774. The Imperial family was one that thoroughly enjoyed music. Antonia herself learned to play the harpsichord, spinet and clavichord, as well as the harp, taught by Gluck (XVIII century composer). During the family's musical evenings, she would sing French songs and Italian arias. She also excelled at dancing - an accomplishment often remarked by those who saw her, whether friendly or hostile, having been carefully trained in it since her early youth. She had an "exquisite" poise and a famously graceful deportment; Horace Walpole once quoted Virgil as to her gait, saying, "vera incessu patuit dea" (she was in truth revealed to be a goddess by her step). Under the guidance of Gluck, she excelled to some extent in her musical endeavors.

14. A Steinway Model M grand piano with a black and white case designed by Swedish Architect Ivar Tengbom  

Reference Number: 1974 A Steinway Model M grand piano with a black and white case designed by Swedish Architect Ivar Tengbom. Piano features a minimal geometric piano lyre, square piano cheeks, octagonal, tapered facetted legs and a cut out music desk. The design emphasises the piano's planar qualities.

Ivar Tengbom was born in Vireda in Jönköping County, Sweden. He studied at the Chalmers School of Technology in Gothenburg 1894-1898, at the architecture school of the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm 1898-1901 and abroad 1905-1906. He worked 1906-1912 with Ernst Torulf in Stockholm and Gothenburg 1906-1912, and on his own from 1912 in Stockholm. He was appointed architect in the Office of the Chief Intendant in 1906 and professor of architecture in the Royal Swedish College of Art in 1916. He became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in 1917. In 1921 he was appointed Director General of the State Office of Construction (Byggnadsstyrelsen). In the 1920s he made the design for the building of the Stockholm School of Economics (1925) and the Stockholm Concert Hall (1923 - 1926) at Hötorget Square. The home of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and known as the place where the Nobel Prize ceremony takes place, the Hall, a light-blue building with a portico with tall, slender polygonal columns with corinthian capitals. The concert hall is probably Tengbom's best-known building and, together with Gunnar Asplund's Stockholm Public Library, the most widely recognized example of the neo-classical architecture of the Swedish 1920s, in English referred to as Swedish Grace.