August Förster
Encyclopedia
The August Förster piano
manufacturing company (also rendered "Foerster," occasionally "Forster," officially "August Förster GmbH Kunsthandwerklicher Flügel-und-Pianobau") currently has a staff of 40 employees and produces around 120 grand pianos and 150 uprights per year.
, Germany, expanding to a factory on Löbau’s Jahn Street in 1862. Still in use today, this facility has been enlarged and modernized by the Förster family and remains the exclusive site for the manufacture of the original August Förster piano.
In 1897, Caesar Förster succeeded his father August as manager of the company, and opened a second factory in Georgswalde (Jiříkov
), Bohemia (later Czechoslovakia
and the Czech Republic
) in 1900.
In 1937 the company manufactured one of the first electric piano
s, the “Vierling-Förster” piano, developed by Oskar Vierling at the Heinrich Institute for Oscillation Research at the Technical University of Berlin
using electromagnetic
pickups.
In 1945 the factory in Georgswalde was nationalized. Under new state-sanctioned management many pianos of good quality were produced, but since 1945 the Czech-made pianos have had no connection or relationship to the German August Förster piano. This "other" August Förster is currently produced in the Czech Republic by the Petrof
(also rendered "Petroff," "Petrov") Piano Company, and sold in Canada and certain European countries.
In 1972, the final phase of East German nationalization transformed the company into the state-owned "VEB Fluegel-und-Pianobau Loebau." Although still under the management of Wolfgang Förster, the company was annexed as part of the German Piano-Union, Leipzig. The family name was added back into the official company name in 1976, resulting in instruments branded "VEB Förster Pianos Loebau." Also in 1976, the company began its first exports to the United States.
and Sergei Prokofiev
, both owners of Förster pianos, and Giacomo Puccini
, who wrote a number of his operas while working at a Förster piano. Robert Fischer, Alex Duke and Anton Kuerti
are also noted for their regard of the August Förster piano.
In The Piano Book by Larry Fine
, the German-made August Förster piano receives the highest possible rating in the areas of performance, quality control, and confidence (Fine’s term for general durability). In his "Group 1: Highest Quality Performance Pianos" category, Fine ranks the modern August Förster piano as superior to such internationally respected instruments as C. Bechstein
, Fazioli
, Grotrian, and Steinway & Sons
. In addition, Fine praises the modern Förster piano for its "remarkable bass," and also comments on a particular "responsiveness" of the Renner action when observed in the Förster application.
."
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
manufacturing company (also rendered "Foerster," occasionally "Forster," officially "August Förster GmbH Kunsthandwerklicher Flügel-und-Pianobau") currently has a staff of 40 employees and produces around 120 grand pianos and 150 uprights per year.
History
On April 1, 1859, August Förster opened a small piano workshop in LöbauLobau
The Lobau is a Vienna floodplain on the northern side of the Danube and partly in Großenzersdorf, Lower Austria. It has been part of the Danube-Auen National Park since 1996 and has been a protected area since 1978. It is used as a recreational area and is known as a site of nudism. There is...
, Germany, expanding to a factory on Löbau’s Jahn Street in 1862. Still in use today, this facility has been enlarged and modernized by the Förster family and remains the exclusive site for the manufacture of the original August Förster piano.
In 1897, Caesar Förster succeeded his father August as manager of the company, and opened a second factory in Georgswalde (Jiříkov
Jiríkov
Jiříkov is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 3,800 inhabitants.-External links:*...
), Bohemia (later Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
) in 1900.
In 1937 the company manufactured one of the first electric piano
Electric piano
An electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
s, the “Vierling-Förster” piano, developed by Oskar Vierling at the Heinrich Institute for Oscillation Research at the Technical University of Berlin
Technical University of Berlin
The Technische Universität Berlin is a research university located in Berlin, Germany. Translating the name into English is discouraged by the university, however paraphrasing as Berlin Institute of Technology is recommended by the university if necessary .The TU Berlin was founded...
using electromagnetic
Electromagnetism
Electromagnetism is one of the four fundamental interactions in nature. The other three are the strong interaction, the weak interaction and gravitation...
pickups.
In 1945 the factory in Georgswalde was nationalized. Under new state-sanctioned management many pianos of good quality were produced, but since 1945 the Czech-made pianos have had no connection or relationship to the German August Förster piano. This "other" August Förster is currently produced in the Czech Republic by the Petrof
Petrof
Petrof is a Czech piano maker. The company was founded in 1864 in Hradec Králové by Antonín Petrof who had studied piano making in Vienna.-History of PETROF:...
(also rendered "Petroff," "Petrov") Piano Company, and sold in Canada and certain European countries.
In 1972, the final phase of East German nationalization transformed the company into the state-owned "VEB Fluegel-und-Pianobau Loebau." Although still under the management of Wolfgang Förster, the company was annexed as part of the German Piano-Union, Leipzig. The family name was added back into the official company name in 1976, resulting in instruments branded "VEB Förster Pianos Loebau." Also in 1976, the company began its first exports to the United States.
Noted Customers
Many prominent musicians have favored the German-made Förster piano. Among them have been Richard StraussRichard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
and Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
, both owners of Förster pianos, and Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
, who wrote a number of his operas while working at a Förster piano. Robert Fischer, Alex Duke and Anton Kuerti
Anton Kuerti
Anton Kuerti, OC is an Austrian-born Canadian pianist, music teacher, composer, and conductor. Since his performance of the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Boston Pops Orchestra at age 11, he has developed international recognition as a solo pianist, particularly focusing on the works of Beethoven...
are also noted for their regard of the August Förster piano.
Awards
Förster pianos have won many awards for quality and tone, including the "Verleihung der Goldmedaille für den Rokokoflügel" in 1987.In The Piano Book by Larry Fine
Larry Fine (pianos)
Larry Fine is an American piano technician, consultant, and author. He is best known as the author of The Piano Book.The Piano Book, in its fourth edition, describes how pianos work, discusses and reviews many brands of pianos, tracks changes in the piano industry worldwide, describes the retail...
, the German-made August Förster piano receives the highest possible rating in the areas of performance, quality control, and confidence (Fine’s term for general durability). In his "Group 1: Highest Quality Performance Pianos" category, Fine ranks the modern August Förster piano as superior to such internationally respected instruments as C. Bechstein
C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik
C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik AG is a German manufacturer of pianos, established in 1853 by Carl Bechstein.-Before Bechstein:...
, Fazioli
Fazioli
Fazioli Pianoforti is a piano manufacturing company based in Sacile, Italy.Fazioli currently produces 110 pianos a year from its single factory, and has annual revenues of €6 million.- History :...
, Grotrian, and Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
. In addition, Fine praises the modern Förster piano for its "remarkable bass," and also comments on a particular "responsiveness" of the Renner action when observed in the Förster application.
In popular culture
An August Förster piano was seen by audiences worldwide as the featured instrument in the movie, "The PianistThe Pianist (2002 film)
The Pianist is a 2002 biographical war film directed by Roman Polanski, starring Adrien Brody. It is an adaptation of the autobiography of the same name by Jewish-Polish musician Władysław Szpilman...
."
Current Grand Piano Models
| Model Number | Overall Length | Net Weight | Length of Longest Bass String |
|---|---|---|---|
| 170 | 5' 8" | 319 kg | 1385 mm |
| 190 | 6' 4" | 385 kg | 1480 mm |
| 215 | 7' 2" | 470 kg | 1750 mm |
| 275 | 9' 1" | 550 kg | 2080 mm |
Current Upright Piano Models
| Model Number | Overall Length | Net Weight | Length of Longest Bass String |
|---|---|---|---|
| 116 | 46" | 220 kg | 1280 mm |
| 125 | 49" | 265 kg | 1350 mm |
Further reading
- "Altenburg Piano Hosts August Forster." Music Trades 148.9 (2000): 53.
- Ehrlich, Cyril. The Piano: A History. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1990. ISBN 0198161719
- Fine, Larry. The Piano Book: Buying and Owning a New or Used Piano, Fourth Edition. Jamaica Plain, MA: Brookside Press, 2005. ISBN 1929145012
- Good, Edwin. Giraffes, Black Dragons, and Other Pianos: A Technological History from Cristofori to the Modern Concert Grand, Second Edition. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0804745498
- Williams, John-Paul. The Piano: An Inspirational Guide to the Piano and Its Place in History. New York: Billboard Books, 2002. ISBN 0823081516