Fortepiano after Stein

This elegant instrument, after Johann Andreas Stein, has a full five octaves on the keyboard (FF-f''') but is more like a harpsichord than a piano in its dimensions. It follows quite faithfully the appearance of Andreas Stein's pianos, even to the paneled lid and fluted legs. Its distinctive sound depends on Stein's rather small bridge on top of the the soundboard and the much more massive "counter bridge" that runs parallel to the bridge but under the soundboard. The timbre is clear, bright and open, and the treble is strong (a crucial test for any fortepiano, where the tone is often weak).

In the action we have kept the lightness of Stein's hammers, but have modified the escapement to conform to the later Vienneses principle of kein Nachdruch, so that the hammer stays under the control of the finger all the way to the string.

And we have added a proper backcheck mounted to the key frame so it is nicely adjustable.

The only flaw with Stein's case construction we could find was his wrestplank, and so we have made that heavier. The original Stein action was a major invention in the development of the early piano but it was very quickly improved by Walter and others, and we see no reason why the modern musician should be deprived of the best possible action by a false sense of reverence for the "authenticities".

This is a very practical, sturdy instrument with a clean, crisp action and a sound that is powerful enough to use with an orchestra. Almost immediately after Stein, the fortepiano became larger and heavier (even with the five-octave range) in the search for more power and a darker tonal sound. We quite prefer this "earlier" sound of the fortepiano, however, for its outspoken clarity and for the lightness of its action.