Grand Piano
Austrian, 18th century
Johann Jakob Könnicke
Vienna, ca. 1795

Jakob Könnicke (c. 1756-1811) moved from his native Brunswick to Vienna by 1790. There he made instruments modeled closely after those of Johann Andreas Stein. The Yale instrument is a good representative of the flowering of the first stage of the development of the piano in the five-octave Viennese “fortepiano” in the last quarter of the 18th century. For such instruments Haydn, Mozart and the young Beethoven wrote their keyboard works.

Compass: 5 octaves and 3 notes: FF to g'''. An enameled plaque on the nameboard is inscribed: "Joh. Jakob Koennicke / Buergerl. Instrumentenma / cher in Wien". The case is veneered with rosewood; the lid is of walnut. The turned legs are later replacements. Length 215.3 cm; width 98.4 cm; depth of case 28.3cm. Octave span: 15.6cm. Scale: c'' = 28.3cm Viennese action (Prellzungenmechanik, with metal Kapseln and back check Two knee levers: the left activates a "piano stop" (moderator); the right raises the dampers.

Gift Morris Steinert
Accession No. 4971.1900