Steinway Vertegrand

Sketch from a 1907 advert for the Steinway Vertegrand

The Model K or "Vertegrand" is an upright piano made by Steinway & Sons.

History

The Steinway Vertegrand, also known as the Model K, was introduced in 1903 at a cost of $500 USD[1] (approximately US$12,000 in 2013). The name "Vertegrand" displayed along the top of the iron frame reflects the instrument's size relative to Steinway's lineup; at 52"/132cm it is smaller than the 54.3"/138cm "Upright Grand" scale (Model I in New York; Model R in Hamburg) introduced in 1894 but larger than the 49"/125cm scale that would become the Model V. [2]

A 1910 advert in the New-York Tribune described the piano as "the embodiment of scientific research and musical progress of the Twentieth Century."[3] Gustav Mahler said that he "never imagined that an upright piano could be constructed which would satisfy a musician's requirements in every respect."[4]

Along with Steinway's other upright models, the Model K was discontinued in the wake of the Great Depression. It reappeared in 1982 as the Model K52, now occupying the top of the maker's vertical piano offering. The Hamburg factory followed with the similar Model K132. Although the modern Model K has essentially the same dimensions and string scale of the original, the "Vertegrand" nomenclature was not retained.

The 1905 "Mrs Mills" model owned by Abbey Road Studios

One particular Vertegrand is owned by Abbey Road Studios in London. It was frequently played by Mrs Mills, and as such became known as the "Mrs Mills piano". The 1905 piano was bought by the studios in 1953 for £404 (approximately £10,000 in 2013).[5] Engineer Stuart Eltham had a Steinway technician modify the piano to create an "older" sound; the hammers were treated with lacquer to harden them to emulate the bright sound of a tack piano.[6] The piano is kept slightly de-tuned to further the old-time barroom tone—as all but the lowest keys on the piano have more than one string, subtly detuning one of the strings per key gives a chorus effect.[7][8]

This piano was used by the Beatles in the recording of songs such as "Lady Madonna",[6] "She's a Woman",[6] "I Want to Tell You"[9] and "Penny Lane".[10] In addition, the band used it over the middle section of "Rocky Raccoon"[11] and in the introduction to "With a Little Help from My Friends".[10]

Dhani Harrison—the son of Beatle George Harrison—recorded the soundtrack to the 2013 film Beautiful Creatures at Abbey Road with his band Thenewno2. He and the band were excited about the prospect of using the piano, saying, "If you could see [the] piano's discography, it would put most artists to shame [...] This one piano, this poor little piano, has been on everything. And they just leave her in the corner. She's just sitting there in the corner. So when we got there, we were like, 'Mrs. Mills!'"[12]

References

  1. ↑ "The Goal of Perfection". Country Life in America: 623. October 1907.
  2. ↑ "Five Steinway Pianos for the Ages". Steinway & Sons. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "The Steinway Vertegrand". New-York Tribune. 30 January 1910.
  4. ↑ Roman, Zoltan (1989). Gustav Mahler's American years, 1907–1911: a documentary history. Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press. p. 335. ISBN 0918728738.
  5. ↑ Hemmingsen, Piers A. "Mrs Mills Rocks". Capitol 6000. Capitol Records. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 O'Keefe, Phil. "Keyboards of the Beatles era". Harmony Central. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  7. ↑ "Abbey Road Keyboards announced". Propellerhead. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  8. ↑ Vail, Mark. "Guide to Abbey Road Keyboards" (PDF). Kreativ Sounds. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  9. ↑ Fontenot, Robert (14 March 2015). "The Beatles Songs: 'I Want to Tell You' – The history of this classic Beatles song". oldies.about.com. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  10. 1 2 Seale, Jack. "That Week On TV: Let's Have a Party! The Piano Genius of Mrs Mills". Radio Times. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Fontenot, Robert. "The Beatles Songs: Rocky Raccoon". About. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Holslin, Peter. "Dhani Harrison on Recording at Abbey Road: 'It Didn't Freak Me Out'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
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