August Förster
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[edit] The August Förster Piano Manufacturing Company
The August Förster piano manufacturing company (also rendered "Foerster," occasionally "Forster," officially "August Förster GmbH Kunsthandwerklicher Flügel-und-Pianobau") had its humble beginnings in the middle of the 19th century. The founder August Förster, after successfully apprenticing as a cabinetmaker and already possessing skill at repairing musical instruments, began turning his efforts toward the idea of piano-making. After studying the craft of building pianos with Hieke and Karl August Eule, Förster passed the Pianomaking Exam, which was required of all craftspersons for official certification. Finally, on April 1, 1859, Förster opened a small piano workshop in Löbau, Germany. After garnering some early success and with an eye to the future, he opened 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 quickly pushed ahead with plans to open a nearby second factory. As their export sales had languished under the high tariffs imposed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, this factory was to be just across the border in Georgswalde (Jiříkov), Bohemia, in what would later become Czechoslovakia and ultimately the Czech Republic. Beginning production in 1900, the additional output of instruments from this second facility neatly circumvented import duties which the company had struggled with since 1886.
In 1945 however, this factory in Georgswalde was nationalized. Under new state-sanctioned management many pianos of good quality were produced, but since 1945 these 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.
Early in the history of the company the Förster piano was quickly recognized for its quality, winning numerous international awards and accolades. In the 1920s and 30s, progressive designs such as the Quarter-Tone Grand Piano and the Electrochord were introduced. In addition, many prominent musicians have favored the German-made Förster piano. Among them have been Richard Strauss 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 and Anton Kuerti are also noted for their regard of the August Förster piano.
The more recent history of the Förster piano company has seen both struggle and triumph. 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, who in stalwart fashion protected and maintained the unique character of his pianos, the company was annexed as part of the German Piano-Union, Leipzig. Even though political forces promoted the new nationalist name for the company, the Förster name continued to survive due to its recognition on the international market. 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. Despite the power of the German Piano-Union at this time, other members of the family continued to hold important positions within the company. Alongside Wolfgang Förster, they maintained an influence over manufacturing and design decisions. Considering the amount of family involvement that remained within the company after it had been nationalized, it should come as no surprise that Förster instruments continued to win awards, including the "Verleihung der Goldmedaille für den Rokokoflügel" in 1987.
Today, the German-made August Förster piano enjoys an enviable reputation as one of the world’s great piano marks. An August Förster piano was seen by audiences worldwide as the featured instrument in the movie, "The Pianist." 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. 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.
The August Förster company currently has a staff of 40 employees and produces around 120 grand pianos and 150 uprights per year. Unusual for a piano manufacturer, the same craftspersons who build the grands are the same workers responsible for constructing the uprights. Also unusual, every string is individually terminated (single strung). Grand pianos are produced in four sizes: 5 feet 8 inches (Model 170), 6 feet 4 inches (Model 190), 7 feet 2 inches (Model 215) and 9 feet 1 inch (Model 275 Super Mondial). Other sizes in the past have included 5 feet 3 inches and 7 feet 4 inches. Since the time of the earliest examples in 1859, the August Förster piano has never failed to be the recipient of the piano community’s praises. Noted especially for its warm tone color, powerful bass and lyrical treble, it continues to be the instrument of choice for thousands of pianists worldwide.
[edit] References
- "Altenburg Piano Hosts August Forster." Music Trades 148.9 (2000): 53.
- Ehrlich, Cyril. The Piano: A History. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1990. ISBN-10: 0198161719
- Fine, Larry. The Piano Book: Buying and Owning a New or Used Piano, Fourth Edition. Jamaica Plain, MA: Brookside Press, 2005. ISBN-10: 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-10: 0804745498
- "Official Website of August Förster GmbH." Grands. Löbau, Germany: 2005. Nov. 13, 2007 <http://www.august-foerster.de/>.
- "Official Website of August Förster GmbH." History. Löbau, Germany: 2005. Nov. 13, 2007 <http://www.august-foerster.de/>.
- "Official Website of August Förster GmbH." Today. Löbau, Germany: 2005. Nov. 13, 2007 <http://www.august-foerster.de/>.
- Williams, John-Paul. The Piano: An Inspirational Guide to the Piano and Its Place in History. New York: Billboard Books, 2002. ISBN-10: 0823081516
[edit] 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 |
[edit] Current Upright Piano Models
| Model Number | Overall Length | Net Weight | Length of Longest Bass String |
|---|---|---|---|
| 116 | 46" | 220 kg | 1250 mm |
| 125 | 49" | 265 kg | 1350 mm |
