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A white piano in an empty room with a bench.

March 21 2019

Haessler Acrylic Pianos – A Well Kept Secret And A Family Affair

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When it comes to pianos, there is a world of fascinating stories, history and inventions that are hard to ignore. The Bluthner – Haessler story is just such a complex and inspiring tale.

This is a Haessler acrylic upright piano. The inner action of the instrument can be seen through the acrylic, making it one of the most interesting and fun uprights on the market.

Most people have no idea of the difficult series of intricate and unknown steps that led to the creation of this instrument, but it’s a story worth telling.

Haessler transparent acrylic upright piano

It all began in Leipzig, Germany.

Julius Bluthner

In the piano world, Bluthner is a famous, highly reputable name. The master German piano builder, Julius Bluthner, began his enterprise in 1853 and at one time sold more pianos than any other manufacturer in Europe. Family-owned and operated, the quality of Bluthner’s instruments ranked the company as a national treasure, with customers such as Queen Victoria, Tsar Nicholas II, the Danish King, the German Emperor, the Turkish Sultan and the king of Saxony Well known artists like Mahler, Brahms, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Schumann and Tchaikovsky were guests in the Bluthner home and proudly promoted the Bluthner name.

Julius had eight children and three of his four sons joined the business and were as passionate as their father in building the best pianos in the world.

Julius Bluthner

Robert Bluthner

Max, Bruno and Robert Bluthner continued the business with the successful family formula. When Robert’s daughter married Dr. Rudolph Haessler, a successful merchant and lawyer, he was soon embraced into the Bluthner piano world. Robert legally adopted his new son-in-law, to incorporate the Bluthner name with Haessler, merging the surnames for the sake of the business.

Rudolph Bluthner-Haessler

Robert died in 1932, and his son-in-law took over the Bluthner factory. It was the same year the German Admiralty commissioned a lightweight piano built for the famous Hindenburg dirigible. It was an international event, and a huge success for Bluthner, when the airship crossed the Atlantic with a concert performed on board, and Dr. Rudolph Bluthner Haessler in attendance.

Haessler Acrylic Pianos – A Well Kept Secret And A Family Affair

Rudolph Bluthner-Haessler was at the helm in 1943 when the factory was bombed in a World War II air raid and completely destroyed three generations of work in a matter of minutes. All was lost.

Leipzig 1948

It was through Bluthner-Haessler’s massive efforts and visionary perseverance that the factory was rebuilt. The Soviet occupation did not much help private enterprise, but rebuild he did, and in 1948, pianos began to ship once again. The Bluthner national treasure was also shipping pianos to Leningrad and Moscow conservatories, which might account for what cooperation he could get.

Ingbert Bluthner-Haessler

“Quality above everything” was the Bluthner philosophy, and when Rudolph died in 1966, his son, (and the great grandson of Julius Bluthner) Ingbert Bluthner-Haessler took over the company. He weathered the East German nationalization of the company in 1972, and with great difficulty maintained the directorship, keeping the enterprise in the family, until the wall came down in 1989. Thanks to Ingbert, the Bluthner brand survived intact and had regained its standing in the world and flourishes.

Letting no grass grow under their feet, a new concert hall, a new factory, and increased sales all point to a bright future.

Haessler – A New Line Of Pianos

Haessler Classic Grand Piano

In the 1990’s, Ingbert, with his two sons already trained and involved in the business, started a new line of pianos just as his great grandfather had done. The line carries the name of Haessler, and they incorporate all of the excellence and knowhow of the Bluthner instruments, with a few technical bells and whistles (like aliquot stringing) omitted to cut the pricing by 25%, making a more affordable Bluthner for the West’s ever increasing appetites for high-end pianos.

Lucid Bluthner – A New Line Of Transparent Pianos

At the other end of the spectrum, Bluthner began a full line of exquisite transparent high-end pianos made from 100% quality acrylic. By forming a partnership with Lucid Pianos, a Spanish company solely creating acrylic instruments, the new Lucid line of acrylic pianos now carry the Bluthner name, as well as the German technology made so famous since 1853 under the see-through lid.

It is the brilliant combinations of 160 years of expertise combined with vision for the future that make Bluthner and Haessler such important contenders in the industry.

Haessler Acrylic Pianos

So, rather than a simple happy ending, it’s the beginning of a new story of the affordable acrylic Haessler pianos – a pretty well kept secret, if you ask me.

Haessler transparent upright

A woman in black dress holding a microphone.

March 14 2019

Ariana Grande Sang us a Sweet Love Song at the 2015 Grammy Awards

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Long before she gave us girl power anthems like ‘God is a Woman’, ‘7 Rings’ and the iconic, ‘thank you, next’, 25-year-old Ariana Grande sang us a sweet love song at the 2015 Grammy Awards.

Ariana Grande arrives at the 57th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California February 8, 2015. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

The 21-year-old singer performed her piano heavy hit, ‘Just a Little Bit of Your Heart,’ alongside a beautiful Lucid Bluthner grand piano. The dimly lit stage helped set the mood, with help from blue and purple lighting accents. The pint-sized pop star stood alone at the mic, dressed in a beautiful black gown, and serenaded the audience with her angelic voice.

Ariana Grande Sang us a Sweet Love Song at the 2015 Grammy Awards

Ariana Grande performing at the 2015 Grammy Awards

Since 2015, Grande has grown increasingly popular at a fast rate. After starting her career on Broadway, she landed a major role in Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” and its spin-off, “Sam and Cat.” Her debut album, Yours Truly, was released in 2013. She has since released 3 wildly successful albums, including the incredible, ‘thank you, next’.

Grande is often compared to legendary songstress, Mariah Carey. After winning a Grammy, a BRIT, 3 American Music Awards, 3 MTV Europe Music Awards, and 2 MTV Video Music Awards, it’s safe to say Grande’s career is headed in a similar direction.

Similar to Arianna, Lucid Bluthner pianos are quickly rising in popularity, as well. Lucid pianos are an instrument most only dream of owning. The combination of modern acrylic design intertwined with the high-quality performance standard of Bluthner, makes for a show stopping art piece.

The use of over-the-top, modern pianos, like the Lucid Bluthner in live musical performances is becoming the latest trend. To date, we’ve seen Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Bruno Mars and Arianna Grande all on stage, flanked by gorgeous grand pianos.

The crystal Lucid Bluthner is absolutely stunning. Euro Pianos Naples can accommodate the choices, custom order, and delivery of this German-made beauty. It is available with LED lights, and can be customized in colors and graphics incomparable in their beauty. A luxury item, due to its 100% acrylic futuristic design and intricate manufacturing, the price is necessarily high-end and top of the line.

To achieve a similar look, Euro Pianos can introduce you to our own semi-transparent Aire™ baby grand at more affordable prices.

Aire™ Piano

The Aire™ is exclusively manufactured by Euro Pianos. Designed by Sunny Reuter, these pianos are the perfect mix of classic and modern. We are sure they will satisfy your needs with regard to performance, as well as give you that cutting-edge look.

The Aire™ pianos are available in bright red, jet black and crisp white. The lid, legs, and music stand are handmade with top grade acrylic, guaranteed not to yellow. To date, the Aire™ is the only American made acrylic piano on the market.

Whether you’re an experienced musician, an individual with an eye for interior design, or someone who enjoys entertaining without being taken away from their guests, (Installing a player system leaves you more time for hor d’oeuvres and happy hour martinis) the Aire™ piano is sure to be a perfect fit for you.

On her most recent hit, ‘7 Rings’, Miss Grande puts a pop spin on the classic, “My Favorite Things” by Julie Andrews. Similarly, Euro Pianos’ is giving consumers a new take on the classic baby grand piano, with our Aire.

Arianna Grande, shown here in the 7 Rings video

Prepare to hear plenty of “wows!!!” from your guests when they see the Aire™ floating effortlessly in your home. Like Arianna on ‘7 Rings’, you’ll be repeating “You want it? I got it! Gee thanks, just bought it” over and over again.

A flower with the words " our favorite music quotes ".

March 14 2019

Our Favorite Inspirational Music Quotes and Piano Quotes

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“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” Victor Hugo

“Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.” Robert Fripp

“No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious and charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful.” Kurt Vonnegut

“Music has a poetry of its own, and that poetry is called melody.” Joshua Logan

“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.” Lao Tzu

“Music is my religion.” Jimi Hendrix

“Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.” Ludwig van Beethoven

“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Bob Marley

“Music touches us emotionally, where words alone can’t.” Johnny Depp

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Berthold Auerbach

“Music can change the world because it can change people.” Bono

“Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.” Pablo Casals

“Where words fail, music speaks.” Hans Christian Andersen

“If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.” Charles Darwin

“Good music is good music, and everything else can go to hell.” Dave Matthews

“My music is a luxury.” Lana Del Rey

“I need music. It’s like my heartbeat, so to speak. It keeps me going no matter what’s going on – bad games, press, whatever!” Lebron James

“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” Billy Joel

“Music is really driving my whole life.” Ariana Grande

“If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together.” Richard M. Nixon

“Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.” Tom Lehrer

“Without a piano i don’t know how to stand, don’t know what to do with my hands.” Norah Jones

“When I had nothing else, i had my mother and the piano. And you know what? They were all i needed.” Alicia Keys

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” Plato

“If music be the food of love, play on.” William Shakespeare

“Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music.” Ronald Reagan

“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” Albert Einstein

“It’s like a whole orchestra, the piano for me.” Dave Brubeck

“I believe in using the entire piano as a single instrument capable of expressing every possible musical idea.” Oscar Peterson

“What has keys but can’t listen to the beauty it unlocks? A piano.” Jarod Kintz

“The important thing is to feel your music, really feel it and believe it.” Ray Charles

“Life is like a piano; the white keys represent happiness and the black show sadness. But as you go through life’s journey, remember that the black keys also create music.” Unknown

“Piano playing is a dying art. I love the fact that I can be one guy with one instrument evoking an emotional and musical experience.” Jon bon Jovi

“The piano keys are black and white but they sound like a million colors in your mind.” Maria Cristina Mena

“Piano is very elegant. I also think it’s a very truthful instrument.” Howard shore

“When you play, never mind who listens to you.” Robert Schumann

“If music is a place — then jazz is the city, folk is the wilderness, rock is the road, classical is a temple.” Vera Nazarian

“A great song should lift your heart, warm the soul and make you feel good.” Colbie Caillat

“Music comes from a place we don’t know.” Chris Martin (Coldplay)

A man in a red suit and black jacket standing on stage.

March 10 2019

LIBERACE – From Bluthner to Baldwin Crystals – “Mr. Showmanship”

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In his forty-year performing career, the megastar, Liberace, was one of the most widely-known and well-loved living pianists in the world. The son of Polish and Italian immigrants, Liberace performed in concerts, television, motion pictures, recorded, wrote books and made endorsements. At the height of his fame, from the 1950s to the 1970s, he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world with established Las Vegas “residence” bookings and an international touring schedule.

LIBERACE – From Bluthner to Baldwin Crystals – “Mr. Showmanship”

What is not as well known is that Liberace was a child prodigy, learning classical piano at aged four, with the encouragement of his father who played French horn with bands and wanted his entire family to be musical.

Liberace’s mother, before her marriage, had been a concert pianist, but considered music lessons for the children to be “luxuries” they couldn’t afford. His father opposed such thinking and took his children to concerts and set strict rules for musical practice and learning the classics.

During the Depression and hard times, at a young age, Liberace was able to find work as a musician in jazz groups, cabarets and strip clubs, under the disapproving eyes of his parents.

With the later help of music teacher Florence Kelly, who oversaw Liberace’s musical development for 10 years, he gained experience playing popular music in theaters, on local radio, for dancing classes, for clubs, and for weddings.

Always considered a bit fey by his classmates, he struggled in school with a speech impediment, and was teased for his effeminacy, love of piano, cooking and avoidance of sports.

At age fifteen, the young prodigy won a scholarship to the Wisconsin College of Music where he was required to play stuffy recitals which bored him, so he would play with dance bands at night. At the age of sixteen, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra asked him to be a soloist. He was warned that he could not play dance bands under his own name and keep the job. So, the name Walter Busterkeys became his pop music stage name, and he learned the enmity between classical and pop performers at an early age. Loving all music equally, Liberace couldn’t help but work a bit of “crossover” into his recitals. In 1939, he did “Three Little Fishes” as an encore to a classical repertoire, winking at the audience, playing with them, and the applause was thunderous. It was a turning point for him. He would have it his way, classical music without “the boring parts” mixed with the popular music of the people.

He took his wink and smile to New York the next year and played the Persian Room of the Plaza Hotel as an intermission pianist.

Seven years later he returned to the Persian Room, wearing diamonds, and bringing his own custom-built Bluthner concert grand piano (said to be the largest at the time, and insured for $150K) along with Louis XIV candelabra for the performance. It was also the debut of ballroom dancers, Marge and Gower Champion that night.

One of the reviews read,

Liberace has masterful stage presence, a twinkle in his eye, a good grasp of humor that seems natural and, of course, a brilliant touch at the piano. He needed all of the human props as well as the manufactured ones opening night because the dancers had received an ovation, but he was equal to the task. He opened with Liszt’s 14th Hungarian Rhapsody just to show the crowd he knew how to play good music, then he played a popular duet with Joel Herron, the latter pounding away in the background. Herron played at other times too, but his efforts were lost in the tones of the larger piano.”

In spite of his amazing successes, for most of his 93 years, Liberace’s father refused to forgive his son for what he considered butchering and shaming the music classics.

The rest is well known history. Liberace soared to fame. It is no secret that the famous pianist, Liberace, “Mr. Showmanship,” was one of the most flamboyant and glittery stars of his time. His entire act, in time, included an homage to Austrian crystals.

His stage sets. costumes, shoes, candelabra, and capes were covered in crystals. He wore a white mink coat lined with crystals. A vintage Duesenberg roadster covered in crystals was dramatically used to escort Liberace onstage. The auto was on display in the lobby of the Cosmopolitan luxury hotel (whose motto is “Be strange but not a stranger”) until 2014 where it was photographed by thousands every day. The rock group, Duran Duran, commissioned the car for their “Pop Trash” album cover in 2000.

And of course, Liberace’s Baldwin piano, one of many he owned, is covered with Austrian AB lead crystals. Not only every panel that the eye can see, (apart from the see-through acrylic lid and prop) but the underside as well!

The Austrian crystal-makers, known for their highest-quality crystals, loved Liberace. The availability of crystals at any given time is limited, but he likely got preferential treatment from these artisans, being a million-dollar walking promotion for their products.

In 1985, the Austrian crystal-makers presented to Liberace what became known as the “Heart of Liberace” – the largest rhinestone crystal in the world. It measures 115,000 carats, 50.6 pounds and is valued in the millions.

Throughout his career, his sexuality was in question, and Liberace carefully cloaked his homosexuality without defending it. Indeed, from the stage he courted older women in the audience who adored him. Later in life his personal life became more open, and scandal and lawsuits hounded him.

But another sort of criticism hurt him much deeper. He admitted that being dismissed as a schlock artist and reviler of the classics cut him to the core, because it recalled the early disapproval he received at home and when starting his career.

Like his music or not, there is one thing you cannot take away from this iconic performer. His larger than life persona imprinted the American entertainment industry and set the standard in Las Vegas for showmanship.

Liberace’s Baldwin crystal piano might not have been Euro Piano’s first choice, but his early instincts with a Bluthner concert grand were right on the mark.

Today Bluthner could have custom built a LUCID PH crystal grand piano for him out of transparent Lucite, decked out with LED lights and a hidden player piano to accompany him with a full orchestra and I bet Liberace would have been overjoyed to see it.

Bluthner PH with Swarovski Crystals

A piano that is sitting on top of a table.

March 5 2019

Crystal Rain – Presents The Kawai Crystal Grand Piano

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Kawai Corporation, founded by former Yamaha employee, Koichi Kawai in 1927, was the first in Japan to design and build a piano action. Over 40 years of scientific testing, Kawai developed an important innovation in the use of ABS Styran plastic to manufacture action parts. Better than wood for this purpose, ABS does not swell or shrink with humidity, so the regulation of the action is easier to maintain. These parts are present in every Kawai piano. Kawai has built a reputation for making excellent pianos and celebrated its 90^th anniversary in 2017.

In honor of this anniversary, Kawai unveiled its new Crystal Grand Piano CR-1M, a 6’1” acoustic instrument made almost entirely of industrial-grade acrylic. The piano is based on the legendary Shigeru Kawai SK-5 grand piano.

Crystal Rain – Presents The Kawai Crystal Grand Piano

The Kawai CR-1M Crystal Grand is truly a work of art. The benefits of acrylic pianos, besides being beautiful is to “see right through” to view its inner workings. Acoustically similar to a standard grand, the CR-1M distinguishes itself by its transparency. The piano comes with a matching acrylic bench.

Only Five Pianos To Be Made

The CR-1M is part of a Kawai special-order program which limits sales to five instruments. The five lucky buyers have the option of customizing their piano to match their unique personal preferences. The price tag on this beauty of ¥100,000,000 Japanese yen translates to approximately $893,000 in U.S. dollars, but this not include the shipping from Japan.

CR-40 Auctioned For Charity

While Kawai has unveiled the CR-1M in 2017, there is some confusion about when this crystal piano actually was put into use. (One reference to a CR-30 and a photo can be found on the internet, a 5’10” crystal piano, but it is apparently no longer on the market.)

However, Yoshiki, a world renowned musician and song writer for his famous heavy metal rock group, X JAPAN, allegedly owned a CR-40 as early as 2011. Yoshiki, who lives in Los Angeles, adopted Kawai’s Crystal Grand Piano for ensemble and solo performances at musical events around the globe. The group attracted 8,000 screaming fans in Hollywood alone, so any piano of his was considered a big draw at auction.

In 2011, Yoshiki, who spearheaded the Japan Relief Fundraising Auction with help from Yahoo Japan, was the first of many celebrities donating items to the project. Other big names include Britney Spears, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Cher, Marilyn Manson, Anthony Kiedis and Stan Lee.

Proceeds from the sale of Yoshiki’s crystal piano were donated to Japan earthquake and tsunami relief. Apparently, the auction went wild. Britney Spears’ clothing (pants and a top) got bids over $1 million. Bidding reached $20 million for the crystal piano, and the auction had to be closed down and later reopened with rules controlling the verifications and concern over the authenticity of the bids. The piano ultimately sold for $134,931.

Kawai CR-1M At Art And Design Exhibits

The 2018 Tokyo DESIGN TOUCH exhibition, an annual design and art fair, included the CR-1M as in installation in their theme of “Ideas for the Future” exhibits.

In addition, it has been exhibited internationally, including at MILANA SALONE, the world’s largest design event. At the SUPER DESIGN SHOW in April 2018, light artist Takahiro Matsuo, developed an installation entitled Crystal Rain, incorporating the CR-1M crystal grand piano floating upon undulating waves of water. As the instrument was played, each note sparkled as droplets of light, rained down into the space surrounding the piano, enhancing the transparency and crystal glitter. It was described as “a dream-like space, where piano, art, and technology merged, presenting a modern impression of musical space, transcending the rigid boundaries commonly associated with the musical instrument industry.”

A woman sitting on top of a piano in front of dancers.

March 4 2019

Chloe Flower, Cardi B and the Liberace Crystal Piano at the 2019 Grammy Awards

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Heads turned and jaws dropped as 25-year-old, hip hop sensation Cardi B performed her smash hit “Money” at the 2019 Grammy Awards. However, it wasn’t only Cardi who the crowd was cheering for.

Meet Chloe Flower. The 33-year-old, classically trained pianist who wowed the crowd with the help of a glitzy and glamorous, bedazzled Liberace grand piano.

Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images

Clad in a beautiful black and white gown, Miss Flower and the stunning grand piano immediately captured the audience. Having the opportunity to perform alongside a name like Cardi B is something most musicians only dream of.

New York native, Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, aka Cardi B, rose to fame with her hit song ‘Bodak Yellow’. Her debut studio album, ‘Invasion of Privacy’ scored her a Grammy, broke numerous Billboard records, and earned her a spot on ‘TIMES 100 Most Influential People in the World’ list – all before she was 25 years old. To have accomplished so much in such little time proves that this girl is here to stay – and she’s only getting started.

Cardi B on the cover of Invasion of Privacy

Modern, bespoke pianos; similar to the Liberace Baldwin seen played by Flowers in said performance, have taken the world by storm. Acrylic and glass made pianos have quickly become the new must-have in people’s homes, especially since they are available with piano players installed and you don’t even need to know how to play.

They’ve been spotted bringing glamour to modern music performances, adding a pop of excitement to a swanky hotel lobby, or even complimenting carefully thought-out interior design within residences.

Chloe Flower is no stranger to performing on wonderful works of art like these. In fact, she even shared a video of herself playing Liberace’s famous Glass Piano with her 230 thousand plus Instagram followers. Following her shining star moment during this year’s Grammys, a la Cardi B, Chloe Flower went viral. Twitter, Instagram, and the rest of the internet went wild. Everyone wanted to know – Who was she? And what kind of piano was that?

Chloe Flower playing the Liberace Glass Piano

Since being discovered by producer Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds in 2011, ‘Miss Chloe Flower’, as she refers to herself on Instagram, has collaborated with hip hop greats like Nas, Swizz Beats and Timbaland. She’s also worked alongside Comedic legend Kevin Hart, and Canadian Superstar, Celine Dion. Since flanking Cardi B at the Grammys, she has undoubtedly blown up. It’s safe to say Miss Flower’s career is about to take off.

Post-performance, in an interview with Cosmopolitan Magazine, Flowers said, “As an instrumentalist, it’s amazing to see so many people who don’t follow classical music be excited about a pianist. People are excited about the piano!” She continued, saying, “That’s really important to me. Anything I do in my career is to promote music education and to make classical music more accessible, so, that was the most exciting thing.”

Girl, we couldn’t agree more. The idea of mixing today’s trending hits with inspiration from yesterday’s classical music is one we are behind 100 percent.

Wondering how you can achieve the same “drip” that Miss Chloe and Queen Cardi had on the Grammy stage? Well, unfortunately the Liberace pianos are on loan from the Liberace Museum – and those killer dance moves and designer outfits may be hard to get your hands on. However, don’t fret, because as far as the piano goes, a more affordable, accessible version can be found right here at Euro Pianos Naples.

Designed and built exclusively at Euro Pianos, the Aire™ Piano is a stylish, newly designed, acrylic baby grand piano. Feel free to customize your colors and hardware, as well as add accessories such as a floating bar, or invisible player system.

With a semi-transparent piano in your possession, who’s to say that you can’t turn your living room into a Grammy themed stage? Just like Cardi says on her track ‘Money’, the Aire™ baby grand sure was “born to flex.”

Aire™ Piano in black trim with brass hardware – Icon Miami

A piano sitting on top of a wooden floor.

March 3 2019

The Bluthner Piano And The Hindenburg Airship

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It is difficult to imagine an 804-foot-long airship floating in the sky. That is the length of two and a half football fields, end to end. Such was the size of the famous Hindenburg. It was powered by four 1,100-horsepower diesel engines, giving it a maximum speed of 84 mph. It was often compared to the Titanic in size.

The Bluthner Piano And The Hindenburg Airship

The first of these flying whales was designed by Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, a retired German army officer in 1900. It was half the size (420 ft.) of the Hindenburg and flew at 20 mph. The cigar-shaped dirigibles had covered frames that housed a number of gas filled cells, but remained rigid whether filled or not.

In World War I, Germans used the zeppelin-type airships for long-range bombing missions because they could go higher than airplanes in those days. Twice in 1917, zeppelins flew for nearly 100 hours, leading people to believe they would figure prominently in the future of aviation. Germany gave a number of these airships to the Allied Powers countries as part of postwar reparations. (Reparations of $33 billion were later reduced, but in the 1920’s resentment over reparations was used by German ultranationalists to foment political unrest.)

A zeppelin over the harbor at Kiel, Ger., on maneuvers during World War I Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.

Between the wars, the two most famous zeppelins were the Graf Zeppelin, (776 feet long) completed in September 1928, and by 1937 had made 590 flights including 144 ocean crossings and flown more than a million miles; and the giant Hindenburg, first flown in 1936.

The Hindenburg used cutting-edge airship technology, and was one of the most capable aircraft of any kind in its time. Hindenburg had advanced innovative engines, an auto-pilot, and a sonar altimeter among other things, and it could carry a greater payload a farther distance than any other aircraft of its day.

The First Piano in the Sky

The Hindenburg featured the first piano ever carried on a passenger aircraft.

The Hindenburg’s Piano Photo courtesy Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik.

Dirigibles had strict weight limits, so when the Zeppelin company commissioned a piano from the renowned German piano builder, Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik, it need to be lightweight. Typical small grand pianos weigh about 500 lbs., so Blüthner used an aluminum alloy to create a small grand piano that weighed 356 lbs. The frame, rim, fallboard, and top lid were made of duralumin, and the legs, back bracing, and lyre were made of hollow duralumin tubing. A reporter for the Associated Press who was a passenger on Hindenburg’s maiden voyage to the United States, is quoted as saying that the piano had a “particularly large and full tone” despite its aluminum construction.

Architect Fritz August Breuhaus was the interior designer and decorator for the airship. He also designed the case for the Bluthner piano. It was covered in pale, lightweight pigskin that had a warmth that complimented the instrument’s excellent tone.

Franz Wagner at Hindenburg’s Piano, with Dr. Rudolf Bluthner-Haessler to his left in the corner, and Captain Ernst Lehmann to his right. Photo courtesy Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik.

The piano was placed in the lounge of the Hindenburg on A Deck. It was often played by passengers and the ship’s musical captain, Ernst Lehmann. On the older aircraft, the Graf Zeppelin, Lehmann had entertained passengers on accordion.

The Blüthner piano was a highlight of the Hindenburg’s first flight to America in 1937. Professor Franz Wagner, a pianist from Dresden, performed classical concerts as well as pop music for the passengers. As the dirigible approached the coast of North America, he played Schubert’s Serenade and Strauss’s Blue Danube, broadcast live on NBC. He also accompanied passenger, Lady Suzanne Wilkins, the wife of Australian explorer, Sir Hubert Wilkins, singing, “I’m in the Mood for Love.”

Lady Suzanne Wilkins on the Hindenburg

When the couple was interviewed later, they claimed the accommodations were even better than the old Graf Zeppelin. Lady Wilkins spoke of a storm that had no effect on the ship or passengers and nobody had suffered motion sickness.

Bluthner was proudly represented on the first flight by Dr. Rudolf Bluthner-Haessler.

The Last Dirigible in the Sky

Though it was designed to be filled with helium, the Hindenburg was filled with highly flammable hydrogen. Export restrictions on helium (among other things) by the United States against Nazi Germany created the need to renovate the dirigible for easily-obtained hydrogen. In 1936 the Hindenburg inaugurated commercial air service across the North Atlantic by booking 1,000 passengers on 10 scheduled round trips between Germany and the United States.

On May 6, 1937, on only the second of its scheduled 1937 transatlantic crossings, the Hindenburg burst into flames while landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Out of ninety-seven people aboard, 35 were killed. Men, women and children. One member of the ground crew also perished. The fire was officially attributed to a discharge of atmospheric electricity in the vicinity of a hydrogen gas leak on the ship’s surface. There was speculation that the dirigible had been the victim of an anti-Nazi act of sabotage.

There were also two dogs kenneled on board, both died in the fire. One of the dogs named Ulla, a German shepherd, belonged to a passenger who survived. Joseph Spah was a German acrobat who used Ulla in his acts. An immigrant, now living in the United States, they were returning home after a European tour.

The dogs were held in a restricted freight space, and their owners had to be accompanied by a crew member to feed and visit their pets. Spah sometimes went alone and was caught doing so. Because of these unauthorized visits, he was considered to be a possible saboteur, using his dog as a cover for planting a bomb. He was able to jump from the Hindenburg while it was roughly 20 feet from the ground. He broke his ankle.

Joseph Spah during an interview at his home following his escape.

He was investigated by the FBI and cleared, although many continued to believe he was guilty. Others speculated that the disaster might have been pilot error by turning too sharply and breaking a tension strap that ripped a hole in a gas bag, and causing static electricity to ignite it.

The Hindenburg disaster, which was recorded on film and on phonograph disc, marked the end of the use of rigid airships in commercial air transportation.

The Hindenburg piano was spared as it had been removed from the airship before the beginning of the 1937 season and taken to the Blüthner factory, where it was placed on display. However, the piano was destroyed in 1943 when the factory burned following an air raid during the Second Word War.

After the war the East German government permitted the Blüthner family to rebuild because the Blüthner piano was considered a national treasure (and also because the Soviet Union needed quality pianos). With the liberation of Eastern Europe, Blüthner is again privately owned by the Blüthner family.

Blüthner is the only piano maker who builds a complete line of high-end acrylic pianos in models ranging from traditional to futuristic. (Other manufacturers may have a single model in their line). Euro Pianos Naples proudly represents this full line of beautiful Lucid Bluthner crystal grand pianos which are featured on our website.

Bluthner Lucid iDyllic Excellence Piano

A woman with curly hair is singing into a microphone.

March 1 2019

The Story Of Whitney Houston And Her See-Through Baby Grand Piano

Sunny R Under The Lid Piano Blog Celebrities and Pianos 0

One of the many tragic stories of the entertainment industry is the short life of megastar pop icon singer, Whitney Houston. God-daughter of Aretha Franklin, daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston and first cousin of Dionne Warwick, Whitney, at the age of nineteen, signed with Clive Davis of Arista Records, and sold 12 million copies of her first album with him.

Whitney Houston, 19, on the Merv Griffith Show, 1983

The rest is history. She went on to win six Grammys and countless other major awards. The album of her 1992 film “The Bodyguard,” sold 44 million copies. Despite the film’s mixed reviews, it was hugely successful, grossing more than $121 million in the U.S. and $410 million worldwide, making it one of the top 100 grossing films at the time. The film’s soundtrack also Houston executive-produced and contributed six songs for the soundtrack album with the lead single being “I Will Always Love You”, written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton in 1974. It was so successful it became Houston’s signature song. The single peaked at number one on all the major charts for weeks and was certified platinum and became the best-selling single of all time by a female solo artist, selling 20 million copies. Houston won three Grammys for the album in 1994, and a multitude of other awards, by the Academy, American Music Awards, Billboard, Soul Train Music and many more.

Houston and boyfriend Bobby Brown married in 1992 and had their daughter in 1993.

Embarking on another expansive global tour, The Bodyguard World Tour, in 1993–94, her concerts, movie, and recording grosses made her the third highest-earning female entertainer of 1993–94, just behind Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand according to Forbes magazine.

Houston performing at a state dinner in the White House honoring then South African president Nelson Mandela in 1994.

At the end of her world tour, Houston performed three concerts in South Africa to honor President Mandela, playing to over 200,000 people; this made her the first major musician to visit the newly unified and apartheid free nation following Mandela’s winning election. The proceeds of the concert were donated to South African charities. Broadcast live on HBO, the event was so big it was compared to the inauguration of Nelson Mandela.

Between 1995 and 1997, Houston focused on three more films, “Waiting to Exhale”, “The Preacher’s Wife” and “Cinderella,” and their soundtrack albums. That was followed by two years of successful singles and mega-successful The Greatest Hits platinum album, selling 10 million worldwide.

The Story Of Whitney Houston And Her See-Through Baby Grand Piano

At the peak of her international success, she owned a 12,000 sq. ft. mansion with five-bedrooms and four baths in New Jersey, with a six-car garage, exquisitely furnished. Her favorite piano was said to be a bespoke transparent baby grand, built especially for her by Schimmel, the high-end German piano builder. She had a glass coffee table and chairs made to match the beautiful Plexiglas instrument.

World renowned piano maker Schimmel today offers a line of excellent pianos in a range of models with wood cases in traditional ebony finish and some choices of other colors and woods. It makes only one standard acrylic piano. On today’s market, its one Glas Clear model sells for between $250K and $325K. It should be noted that this is the only acrylic piano that Schimmel makes, unlike German competitor Bluthner who has an entire line of see-through Lucid pianos in a range of traditional to futuristic designs. At the time Houston special ordered her piano, it would have most likely cost a great deal more for Schimmel to build, perhaps close to a half million dollars.

Houston’s private life and marriage sadly became involved in drugs and domestic violence early in the 2000’s and she divorced the by-then-infamous Bobby Brown in 2007. Her life had spiraled down, and she was allegedly unable to pay $175,000 in storage fees accruing unpaid since 2005 for several tons of concert gear, and was sued. She lost and was forced by the order of the New Jersey Superior Court to pay up. She had to auction off over 400 of her personal belongings, including piles of famous-designer gowns, sequined costumes, her favorite chair, and sixteen of Bobby Brown’s musical awards. Other less star-studded things were up for sale including a fork lift, records, a coffee maker and even a small traveling vanity full of Houston’s personal items like a disposable razor, a bottle of Gatorade, and herbal tea. (the vanity sold for $550). Her Yamaha piano sold for $12,000. Minutes later, the highlight of the auction was sold, the custom-made, Schimmel see-through piano for $20,000. A reporter from the New York Post who was present said it was purchased by a Mississippi antiques dealer wearing snakeskin boots with all of that cash carried in a plastic bag.

There was more to this collector however than a lot of people saw.

The really sad report from this auction transaction was a remark allegedly made by a man who played the Schimmel before the auction, trying it out. He nearly cried and said to a fellow shopper beside him, “How can you neglect something like this?” As any pianist knows, acoustic pianos must be regularly maintained in order to retain their value, tone and even improve with age. This Schimmel had apparently taken the same downfall as its owner and sat at auction in sad disrepair.

The other man, standing by the matching coffee table also up for sale, responded, “How about this glass table? I wonder how many lines they cut on that?”

In 2010, Whitney Houston cut short a tour. It was determined that she had damaged her voice by smoking. In 2012 she was tragically found dead at the age of 48. There are different accounts of her death, drowning in her bathtub, but none are thought to be foul play. Drug paraphernalia was found, and one forensic pathologist is quoted as saying, “I think that this lady fell into the water, and she was unconscious, dead or dying when she fell into the tub.”

It’s a tragic ending to the life of a true talent and her passing was mourned worldwide.

Her Schimmel and its tufted matching piano bench was back on auction in 2017.

The auction house advertised it with this copy: “one of the most valuable pianos in the entire world, a true masterpiece. This piece comes from the collection of “Treasure King” Richie Marcello. Larger-than-life collector Richie Marcello scours the globe to buy and sell some of the world’s most highly sought- after museum-caliber treasures and rare Hollywood memorabilia many believed to be lost forever. Marcello has been featured on REELZ in his own television show, as well as other television shows. The Schimmel piano was featured on the TV show “Beverly Hills Pawn” that is on the REELZ channel. Yosi Dina, the pawnshop owner offered $500,000 for the piano, and Marcello did not make a deal with him on the show, as he wishes to try his chances at auction.” The auction house valued it at $2Mill and up.

Apparently, Marcello didn’t find a buyer at the 2017 auction. When researching “Treasure King”, a website turns up. And it’s Richie Marcello, all right. He proclaims 30,000 sq. ft. museum of treasures, with accompanied videos. He has galleries, film stages, and treasures exhibited in Las Vegas.

Clicking through Marcello’s many ventures, an enterprise called LA Film Stage is found, which is a production stage where, front and center, Houston’s crystal Schimmel is featured. In this photo Mike Beardon (yes, that Mike Beardon, the director of Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga fame) is sitting at it! Artists and filmmakers can rent this state of the art sound and video stage for projects.

Michael Beardon at LA Film Stage

So perhaps, unlike Whitney Houston, the Schimmel transparent piano has found a new life. A fresh start with its new owner.and is not for sale at all.

But Euro Pianos Naples can find a crystal piano for you. See our beautiful baby grand Aire or any of the Bluthner models on our website. We promise they offer an exciting new beginning, with no sad history, and stand as beautiful icons in their own right.

A person sitting at the top of a stage with a piano.

February 27 2019

What’s that Acrylic Grand Piano that Muse Uses?

Sunny R Under The Lid Piano Blog Celebrities and Pianos 0

Before we investigate that acrylic piano, let’s look at Muse for a moment.

Muse. It’s no secret that this English rock band from Devon, debuting in 1999, soared to fame with their lead singer, Matt Bellamy, being the stand-out attraction. Bellamy is also their primary songwriter, and plays guitar and piano. His eccentricities on and offstage have captured the imaginations of rock fans.

Matt Bellamy’s complete vocal range covers approximately 3½ octaves. Known for singing in a high falsetto, even in popular songs like Plug In Baby, Time Is Running Out, and Knights of Cydonia. Throughout Muse’s career, his singing voice has deepened and matured, with improved low-end, sustain and vibrato.

It’s said that the unusually small size of his vocal cords explains how he manages to attain the high ranges that he does. Bellamy himself has stated that early on he was embarrassed about singing in the high ranges, and tried to sing lower. But that is no longer an issue with his successful use of vibrato, falsetto, and melismatic phrasing (a phrase of several notes sung to one word, like blues phraseology. Think Ella.).

Bellamy, a showman and serious musician, has habits that delight his fans. He reportedly uses an electric foot massager to dispel nervousness before a show, and to get rid of jet lag. He also allegedly warms up for a performance with a bubble bath and a banana.

In an interview with NME, he once said that when he leaves the stage, the first thing he drinks is red wine, claiming it’s the only alcoholic beverage that helps his voice and doesn’t dry his throat.

Known for his early fantastical and nostalgic lyrics, his increasingly apocalyptic and political lyrics added to his mystique. The beginnings of Muse, like so many other bands coming up in the 90’s, were strongly influenced by their predecessor, Radiohead. When Radiohead did an abrupt change in style in 2000, Muse readily filled their shoes with dystopian and anti-authoritarian rock but also grew into a multi-faceted and talented pop band, creating a potpourri of melodic grandeur and ear-deafening arena rock. Their recent move away from anti-government rhetoric back into Bellamy’s nostalgia and fantasy modes signifies the current need to defy negativity in the world, according to Muse.

With two Grammy Awards, five MTV Europe Music awards, eight NME awards and too many more to name, Muse has sold over 20 million albums worldwide.

Muse 2013 Stadium Tour, London, Emirates Stadium Matt Bellamy on piano

The piano was the first instrument Matt Bellamy played. Without tutor or lesson, he started at five, and tinkered with his left hand to do Ray Charles’ style boogie woogie, and practicing to do chords with the right hand. Most of Muses ‘songs have been written on piano by Bellamy.

“I find it easy to find interesting chords on the piano. Especially because on a lot of stuff we do, the guitar and bass are harmonizing,” he said. “Even a song like Stockholm Syndrome was written on piano.” He didn’t learn to sing while playing until the end of the Showbiz era. The band got more complex with piano-based tracks, such as Space Dementia, at this time.

So, what’s the acrylic grand piano that Muse uses? It’s not what you probably think.

Bellamy is known for using digital keyboard pianos onstage. During Muse’s Origin of Symmetry tour, Muse needed acoustic piano sounds as well as electronic/synth sounds, so he used a Korg SG Stage Piano or a Roland Juno 60 or a Yamaha P80. These instruments allowed the music to be routed to their own individual amplifiers.

On the Absolution tour, he used a podium-mounted Kawai MP9500 digital stage piano, which featured LED displays that could be synchronized to the onstage visuals and the MIDI output from the keyboard.

Bellamy has also used a Kawai MP-8 digital stage piano mounted in a white, custom-made upright piano case.

“A new black grand piano” was mentioned in the reviews of the 2007 Luxembourg concert at Rockhal, but in truth the outer case of the same Kawai MP-8 digital piano had once again been replaced, this time by a black grand piano shell with a transparent acrylic lid. Inside the wing of the piano are MIDI-controlled lights that reflect onto the lid. It is fun to note that this is not a real grand piano, but the same stage piano as used before, merely in a new case. Since then, the black grand piano case and white upright case have both been replaced by silver cases.

If you want to see a REAL acrylic acoustical piano, take a look at Euro Piano’s website where their Aire™ semi-transparent piano, and the Bluthner Lucid all-acrylic pianos will really rock your world.

A white piano sitting in front of a wall.

February 13 2019

Best White Upright Pianos in 2019

Sunny R Under The Lid Piano Blog pianos and interior design 0

What is it about white pianos that captivates the imaginations of homeowners and designers? In the old days, white wooden pianos got a bad reputation for yellowing, so people stuck to the tried and true conventional brown. But yellowing finishes were resolved decades ago by modern technology, and the used piano stores are stacked with brown relics today. Black was always the unchanging standard for stage and public concert grands, and remains so. But many people, especially those who live in warm climates with light decors or limited space, do not want a big black gorilla parked in their pastel or high tech living room.

It’s an interesting aside that Marilyn Monroe had a white piano which was purchased at Christie’s in 1999 by Mariah Carey – and such stars may have stigmatized the color as show biz glitz. But serious designers like Adalene Keeler Smith, AMI Designs, and Sara Hopkins, and many others found that their modern clients needed the lighter touch and commissioned white instruments for beautiful results. It occurred to the piano makers that there was more than glamour to the white piano. Once they got the hint and began creating designer pianos in white, the rush was on. Today, some of the most attractive pianos on the market are white upright instruments which lend themselves to space saving, luxuriously modern settings, pulling together the 21^st Century visions of design and clean lines for timeless beauty.

Sauter Pure White Upright Piano

Sauter, a German piano firm, has six generations of family still in control of one of the most innovative and exciting companies of the European manufacturers, and was founded in 1819. They make grands and specialty uprights, and anyone looking for a unique piano or a luxury piano should not overlook their enormous styling,–aided by the internationally-renowned Peter Maly whose award -winning designs for Sauter pianos are remarkable.

Peter Maly, a famous German designer, has been at the top of his field since 1970, designing furniture, trade fair architecture, photo set designs and store concepts for major companies. Sauter Pianos has the only exclusive Maly piano designs in the world, and his characteristic concepts of combining purist design with functionality and timelessness have resulted in seven piano projects which are extraordinary. While much of his cubistic and modern lines are suitable for a contemporary room with sleek furniture and abstract art, the overall purity and simplicity of his work makes it timeless and appropriate for many other applications of interior design.

Sauter Pure White Upright Piano

Maly has devised the lids to open like “wings” on top, allowing more projection of the beautiful sound of these pianos. This modern classic fairly begs for a contemporary setting in its lines and lovely white color. However the surprising appurtenance of a natural maple keyboard cover exudes style with a touch of cultured earthiness to further diversify the decorative versatility, making this milky white beauty fit and complement almost any décor, not just modern interiors. Anyone looking for white pianos will be seeking the lightness and cheer that white adds to interior design.

Maly’s line of “Pure Pianos” perfectly exemplifies this. His Pure white piano (which is also available in black) with its opalescent satin finish has chromium plated metal accessories which are deliberately matte to retain the airy lightness of the design.

Some other recent Maly designs include the 48″ upright Vitrea, after the Latin word for glass, with a matt veneer of greenish glass covering the front panels of the upright cabinet, framed by thin chromium strips and the “wing” lid. Another is Rondo, an upright with elegant, soft rounded corners instead of straight lines, also with the “wing” lid design.

Sauter Concent White Upright Piano

Another upright in the Maly designs is the Concent Upright which carries the lines of the Pure White model, but with a lower price tag. The Pure White is constructed with high-end Concert Grand piano action, whereas the Concent model contains the standard Sauter action, but which is still considered superior to most other brands of uprights. The side panels have chrome plated feet that define the style, and are accented by the clean chrome handle on the keycover and piano bench compliments.

The very finest action, soundboard and pinblocks are used, and Sauter makes its own keys. All of Sauter’s pianos are fully tropicalized for humid climates.

Sauter pianos are high-quality instruments with a lush, full, singing tone, closer to an “American” sound than most other European pianos.

Schimmel White Upright Piano

Schimmel, another excellent, innovative piano maker also includes a concert grand piano action in their uprights. Among European piano manufacturers, Schimmel has been a pioneer in the use of computer-aided design and manufacturing. The Schimmel Model 116 made in Germany, is an elegant white upright that would enhance the décor of any modern setting. The high gloss finish and clean lines have made it one of Schimmel’s most highly awarded upright pianos. Schimmel is proud that it consistently integrates the construction concepts of its large Koncert Grand Piano K-280 into its smaller models, and where possible with identical components. Schimmel produces its own piano-cabinet components and its own keyboards, which it also supplies to other German piano makers.

Johannes Seiler Modern White Upright Piano

Seiler, after a long history of piano making, was ultimately acquired by Samick Pianos. But in 2013, a new Johnnnes Seiler line was introduced with its own scale design not shared by other Samick products, and carries the “Johannes Seiler” label on the fallboard. Produced entirely in an Indonesian facility, the Seiler Model 110 with its competitive pricing is another example of the sleek and beautiful light instruments on the market today which fit right into the needs of Port Royal homes and designer’s portfolios.