A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Stein

by Alfred James Hipkins

STEIN, a family of pianoforte makers and players.

1. Johann Andreas, the founder of German pianoforte-making, was born at Heidesheim in the Palatinate in 1728. Nothing is known of his early life, but he appears to have been in Paris in 1758, and to have remained there for some years. We may conclude that he was engaged in organ-building and harpsichord-making, since he was not only a good musician, but a proficient in both handicrafts, before he turned to pianoforte-making. After Paris we find him at Augsburg, organist of the Barfüsserkirche, the famous organ of which he built, as well as that of the Kreuzkirche. When the article Pianoforte was written special enquiries were made in Vienna and elsewhere, to discover any pianoforte remaining of Stein's make, but without success. These enquiries, however, led to the discovery of a grand piano, which was secured by M. Victor Mahillon, of the Museum of the Conservatoire, Brussels. It is inscribed

Jean André Stein
Facteur d'orgues et des Clavecins
Organiste a l'Eglise des Minorites
Augsbourg 1780.^[1]

The action of this bichord grand piano is the same as that in Fig. 10, p. 718, vol. ii. of this Dictionary, which was copied from a scarce pamphlet preserved in the Library of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde at Vienna. The wedge damper is Cristofori's; the escapement and other parts of the action differ entirely from that maker's and from Gottfried Silbermann's as preserved in three instruments at Potsdam, in which the Florentine maker Cristofori is closely followed. This instrument has also the genouillière or knee-pedal for raising the dampers, which preceded the foot-pedal. [See Sordini.] The genouillière and Stein's escapement are described by Mozart with great gusto in a letter addressed to his mother, in October 1777, only a very few years before M. Mahillon's piano was made. What action was used by Spaeth of Ratisbon, also referred to by Mozart, we do not know, but M. Mahillon's recent discovery at Brussels of a square piano, with the rudiments of Stein's action—that is, the same centred percussion without the hopper escapement—leads directly to the conclusion that this simple action, clumsy as Mozart found it without the escapement, was in common use before Stein brought his inventive genius to bear upon its improvement.

Welcker von Gontershausen ('Der Clavierbau,' Frankfort 1870, p. 173) gives a drawing of this action without hopper escapement, attributing it to Silbermann; but, as far as we can see, without proof. Many of the early German pianos have neither date or inscription, which makes the attribution to a maker difficult. We are disposed to think that Silbermann would not have abandoned the good action of Cristofori, which he knew how to finish well, for a crude tentative mechanism; we therefore conclude that the Seven Years War having entirely stamped out Saxon pianoforte-making, a new era began with the restoration of peace, and that the merit of founding that German pianoforte-making which was so long identified with the School of Vienna, belongs to Stein, whose inventive talent and artistic devotion were displayed in the good instruments he made, which, by 1790 at latest, were adopted as models both in North and South Germany, as the two grand pianos formerly belonging to Queen Louise, made by Huhn, 'Organ-builder' of Berlin,^[2] and preserved in memory of her at Potsdam, unmistakeably show.

Gerber, in his Lexicon, has preserved a list of numerous inventions by Stein; of which none are now of value save the escapement and the keyboard shifting by means of a pedal. He introduced the latter in his 'Saitenharmonica' in 1789, carrying the hammers from three strings to one, which he spaced rather away from the other two unisons. This 'una corda' he named 'Spinettchen.' Mr. Thayer^[3] has unearthed a record of Pastor Junker, showing that Beethoven in 1791, when residing at Bonn, always used an instrument of Stein's.

Stein died in 1792, leaving two sons, Matthaus Andreas and Friedrich (see below), and a daughter, Maria Anna, known as Nanette, who in 1794 married Streicher, and was really the most prominent of the group.

Though Streicher ultimately succeeded to the business, which had been removed from Augsburg to Vienna, his name does not appear for several years in connection with it. [See footnote to Pianoforte, p. 718a.] The firm as late as 1801 was 'Geschwister Stein'; subsequently 'Nannette Stein' only, which appears as the maker's name on a grand pianoforte with six pedals, existing (1882) in Windsor Castle. For the continuation of the Stein business see Streicher.

[ A. J. H. ]

2. Maria Anna, or Nanette Stein, was born Jan. 2, 1769, at Augsburg. When barely 8 she played to Mozart on his visit to Augsburg in 1777, and, in spite of the bad habits she had contracted, he said of her 'She may do yet, for she has genius' (Jahn, i. 368). Her talent and capacity were so obvious that her father early initiated her into the details of his business, and on his death, Feb. 29, 1792, she carried it on, in conjunction with her brother Matthaus Andreas, with a decision and energy almost masculine. In 1793 she married Johann Andreas Streicher [App. p.796 "1761–1833"], an excellent pianist and teacher from Stuttgart, and then she, her husband, and mother, moved to Vienna. The new firm of 'Nanette and Andreas Stein' (constituted by Imperial decree Jan. 17, 1794) established itself in the house where it still remains, the 'Red Rose,' No. 301 in the Landstrasse suburb. In 1812 the factory was removed to premises of their own, which had been rebuilt and enlarged some years before, No. 27 in the Ungargasse. In 1802 the brother and sister dissolved partnership, each setting up for themselves, as 'Matthäus Andreas Stein,' and 'Nanette Streicher, geborene Stein.' Streicher, who had hitherto managed only the commercial part of the business, now took his full share of the work. Both firms endeavoured to perfect their instruments in every possible way,^[4] while still adhering to the traditions of their father, and Stein of Vienna became as celebrated as Stein of Augsburg had been. In 1823 the Streichers took into partnership their son Johann Baptist (born in Vienna 1795 [App. p.796 "1796"]). Nanette Streicher was at once an energetic and capable woman of business, a pianist of remarkable excellence, a person of great general cultivation, and a model wife and mother. Her name is closely connected with that of Beethoven. It is well known that she did much to help him in his domestic arrangements, lightened the burden of his housekeeping, and even looked after his bodily health. Thayer, in his 'Beethoven' (iii. 239), gives us a striking picture of their relationship, for which the reader must be referred to that excellent work. [See also vol. i. of this Dictionary, p. 190b.] Nanette Streicher died Jan. 16, 1835 [App. p.796 "Jan. 10, 1833"], and was followed by her husband on May 25 of the same year. [App. p.796 "For correction of the next sentence (lines 26, 27) see Streicher in vol. iii. p. 739b."] The business is still carried on by their son, J. B. Streicher. Her brother,

3. Matthäus Andreas Stein, was born at Augsburg, Dec. 12, 1776, accompanied his sister to Vienna, set up for himself in 1802, married Nov. 12, 1796, and died May 6, 1842. His son,

4. Karl Andreas, also a pianoforte-maker and composer, was born in Vienna Sept. 4, 1797, early showed talent for music, and became an excellent pianist and teacher. He was a pupil of Förster in harmony and composition, and published a considerable number of works principally for his instrument. He also left in MS., among others, two PF. concertos with orchestra, two orchestral overtures, and a comic opera 'Die goldene Gans,' words by Langbein. He appeared several times in public, but latterly devoted himself entirely to the factory, in the working of which his father had early initiated him. In 1829 a patent was granted to him. Karl Andreas travelled much, and his pianos were appreciated abroad, as well as by the first artists of his own country. In 1844 he was appointed Court pianoforte maker. His book 'on the playing, tuning, and preservation of Stein pianofortes,'^[5] contains valuable matter. He died Aug. 28, 1863.

[ C. F. P. ]

5. His uncle, Friedrich, was born at Augsburg May 26, 1784, and at the age of ten went to Vienna, and studied counterpoint and composition with Albrechtsberger. He became one of the first pianoforte-players of the capital, and was considered to be a very promising composer. He appeared rather frequently in the Augarten and Burgtheater concerts as a player of concertos, especially those of Mozart. Reichardt (April 1, 1809) calls him: 'A performer of great power and genius.… A rare power, combined with the deepest feeling, characterised his performance. He played some of Beethoven's most difficult pieces, and variations of his own composition, full of invention and deep sentiment, and of monstrous difficulty. Since then I have heard him at home on his magnificent Streicher pianoforte, and am confirmed in my opinion of his assiduous study and great talents.' These eulogies are borne out by other contemporary notices.

Friedrich Stein is the subject of Ries's anecdote (Notizen, p. 115). Beethoven had played his Concerto in G at his own concert, Dec. 22, 1808 (see vol. i. p. 187), with astonishing spirit and speed, and immediately after called upon Ries to play it in public, with only five days for its study. Ries naturally shirked such a task, preferring to play the C minor one instead. At this his master was offended, and turned to Stein, who accepted the task, but was unable to accomplish it, and played the C minor instead, not satisfactorily. This anecdote, which has kept Stein's name alive, leaves unintentionally a false impression as to his powers. Ries would have played the C minor Concerto better; for he had carefully studied it under Beethoven himself, and was then in his full strength. Stein had had no such instruction, and was forced to play it with little practice, when so far gone in consumption that he died four months later.

Stein was an industrious composer, but few of his vocal compositions reached the stage. He left 3 operettas and a ballet, of which only one—'Die Fée radiante'—came to public performance. Also a set of Songs, a Violin Concerto, a Grand Sonata for the PF., and a PF. Trio. He also arranged Beethoven's 4th and 6th Symphonies, and most of Mozart's and Cherubini's Overtures, for two PFs.

His widow, Caroline, daughter of a Vienna official named Haar, was also a very fine pianiste. Like her husband, she depended upon teaching for her subsistence.

[ A. W. T. ]

1. The last figure is indistinct, and M. Mahillon thinks that it might be 5 or 6 instead of 0.
2. One of these instruments, and apparently the older one, bears no name outside, but internal examination shows that the maker was the same who made the 1790 one; both closely resemble Mozart's piano by Walther, at Salzburg, and the original model by Stein of 1780.
3. 'Beethoven,' i. 209–215.
4. From this period dates the so-called 'Viennese mechanism.' the principle of which was really the same as that of the Augsburg pianos.
5. Kurze Bemerkungen ü. d. Spielen, Stimmen. u. Erhalten d. F.P.e.c. Wien. 1801.'