Carl J. Pfeiffer

Biography

Carl J. Pfeiffer of Stuttgart is presented as the leading contemporary improver of the pedal piano. Applying the iron frame and overstrung stringing system, he achieved pedal tones described as sonorous and powerful, with pedal-action touch nearly matching that of an organ pedal. His independent pedal attachment could be fitted to a grand piano, while for upright pianos the pedal mechanism was placed under the instrument's framework. A second invention, his mechanism for organ pedal practice, could be built into any upright piano and used without affecting the touch of ordinary hand playing, since it was constructed to relieve the piano action instantly once the foot left the pedal. The text reports these two inventions were thoroughly tested by prominent organists and highly recommended both for practice and for music lovers, and praises them as practical and inexpensive, likely to encourage wider adoption of the pedal piano. Illustrations of his pedal upright action, his grand piano attachment, and his upright piano and mechanism for organ pedal practice accompany the text. Pfeiffer, described as the present head of the Stuttgart firm A. Pfeiffer (founded 1862), devoted much attention to the construction of pedal pianos for the pedal practice of organ players. He was also very industrious in collecting models of piano actions for the Royal Museum at Stuttgart, assembling there what the text calls the most complete collection of piano actions in existence. In recognition of his services he was appointed purveyor to the court of Wurtemburg and also Royal Counselor of Commerce.

Highlights

• Devoted himself in recent years to improving the pedal piano, using the iron frame and overstrung system for sonorous, powerful pedal tones
• Invented an independent pedal attachment that could be fitted to a grand piano, and a pedal mechanism placed under the framework of upright pianos
• Invented a mechanism for organ pedal practice that could be built into any upright piano without affecting the touch for hand playing, relieving the piano action instantly when the foot left the pedal
• As present head of A. J. Pfeiffer, devoted attention to constructing pedal pianos for organists' pedal practice
• Assembled the most complete collection of piano actions in existence for the Royal Museum at Stuttgart
• Appointed purveyor to the court of Wurtemburg and Royal Counselor of Commerce

Source

Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), pp. 191, 231.

Public domain.