Ludwig Hupfeld

Biography

Ludwig Hupfeld improved upon Paul Ehrlich's German "Ariston" mechanism, first creating a device that controlled 61 notes, and in 1889 a new player type with 76 notes; none of these early mechanisms used pneumatics. In 1902 Hupfeld's factories placed the "Phonola" on the market, a pneumatic player originally with a 72-note compass later changed to the full 88 notes; its power bellows were divided into two sections for independent control of bass and treble dynamics, and a special pneumatic connection to the hammer rail allowed delicate pianissimo shading. The latest product of the Hupfeld factories, called the "Dea," was a self-playing device that reproduced the individual interpretations of renowned virtuoso pianists through specially arranged music rolls; Dolge ranks the Dea alongside the "Welte Mignon" as the finest achievement of mechanical player development for reproducing artists' nuanced performances.

Highlights

• Improved Ehrlich's Ariston mechanism to control 61 notes, then created a 76-note player in 1889
• Developed the "Phonola" (1902), a pneumatic player later expanded from 72 to 88 notes
• His factories' latest product, the "Dea," reproduced virtuoso pianists' individual performances via music rolls

Source

Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), p. 157.

Public domain.