Robert Schumann
German
composer
user of pedal piano
Biography
Robert Schumann, the composer, is described in connection with the pedal piano built for him in 1843 by Louis Schöne (the author's uncle) at Leipsic. Unlike Mendelssohn, who used a pedal mechanism attached to a grand piano, Schumann preferred his pedal action connected with a regular upright piano, fitted with a 29-note pedal keyboard beneath the manual keyboard and a dedicated internal soundboard. The text states that Schumann wrote some of his best music for this novel instrument, and later references his 'beautiful sketches for pedal pianos' as being enjoyed by music lovers and organists using such instruments.
Highlights
- Had a pedal piano built for him by Louis Schöne in 1843 at Leipsic
- Preferred the pedal action connected with a regular upright piano rather than a grand
- Wrote some of his best music for the pedal piano
Source
Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), p. 191.
Public domain.