Piano Video Lesson: Piano Mysteries: The Steinway Model C

Hi, this is Robert Estrin. You're watching LivingPianos.com with piano mysteries, the Steinway Model C.

The Model C. Now you all know the Model B and the D, or do you? Well, I'm going to give you a quick rundown.

For most of the 20th century in New York, where all the Steinways, virtually all the Steinways that are sold new in North America and our entire hemisphere are made in New York factory, there was the Model S, which is what I have here, at 5 '1", the Model M, very popular, 5 '7", then the Model L at 5'10.5", and then skips all the way a foot longer at 6 '10 .5". It's just under 7 feet, and it's the semi -concerned Grand Steinway that is one of the most popular pianos. And then to the concert grand, which is just under 9 feet. And so there's a big gap there.

And yet, in Hamburg, Germany, where Steinways are also made in New York, they have the Model L, and they have the Model O, the same 5 '10 .5", but a different scale design. Very strange, huh? And they also had the Model A at 6 '2". Some of them actually were a little longer, the Model A3 at 6 '4".

But that piano was made in New York early in the 20th century, but wasn't made again in New York until into the 19th century. Hamburg and New York make all the same pianos, the Model S, M, and moving up to not the L anymore, but the O, and then the A, and the B, just under 7 feet, and the 9 foot.

But what is the Model C? The Model C was made in New York up until 1905, and then they had limited numbers of them made all the way up until 1936, and they cut it off the line.

And the Model C has not been made in New York since 1936, but all this while the Model C at 7 '5", is still made in Hamburg, and has been made in Hamburg all this time.

And the speculation as to why the Steinway Model C is not made in New York, the answer I get from people I've talked to, I've talked to a number of people, is that it would interfere too much with the sale of their such popular Model B, which is the quintessential semi-concert grand at just under 7 feet.

But that still is no reason why this great scale design shouldn't be made in New York, and I think it would be terrific for people in this hemisphere to be able to buy new Steinway C's, don't you? Without having to go to the expense of buying a German piano imported overseas all the way to the United States? I am very interested, now I'm putting this out here, because I'd like to know why the heck they don't make a Steinway C in New York. I think it would be a great addition to the line, it is a fabulous scale design, and there are darn few of them in the United States, and any of you who have ideas, leave in the comments here at LivingPianos .com and YouTube, it's one of the great piano mysteries. Thanks again for joining me, Robert Estrin from here at LivingPianos.com, your online piano resource.

Find the original source of this video at this link: https://livingpianos.com/piano-mysteries-the-steinway-model-c/

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