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Steinway Quality
“Music is the universal language of mankind.”
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Heinrich Steinweg was born in the small German Hartz Mountain hamlet of Wolfshagen. Beginning in 1806, young Heinrich experienced a series of tragedies that wiped out most of his family. Orphaned, he joined the Prussian army and became a bugler. Despite having no formal training, Heinrich was an able musician, entertaining the troops on the zither and pianoforte. When he left the army, he became a church organist and began to build pianos in his kitchen at night. Although Heinrich worked in primitive facilities, people recognized the high quality of his work. But as his business prospered, revolution forced Heinrich and his family to move to America.
Settling in New York City, the family name was anglicized to Steinway. Heinrich and his three sons took jobs with different piano makers to learn the details of doing business in the United States. After three years of working for others, they started their own company, Steinway & Sons, producing one piano a week. The Steinway piano soon became known for its quality and clarity of sound. Steinway was more concerned with building the best rather than building the most, and Steinway pianos soon began to win awards. In 1872 Steinway Village, a Long Island mini-town that included employee housing, a school, library, and bathhouse, was opened. During tough economic times, companies offered Heinrich royalties to use the Steinway name on items such as radios. Since the Steinways could not control the quality of those products, they refused to compromise the integrity of their name. As a result, the Steinway name continues to be associated only with the finest musical instruments in the world.
Consider This: A reputation built on quality must never be compromised.
Submitted by Richard
“Music is the universal language of mankind.”
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Heinrich Steinweg was born in the small German Hartz Mountain hamlet of Wolfshagen. Beginning in 1806, young Heinrich experienced a series of tragedies that wiped out most of his family. Orphaned, he joined the Prussian army and became a bugler. Despite having no formal training, Heinrich was an able musician, entertaining the troops on the zither and pianoforte. When he left the army, he became a church organist and began to build pianos in his kitchen at night. Although Heinrich worked in primitive facilities, people recognized the high quality of his work. But as his business prospered, revolution forced Heinrich and his family to move to America.
Settling in New York City, the family name was anglicized to Steinway. Heinrich and his three sons took jobs with different piano makers to learn the details of doing business in the United States. After three years of working for others, they started their own company, Steinway & Sons, producing one piano a week. The Steinway piano soon became known for its quality and clarity of sound. Steinway was more concerned with building the best rather than building the most, and Steinway pianos soon began to win awards. In 1872 Steinway Village, a Long Island mini-town that included employee housing, a school, library, and bathhouse, was opened. During tough economic times, companies offered Heinrich royalties to use the Steinway name on items such as radios. Since the Steinways could not control the quality of those products, they refused to compromise the integrity of their name. As a result, the Steinway name continues to be associated only with the finest musical instruments in the world.
Consider This: A reputation built on quality must never be compromised.
Submitted by Richard