THE STORY
WHAT YOU SEE
IS WHAT YOU HEAR
THE STORY
When Poul Hennigsen designed the grand piano in 1931, it was an instant sensation at the“ Your Home” Exhibition which was held in Copenhagen. At the exhibition Poul had decorated the area with some of his own quotations;“ The grand piano that goes with all sorts of furniture” and“ A piece of furniture can be both beautiful and ugly – an instrument is always beautiful”.
The idea to the grand piano occurred in a pub, while chatting with the famous Danish contemporary jazz pianist Leo Mathiesen.
Mathiesen commented on the first draft, and suggested PH to make more space between the legs, so that a bass drum would be able to stand beneath it, when packing together the instruments after a concert.
From 1931 to mid-1960s approximately 70 grand pianos were sold a before the production was stopped. Today it is very rare to come upon one of the original pianos, and they are seen as a highly exclusive instrument.
Today the new internal components are manufactured by Blüthner, which now makes the sound as supreme as the design. The legs are curved and the overall design is made with the idea to highlight the beauty in this type of instrument, namely the strings. It is an icon in the Scandinavian design history, and a trademark for Denmark.
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