Grand piano
Maker
Erard
Date1849
Place MadeParis, France, Europe
Model8-foot concert
Serial No.21319
SignedErard (highly decorative)MarkingsBrass inlay on fall board
3 six-sided legs with brass inlay
On lower end of propstick-underside: 21319
DescriptionCompass: 85 keys, 7 complete octaves, AAA to a4
Veneer: East Indian rosewood inlaid with solid brass
Action: “double escapement”
Patent: 1821 by Pierre Erard in England (renewed in 1835) Pat. No. 4631
DimensionsBy Kim O’Leary:
Length: 96.5”
Width: 55”
Depth of case: 13.25”
Height: 27.75”
ProvenanceBelonged to a MacDonald family (prominent family) in Tyler, Texas. Ended up in their barn. Then it went to a strip bar outside Kilgore, Texas. David Moore found it in a dark corner and bought it for $150 in 1993.
The piano is recorded in the Erard Paris ledgers as follows:
[Observations/notes] 7bre 6
[Atelier/Foreman] Dubois [he seemed to be in charge of grand pianos]
[Genre/instrument description] Piano à queue 7 [8es] [normally the compass of the instrument is listed here, often as 7 8ve] [Grand piano of 7 octaves]
Palissandre à filet[ée] [rosewood inlaid with brass]
[Date] October 1849
[Sold] 24 9ber 1849 [24 November]
[Purchaser] M. Collignon N[elle] Orléans
Gustave Collignon, the original owner of this piano, was born in Renne in 1818, entered the Paris Conservatoire at age 6, graduated in 1837 with the top prize, fled the 1848 revolutions by moving to New Orleans, and was well enough established to buy himself a new concert grand piano by the next year. He had established a connection with New Orleans by working as an opera impressario for the Théâtre d'Orléans while still in Paris. He continued this work for a time following his immigration to New Orleans. He founded the Classical Music Society in 1856, which held concerts of European works at the Odd Fellows Hall (built ca. 1850, burned down 1866). The organization held concerts from 1856-1860, then 1871-72. The first year of performances saw Collignon play the Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 (possibly on this instrument) along with chamber works and possibly Weber Concertstuck. After that year, Collignon mainly conducted orchestral works. He returned to France in retirement in 1879.
Published ReferencesJohn Koster, "Texan Donates Important French Grand Piano from Chopin's Paris of the 1840s," Shrine to Music Museum Newsletter, Vol. XXIV, No. 1 (October 1996), pp. 4-5.
Credit LineGift of David Moore, 1996
Object number05984
On View
On view
