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"Three
or four times a week, a numerous assembly of artists, pertaining to almost
every nationality, met at the house of that talented women whose supremacy
they unanimously recognized. "C'est notre maitre á tous, (She is the
master of all of us)", was their opinion, expressed by one of them, an old
French musician.
There were about forty-five music-stands at hand, in a closet adjoining
the music-hall; and on the grand concerto-days, they were all taken out and
grouped around the splendid Érard,
which had been manufactured especially for Mrs. Morphy and transported to
her Louisiana home, with more solicitude than if it had been a priceless
jewel. It was exceedingly simple in appearance, and destitute of a single
ornament. It's value consisted entirely in it's wealth of sound, and resided
within the plain rosewood frame, for the harmonies which issued from it were
powerful and thrilling." |
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Érard pianos circa mid 19th century |
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1836
1840 |
"There was a large and high music-hall in the house, so constructed as to
be intensely sonorous, and it had been fitted up in a way that favored the
reverberation of sound, which was not muffled and stifled by the thick
carpets; heavy draperies and encumbering furniture. Besides the piano, it
contained numerous light chairs, and a few massive music-stands of
antiquated style. There was also a vast rosewood book-case, filled with
all the master-pieces of classical music. When Herg, Thalberg and other
celebrated artists came to New-Orleans, it was there only that they found
various works which they had been unable to procure elsewhere in that
city.
All kinds of musical instruments stood up against the walls, or hung
upon them in panophiles. Some of them were scattered pell-mell on the
chairs."all above text by
Léona Queyrouze |
Beethoven's Érard
 Sébastien Érard was born
in Strasbourg April 5, 1752 and died
August 5, 1831. His pianos were considered among the best in the world and
were used by such musicians as Liszt, Beethoven, Verdi, Chopin,
Liszt, Haydn, Herz, Mendelssohn and Moscheles. The pianos of
Moscheles, Beethoven and Liszt can been seen today.
In 1843 such a piano cost around 3000 francs.
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