Blüthner Design Pianos

‘We humbly continue the legacy of our founder, Julius Blüthner, to build the best pianos in the world.’

Dr Christian Blüthner-Haessler

Julius Blüthner Oil painting from 1870

Leipzig

18 November 1853 In the middle of the nineteenth century Leipzig was one of the cultural centres at the heart of Europe equal to Paris, London or Vienna.

The history of the University of Leipzig, the prominence of the St Thomas Choir, the Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Opera and the Academy of Music, founded in 1843 by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, all attest to the great cultural advancements of the time.

The Blüthner family was richly influenced by the musical traditions of the city and inspired by its entrepreneurial spirit. On 18 November 1853, with excellent credentials and a budget of 1660 talers, Julius Blüthner established his pianoforte factory.

‘I will build new fortepianos and grand pianos of German and English design and sell them.’

This was the simple and coherent business plan of the young entrepreneur. With a target of ten instruments, eight grand and two square pianos, for the first year, production began in a rented workshop with the help of three journeymen and the motto, ‘God will lead me!’

Five months later a certain Professor Weber, a highly respected member of the University of Leipzig, entered the workshop and bought the first grand piano in the company’s history.

Blüthner instruments were quickly recognised by experts, pianists and composers for their unique technical and musical qualities.

Motivated by his success, Julius Blüthner started to build an international sales and distribution network which spanned the entire world and continues to flourish today.

GERMAN FAMILY BUSINESS Since 1853, Blüthner pianos have been exclusively manufactured in Leipzig, Germany. In Europe’s largest piano factory, founder and pioneer Julius Blüthner invented and held numerous patents that revolutionised piano construction and are still in use today.

PURVEYOR TO THE COURTS Blüthner’s appointment as purveyor to the courts of Queen Victoria, the Russian Tsar Nicolas II, the Danish King, the German Emperor, the Turkish Sultan and the King of Saxony is testament to the approval bestowed upon Blüthner instruments by the aristocracy.

PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS Julius Blüthner participated in trade fairs and exhibitions in Brussels, Amsterdam, Melbourne, Paris, Philadelphia, Sydney and Vienna to present his latest instruments and innovations.

Their superiority is well documented by prestigious gold medals, prizes and awards which are listed on the soundboard of every Blüthner instrument.

VENERABLE COMPOSERS Distinguished composers such as Brahms, Liszt, Mahler, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and Debussy composed a large portion of their works on their very own Blüthner pianos. They were welcome guests at the Blüthner factory and villa and provided a constant source of feedback and inspiration for Julius in his pursuit of perfection.

‘There are only two things I took with me on my way to America, my wife and my precious Blüthner.’

Sergei Rachmaninov

RENOWNED PIANISTS Martha Argerich, Arthur Rubinstein, Paul Badura-Skoda, Elisabeth Leonskaja and many more swear by the warm, rich and singing tone of Blüthner instruments.

‘Blüthner had the most beautiful singing tone I have ever found…the piano inspired me. I don’t think I ever played better in my life. And then the miracle happened; they played it back to me and I must confess that I had tears in my eyes. It was the performance that I dreamed of and the sound reproduced faithfully the golden tone of the piano.’

Arthur Rubinstein in his autobiography, My Many Years

CELEBRATED WORLD STARS Blüthner instruments have played an important role in the musical lives of The Beatles, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jessye Norman, Marlene Dietrich, Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars and Charlie Chaplin.

‘My new Blüthner piano is even more fascinating than my beloved first one. Its wonderful sound is reaching the depths of my soul.’

Marlene Dietrich

Blüthner Classic Edition

Classic Edition Grand Pianos

A rich bass full of depth and clarity harmoniously paired with a powerful middle range, supporting a warmly singing treble — immerse yourself in the Golden Tone that has inspired composers and pianists since 1853. The ideal choice for professional musicians and ambitious enthusiasts — and for those who are both.

Model 2-238 Small Concert Grand

Classic Edition Upright Pianos

A crowning achievement of our collection, this range encompasses five upright pianos, from the world’s tallest upright piano S-145 to the purist aesthetics and classic elegance of our smaller models, meeting the highest professional standards and epitomising technical and musical perfection.

Model B-132 Upright Piano

YOUR TASTE, YOUR DECISION Each Blüthner instrument is handcrafted in Germany providing the opportunity to configure and customise every detail to your exact specifications and taste. Choose from a variety of music desks, leg styles, lyre forms and plate colours. Blüthner will help you realise your aesthetic vision alongside the world-class performance of the Blüthner Golden Tone.

Classic

Jubilee

Kaiser

Julius

Classic

Jubilee

Julius

AS INDIVIDUAL AS YOUR HOME Classic Walnut, exotic Bubinga, opulent Burl Walnut or sublime Palisander — we offer the most exquisite wood veneers for your selection, which can be applied to the entire instrument or individual case parts as highlights. In addition to the selection below, any known wood veneer is obtainable allowing us to match your piano perfectly to your existing furniture.

ALDER

YEW

CHERRY

MACASSAR

WALNUT

MAHOGANY

BURL WALNUT

PYRAMID MAHOGANY

ZIRICOTE

BUBINGA

PALISANDER LIGHT

PALISANDER DARK

OUR MODELS

Model 1-280

Model 2-238

Model 4-210

Model 6-190

Model 10-166

Model 11-154

Model S-145

Model B-132

Model A-124

Model C-118

Model D-116

Length: 280cm, Width: 160cm Weight: ca. 525kg

Length: 166cm, Width: 152cm Weight: ca. 290kg

Height: 124,5cm, Width: 151,5cm, Depth: 62,5cm, Weight: ca. 250kg

Length: 238cm, Width: 162cm Weight: ca. 405kg

Length 154cm, Width: 152cm Weight: ca. 280kg

Height: 118cm, Width: 154cm, Depth: 62,5cm, Weight: ca. 240kg

Length: 210cm, Width: 154cm Weight: ca. 345kg

Height: 145,6cm, Width: 157cm, Depth 70cm, Weight: ca. 320kg

Height: 116cm, Width: 154cm, Depth: 62cm, Weight: ca. 250kg

Length: 190cm, Width: 152cm Weight: ca. 330kg

Height: 132,5cm, Width: 151,5cm, Depth: 62,5cm, Weight: ca. 270kg

Instruments Made in Germany

Since 1853, Blüthner pianos have been exclusively manufactured by hand in Leipzig, Germany.

Certified by the German Piano Makers Association.

Imperial Edition Precious veneers exquisitely cut and matched, gold leaf adorning intricate carvings or discreet accent pieces to distinguish your Blüthner amongst all others — the Imperial Edition offers a variety of masterpieces, each unique in design, but all uniform in their quality. A worthy challenge for our master piano builders.

The Blüthner Imperial Edition offers a series of traditional art designs. Ten supremely crafted models are available in standard Blüthner grand piano sizes, all of which may be refined further to your taste.

YOUR PERSONAL EXPRESSION From stately to exotic, traditional to modern, the Blüthner Imperial Edition offers infinite possibilities for adaptations of existing designs or new creations.

Exquisite veneers and historic music desks

Wood inlay and case painting

Opulent gold appliqué

Intricate marquetry and carvings

Blüthner PH Edition

PH Edition Poul Henningsen (1894—1967): Painter, writer, poet and critic but, above all, an esteemed ambassador for Scandinavian design.

When he put pen to paper in 1930 for his first sketch of a visionary grand piano design, Henningsen introduced a revolutionary concept while remaining true to his signature: simple, functional and to the point. This uniquely extravagant shape deserves nothing less than the excellence of the Golden Tone. With peerless Blüthner technology at its heart, this breathtaking masterpiece still captivates pianists, audiences and beholders more than ninety years after its creation.

‘The technician should never forget that he is an artist, the artist never that he is a technician.’

Poul Henningsen

A DANISH ICON REVIVED BY THE GOLDEN TONE Embellishing your piano is a personal expression. All metal fixtures and fittings can be customised along with the padded leather surrounding. The perfect adornment for any penthouse, bar, yacht or hotel.

Colour and material banding

Plate colour

Keyframe colour

Legs, lyre, music desk and lid

Blüthner Crystal Edition

Crystal Edition

Each Crystal design holds the heart of a world-class Blüthner grand piano in a luminous, crystal-clear case, achieving a delightful perception of weightless suspension. Using medical grade plexi-glass, we utilise pioneering manufacturing techniques to produce the most finely designed pianos available. Having created masterpieces for some of the world’s most exclusive hotels, homes and super yachts, we will customise these instruments to your exacting needs and tastes.

YOU DESIGN, WE PRODUCE — BY HAND Exclusively handcrafted in our factory in Leipzig, Germany, each Blüthner Crystal piano is a truly unique creation awaiting your personal aesthetic refinement.

Simply select one of the four models and start creating!

Crystal Elegance

Crystal Idyllic

Crystal Hive

Crystal Quadrille

STYLISH EXTRAVAGANCE All that you see you may decorate. Luxurious metal fittings, vibrant colours, LED lights, airbrush effects or your favourite panoramic artwork inside your instrument. These are just a few of the elements you may determine for your very own Blüthner Crystal piano.

Metal Fittings

LED Illumination

Plate Colour

Panoramic Artwork

Sit back and relax — let your piano do the work.

Our Self-Play System For soft background music or that special concert hall feeling in your living room, our self-play system makes your Blüthner grand piano perform for you. From Bach to the Beatles, Sergei Rachmaninov to Stevie Wonder — a huge music collection of various genres is available to you on demand. Traditional German craftsmanship in perfect harmony with the latest technology.

Your advantages at a glance: 

Choose from thousands of tracks of different genres



Simple upgrades — no expensive replacements



Available for all Blüthner grand piano models and sizes



MIDI, USB, WLAN & Bluetooth connectivity — easy smarthome integration



Intuitive operation via smartphone, tablet, Apple Watch, Alexa or remote control



No internet connection required — your library is stored on your device



Seamless integration — no alterations to sound or action of your Blüthner grand piano

Family craftsmanship in its fifth generation Since 1853, Blüthner pianos have been exclusively manufactured in Leipzig, Germany. To this day, the Blüthner family of craftsmen and entrepreneurs continues to head the Blüthner firm and personally oversees the production of each piano bearing its name. This standard is certified on every individual soundboard by the signatures of the Blüthner family.

The fifth generation: Knut Blüthner-Haessler, Dr Christian Blüthner-Haessler (left to right)

The Aliquot-Patent

The Soundboard

All Blüthner grand pianos (with the exception of the model 11, our smallest grand piano) are equipped with the Blüthner Aliquot patent.

Only the finest White High Mountain Spruce from selected alpine stock with straightrunning grain and at least seven annual rings per cm is used for the production of Blüthner soundboards.

In the highest treble section of our grand pianos, each note is assigned a fourth string, which is slightly raised from the others and not struck by the hammerheads. The aliquot string resonates in unison with the note played, thereby amplifying it and creating a rich, warm and colourful sound.

The system was developed by Julius Blüthner over a century and a half ago and is considered a key facet of the Blüthner Golden Tone.

The shape of a Blüthner soundboard is unique — a cylindrical curve with a tension evenly matched to the strings. Before installation, it is seasoned for many years to ensure maximum resonance and durability, pretensioned and crowned in a process developed

by Blüthner. The ribs are shaped to fit the curvature required and therefore, even under difficult climatic conditions, the tension of the soundboard remains intact over decades.

Inner Rim and Cross Beams

Bridge and Pin Block

The inner rim construction, along with the cast iron frame, has to withstand enormous tension when an instrument is brought up to pitch.

This tension is distributed from the inner rim structure to the cross beams. The cross beams are manufactured with a solid centre of Red Beech with German Pine laminated to each side, making it virtually impossible to allow movement caused by humidity changes. It also ensures a permanent and solid fit for the bolts of the iron frame. The necessary rigidity of the rim is achieved by a fan-like arrangement of the beams. The inner rim and beams on all Blüthner grand pianos are joined using the traditional dove-tail joint, which guarantees excellent durability.

The bridge is adapted to the tension and curvature of the soundboard in its optimal position, ensuring that the full spectrum of the string vibrations is transferred to the soundboard. Both the bass and treble bridges are constructed from European Maple.

The pin block or wrest plank is made of fourteen highly compressed hardwood layers cross-banded and glued at ninety degrees to the direction of the wood grain, securing the tuning pins on all sides for long-lasting tuning stability. Blüthner uses the additional support of a hardwood bushing where the tuning pin passes through the iron frame, which assists in reducing the bending load of the pin.

The Iron Frame

Keyboard and Action

The iron frame is cast in a quartz sand mould using traditional methods. To withstand the enormous tension of nearly twenty tonnes, the design of each frame is precisely calculated and manufactured.

The keyboard is the component through which the pianist expresses their musicality and connects with the piano. With over fiveand-a-half thousand moving parts within the action and damper structure alone, utmost precision is required to enable a responsive touch from gentle pianissimo to vigorous fortissimo, whilst retaining full control. To achieve excellent stability, the key bed is manufactured of alternate layers of Red Beech and German Pine, whereas the keys of our instruments are made of fine Bavarian Mountain Spruce and high-density Ebony.

White key tops are made of acrylic. Height and depth of touch are meticulously weighted and adjusted for ultimate precision and control.

Each frame is seasoned outside for two years before being sprayed to a high quality-finish and individually fitted to an instrument.

Blüthner Piano Centre Ltd 6 Baker Street London W1U 3AA +44 (0)20 7753 0533 info@bluthner.co.uk www.bluthner.co.uk