Post 5: Julius Bluthner

Julius Ferdinand Bluthner was a German piano maker who founded the very prestigious Bluthner piano company (Julius Bluthner Pianofortefabrik). He lived from 1824-1910 and was born in Germany. He started his piano manufacturing company in Leipzig, Germany in 1853.

Julius Bluthner [1]

Bluthner had incredible engineering prowess in addition to be an entrepreneur. His vision for his company was to make pianos that would be endorsed by the best composers and musicians. They exemplified German precision in how they were made and he even created a fourth string aliquot that enriches the sound of the piano. After earning the admiration and endorsement from leading trade shows and musicians, he started to receive orders for special edition pianos that were ornate and pushed the limits of aesthetics and how beautiful designs, music, and engineering could all combine in a way that had not been seen before.

These German made pianos created sounds that made it the leading piano manufacturer in the 20th century in Europe and have been played on by some of the most renowned piano artists in the last couple hundred years. The company has created luxury pianos for queens, czars, and sultans around the world and also created an innovative lightweight aluminum piano for the Hindenburg. One of the most amazing things is that the pianos all have designs that are quite different and are aesthetically-varied, but they all look very high quality and luxurious even so.

After 5 generations, the Bluthner piano company is still a family-organization that still is pursuing luxury, innovative piano designs while still prioritizing musical integrity and precision engineering.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Bl%C3%BCthner

*all other pictures from: https://www.designerpiano.com/