Ernst Kaps

Ernst Kaps Piano Fabrik was a German piano manufacturer founded in 1858 with the original factory at 20 to 22 Seminarstrasse in Dresden, Germany. Kaps acquired the title of purveyor of the Kingdom of Saxony.[1]

Picture of new ERNST KAPS MODEL 158B GRAND PIANO 2012
Ernst Kaps Piano Fabrik
IndustryPiano manufacturing
FoundedDresden, Germany 1858 (1858)
FounderErnst Karl Wilhelm Kaps

History

The piano brand Kaps or Ernst Kaps Pianofortefabrik was founded and produced in Dresden Germany in 1858 by Ernst Karl Wilhelm Kaps. Ernst Kaps was born in Döbeln on December 6, 1826 and died in 1887 in Dresden (Saxony).[2] Kaps was appointed in 1879 an honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music[3] His son Ernst Eugen born in 1864 died in early 1910 in Dresden under suspicious circumstances. A report suggested he may have taken his own life as a result of his company facing receivership.[4] His second Son Wilhelm Karl born in 1872 and died in 1943 in Tolkewitz. However, the year book of wealth and income of the millionaires in the kingdom of Saxony of 1912[5] states that 2 of the family members, Wilhelm and Gertrud Kaps, each had 1.3M marks and an annual income of .11 M Marks. In 1876, the company exhibited at the Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia.[6] In 1922, the company then known as Ernst Kaps Piano Fabrik AG merged with another company, owned and founded by Johann Kuhse, whose piano manufacturing business was founded in Dresden in 1874.[7] In 1925 the factory, then known as the Kaps/Kuhse Pianoforte AG, made both piano brands alongside each other. The Dresden factory closed in 1930 and at this point the company had reported its final serial number as No. 37500. The Dresden factory produced 37,500 pianos and grand pianos and ever since 1885 manufactured a consistent 1000 pianos per year. There were showrooms at 13 Altmarkt, Dresden and 18 Schloss Strasse, Dresden with branches in Paris, London, Irkutsk Oblast and St Petersburg, Russia. Production resumed under ownership of an Australian company in 2012 with Philip Shayer.[8][9][10][11][12]

Models

The table below shows the assignment of serial numbers to year of manufacture.[13]

Serial No.YearSerial No.YearSerial No.YearSerial No.Year
1 to 501858 to 1859501 to 10001869 to 187120001 to 230001898 to 189937501 to 377002011 to 2012
51 to 1001859 to 18601001 to 40001872 to 187623001 to 240001900 to 190137701 to 400002012 to 2013
101 to 1501860 to 18614001 to 60001877 to 187924001 to 260001902 to 190340001 to 405002013 to 2014
151 to 2001861 to 18626001 to 80001880 to 188226001 to 280001904 to 190540501 to 414502014 to 2015
201 to 2501862 to 18638001 to 100001883 to 188428001 to 300001906 to 190841451 to 420002015 to 2016
251 to 3001863 to 186410001 to 120001885 to 188730001 to 320001909 to 191142001 to 425002016 to 2017
301 to 3501864 to 186512001 to 140001888 to 188932001 to 340001912 to 191642501 to 430002017 to 2018
351 to 4001865 to 186614001 to 160001890 to 189234001 to 360001917 to 1921
401 to 4501866 to 186716001 to 180001893 to 1895Kaps & Kuhse1922 to 1930
451 to 5001867 to 186818001 to 200001896 to 189736001 to 375001922 to 1930

Jean-Henri Pape and Kaps

It was Jean-Henri Pape (1789–1875), the teacher of Carl Bechstein, who invented and put into use the system of high tension steel strings and copper wound over steel in pianos. Pape, who was also the true inventor of the overstrung piano in 1826, along with many other successful and not so successful inventions, invented the design of an additional pressure bar or individual capo/s located between the hitch pins and the bridges (a similar system later patented by Theodore Steinway in 1872) now known as "duplex scaling". He also introduced the use of compressed felt for hammers. A good number of these are still in use today.

Some of Pape's more successful inventions were employed by a small number of manufacturers fairly early in piano making history, such as Erard, Steinweg, Steinway and Ernst Kaps. In discussions with Pape, it was Ernst Kaps that expanded on Pape's design, inventing a system of double over-stringing in 1865. This design employed three bridges, Bass, tenor and treble, enabling the production of the, previously troubled, baby grand piano. This then allowed for a 5 ft (154 cm) length piano to be successfully produced early in piano making history.

As a result of this and other effective inventions, including one known as the "Panzer system" in upright pianos, the company enjoyed many years of commercial success prior to the Dresden factory ceasing production in 1930 reported to have produced some 37,500 pianos at that site.

Ernst Kaps obtained a number of patents on various interesting inventions. One of these included the "resonator". This consisted of an additional sound-box with small sound ports(holes)drilled through the top. These were fixed to just below the tenor and treble bridges along the bridges profile. The idea of these were that this would create a larger vibrational mass and additional coincident partials (harmonics)—a complex endeavour to attempt a fuller and more colourful sound.

Inventions and patents

The inventions and developments of Kaps were often patented, including a resonator and a baby grand piano (double overstrung grand piano). Other similar and ingenious inventions were patented by Ernst Kaps such as a device that extended the soundboard into the grand piano lid.[14] Although revolutionary, most were not economically practical and were not commercially produced.[15]

Resonator

One interesting and important invention was the patented resonator as is commonly referred to, whereas, it was officially called, and referred to by Ernst Kaps as the 'sound hood', a device through which additional harmonics were created, particularly in the higher registers.

This consists of a device in the form of a harp shaped sound box contoured to the bridges which is screwed onto the soundboard. Ernst Kaps obtained a number of patents on various interesting inventions. These additional sound-box fixtures, with small sound ports (holes) drilled through the top, were attached to just below the tenor and treble bridges along the bridge profiles. The idea of these were that this would create 'a larger vibrational mass' and additional 'coincident partials (harmonics)'. A complex endeavour to attempt a fuller and more colourful sound. Ernst Kaps stated that "Each resonant case maybe of a size and length to respond acoustically to the note of the strings passing through it. The resonant cases form in the aggregate what I term a "sound-hood". I am aware that sounding-boxes have been attached to different parts of a piano, such as to the frame or the sounding-board. In all such cases the vibration of the sounding board or case was depended upon to give vibrations to the boxes. In my improvement the air in each resonant case receives a vibration from the string itself when it is struck, thereby the resonant vibrations of the string are communicated directly to the air of the case, which responds thereto". As mentioned, "this device served to give increased resonance to the thinner tones of the soprano and higher registers for a significant boost and timbre, while providing a more consistent and defined ratio between the sound levels".[16]

Baby grand
Ernst Kaps, Dresden, Germany Percy Grainger’s childhood practice piano, late 19th century Walnut, ivory; 133 x 158 x 69cm Donated by Mr and Mrs Thomas P. Husband, 1935 Accession number 00.0057 Grainger Museum collection, University of Melbourne

In 1865, Kaps built the first double overstrung grand piano. Named ‘the system Kaps’ which referred to a triple bridge arrangement to aid the awkward scaling design, limited by the previously unsuccessful, small sized grand, which were only about 1.50 m long. These, at the time were characterised as having both "solidity and durability of tone" as well as "a lovely yet powerful sound for such a small piano". Previous attempts at producing a successful small grand piano failed until this time and subsequently, the Kaps Double overstrung 5 ft grand piano, quickly became a revelation. Hailed as the first successful small grand, later known and promoted by another maker as the "baby grand piano", launched Kaps pianos into commercial success.[17]

Percy Grainger's Kaps piano

Percy Grainger learned to play on an upright parlour piano of Walnut veneer and ivory keys, made and supplied by Ernst Kaps of Dresden to Rose Grainger. He reported to have practiced on it for two hours a day, while his mother Rose Grainger, as his teacher, sat beside him. In 1895 the Graingers left for Germany when the piano was then sold to a Mr and Mrs Thomas P. Husband, whose family were also taught by Rose. They kept it for 40 years, before donating it to the Grainger Museum at the Melbourne University in 1935. The piano has now been restored and is housed on display at the 'Percy Grainger Museum Melbourne Australia'.[18]

References
  1. Pauer, E. (1896). A dictionary of pianists and composers for the pianoforte, with an appendix of manufacturers of the instrument, p. 145. Novello and Ewer
  2. Meyers Konversations-Lexikon (1888)."Kaps, Ernst", Vol. 9, p. 495
  3. Nyström, Pia; Kyhlberg-Boström Anna, Elmquist Anne-Marie (1996). Kungl. Musikaliska akademien: matrikel 1771-1995. Kungl. Musikaliska akademiens skriftserie, 0347-5158, p. 84. Musikaliska akad. ISBN 91-85428-99-X
  4. Music Trade Review (6 August 1910) "House of Ernst Kaps in Bankruptcy", Vol 51 No. 6, p. 9
  5. http://digital.slub-dresden.de/werkansicht/dlf/89052/1/0/
  6. Spillane, Daniel (1890). History of the American pianoforte : its technical development, and the trade, p. 59. D. Spillane Publishers.
  7. Pierce Piano Atlas published by Larry E Ashley
  8. http://www.ernstkaps.com/#!our_team/cqn6
  9. http://www.ernstkaps.com/#!authorised-agents/c6uq
  10. http://www.wipo.int/ipdl/en/hague/key.jsp?KEY=DM/084695
  11. WIPO Geneva & Madrid international registration DM/084695/ published in the international designs bulletin 47/2014
  12. http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/atmoss/falcon_details.show_tm_details?p_tm_number=1624143&p_search_no=1&p_ExtDisp=D&p_detail=DETAILED&p_rec_no=17&p_rec_all=18
  13. Pierce, Bob Piano Atlas . 10 Edition ISBN 0-911138-02-1
  14. European Patent Office. Details/biblio?CC=GB&NR=189810052 Abstract of GB189810052 (A)
  15. http://www.ernstkaps.com/#!kaps-history/c796
  16. http://www.google.com/patents/US218535
  17. Dolge, Alfred (1911). Pianos and Their Makers: A Comprehensive History of the Development of the Piano from the Monochord to the Concert Grand Player Piano, , Volume 1, p. 64. Courier Dover Publications ISBN 0486228568
  18. University of Melbourne Library Journal (1999). "Percy Grainger's Childhood Piano", Vol 5, No. 1, p. 2
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