A Musical Journey in the City of Romance
In 1777, Érard produced the first French piano, modeled after similar square pianos imported from England and Germany, with a range of five octaves. Érard’s greatest contribution to the development of the piano was the improvement of the "double escapement" action mechanism. Many royal and noble figures, including Queen Marie Antoinette of France, Napoleon, and King George IV, as well as great pianists, have favored Érard pianos. In 1855, Érard pianos were awarded a gold medal at the Paris Exposition.
Érard and the Musicians
The Érard piano was one of the favorites of Chopin during his lifetime. While Chopin was living in Italy with George Sand, they secretly bribed customs officials to bring an Érard piano into the country, demonstrating their deep admiration for the instrument. The Érard piano also had direct ties to two great pianists, Beethoven and Liszt. Liszt once held a concert at the Érard Hall, naturally using one of their pianos. Beethoven played an Érard for thirteen years.
