美国Boldwin波音旗下:除了用boldwin波音这个牌子还保有相当品质外
旗下还有中价位Chickering奇格灵.这个牌子名声大造势因为在美国白宫有部豪华古董.但是这个牌子的钢琴别被这种虚名唬了.

 

 

 

乔纳斯·戚克林1798年出生在美国新罕普郡，他做过木匠学徒工，据说他将一架因海运而损坏的欧洲公主的名琴修到了能弹的状态。这使得他对未来的事业有了明确的认识。
1817年，戚克林来到波士顿，在奥斯博恩的钢琴长工作，五年后，与詹姆斯·斯图尔特建立了钢琴公司。1826年，斯图尔特回到英国后，戚克林建立了自己的钢琴公司，起初制造的是方形钢琴。1830年制造出他的第一架立式书架形钢琴，还在1843年制造出他的第一架三角钢琴，其改良品获得了一致好评，并在伦敦水晶宫举行的第一届国际博览会上获得了最高奖励。

 

 

 

　　1852年，戚克林的三个儿子：托马斯、弗兰克和乔治加入了该公司，公司的名称改为“戚克林父子公司”。但是，当年年底的一场大火摧毁了整个工厂，齐克林也于次年去世，不过在此之前他们已着手建设新工厂，新工厂成为当时美国的第二大建筑。

 

 

 

 

　　戚克林钢琴公司以后在其儿子们先后掌管下重振雄风，特别是在弗兰克管理期间，公司的钢琴质量非常高。戚克林钢琴公司1875年在纽约的第五大道建成了可容纳两千人的音乐厅，弗兰克本人还在巴黎的国际博览会上获得了“皇家十字荣誉勋章”。拿破仑三世还授予他全世界最高的“非军事奖章”以鼓励其对音乐的贡献。

 

 

 

 

　　今天CHICKERING（戚克林）从它新的拥有者GIBSON－BALDWIN公司获得了新的能量――人们惊奇的发现这个具有170多年历史的钢琴品牌正迎来它生命中第二次高潮，GIBSON-BALDWIN公司不但完全保留了它历史悠久的钢琴制造经验及技术而且还对其品牌形象进行了一系列的新的包装了定位，这一切使它已连续几年成为美国人最受欢迎的钢琴品牌。

 

 

 

 

　　关于四角钢琴（方形钢琴）：
　　四角钢琴由小巧、木制弦框的克莱门第钢琴发展到如齐克林这样大体积、铸铁制弦框的钢琴。这是当时世界上体积最大、音响最洪亮的四角钢琴。但当演奏时掀起琴盖，声音反射向演奏者，不如三角钢琴将声音直接反射向听众；对一般家庭使用者来说，其体积太大，难以容纳。因此到1880年后就不再生产此类四角钢琴了。但它的出现可以说为以后三角的面世积累了丰富的经验，其地位及作用不可轻视。

 

 

 

 

The beautiful Chickering Concert Grand Piano (7’ 6”) being offered for purchase is an historical instrument, made in the year 1910. This noble instrument exemplifies the integrity and excellence of piano making achieved by the Chickering house during that time period. Although nearly 100 years old and virtually in its original condition, its beauty of tone and thundering bass are still most evident as one can hear in the accompanying video.

 

 

 

ABOUT THE PIANIST…Renowned pianist and piano teacher of over 60 years, Edward James Parker gives his perspective on the Chickering Grand Piano. Among Mr. Parkers’ students are famed pianists Jon Kimura Parker, James Parker and Ian Parker, … all actively concertizing on the world stage today.

During the 1860 and 70’s, there was great rivalry in piano making between the house of Chickering and Steinway. Charles Francis (Frank) Chickering, who took over the firm from his father, Jonas, who died in 1853, took his pianos to the great Paris Exposition in 1867. They received the highest award. The Imperial Cross of the Legion of Honor in recognition of his distinguished service to the art of music, was bestowed upon Mr. Chickering by Emperor Napoleon III at the Palace of the Tulleries. (You will note the Imperial Cross symbol stamped on the cast iron frame of this piano.)

 

 

 

 

 

The triumph of the Chickering piano in the Paris Exposition was followed by a remarkable reception accorded it by one of the greatest pianists of all time, namely, Franz Liszt. Mr. Chickering desired above all things to submit his piano to the critical judgement of this supreme artist. Liszt, halfway through a tremendous test, suddenly stopped and exclaimed, “It is Imperial! I never thought a piano could possess such qualities!”

 

 

 

 

 

The great composer, Edvard Grieg, in writing to his parents of the reception Liszt gave him on one occasion, tells of “The glorious Chickering” upon which he played for the great man. The Chickerings used by Franz Liszt are preserved to this day in the Liszt memorial collections at Weimar and the Royal Conservatory at Budapest.

 

 

 

 

There are many famous and historic instruments in the Chickering collection. Famous figures of the 19th Century owned or performed on Chickerings. Sir Arthur Sullivan put Gilbert’s words to music on a Chickering; Queen Victoria had a Chickering piano at her Isle of Wight retreat; the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow owned one, as did Swedish diva Jenny Lind. Teresa Carreno as a 10-year-old child prodigy performed on the Chickering owned by Abraham Lincoln at the White House. Charles Gounod, Vladimir de Pachmann and Ferruccio Busoni also composed and performed on Chickerings.

 

 

 

 

In comparing this 1910 Chickering to the 1895 Chickering piano that Glenn Gould owned and thought so highly of, we can see that they are identical in style and close in vintage. However, our 1910 instrument is in the Concert Grand category, a much larger instrument. Indeed, the mere raising of its substantial lid testifies to the strength and quality of the rich African mahogany wood used in its construction.

 

 

 

It is of interest to note the following comments that accompanied the Glenn Gould Chickering Baby grand piano as it toured Canada:

 

 

 

 

The Famous Glenn Gould Chickering Grand Piano
Glenn Gould’s Chickering Baby Grand piano was manufactured in 1895. Because of its unique action, Gould based his criteria for all future pianos he owned , or recorded on, this specific Baby Grand. In his words….”It is quite unlike almost any other in the world, an extremely solicitous piano with a tactile immediacy almost like a harpsichord’s. It gives me a sensation of being so close to the strings and so much in control of everything, whereas modern pianos seem to have power-steering – they drive you, instead of the other way around.”

Gould’s Chickering Grand piano was in his possession until his death in October 1982, and is now one of Canada’s national treasures.”

 

 

 

 

 

The traditional hand-crafted pianos of yesterday were built without shortcuts, to standards much higher than those of today. Their life expectancy is many hundreds of years. The proud owners of these earlier pianos saw their possessions as a legacy for future generations. At a mere 98 years old, this Chickering can be expected to bring joy to many more generations of discerning music lovers. Unquestionably, this fine instrument is a “collector’s dream”…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Music Room contains an 1881 square Chickering piano (shown) and a 1943 Steinway baby grand.
 The hand painted canvas walls were created by an Italian artist. The room at the right is the parlor
with all of the furniture custom made for Mrs. Brown's size.