501:
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".
510:
455:, 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.
22:
37:
519:
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.
126:
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 1,000 pianos per year. There were showrooms at 13 Altmarkt, Dresden and 18 Schloss -Strasse, Dresden with branches in
121:. His second Son Wilhelm Karl, born in 1872, and died in 1943 in Tolkewitz. However, the "yearbook of wealth and income of the millionaires in the kingdom of Saxony" of 1912 states that two of the family members, Wilhelm and Gertrud Kaps, each had 1.3 M marks and an annual income of 0.11 M Marks. In 1876, the company exhibited at the
531:
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'.
500:
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
458:
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
518:
In 1865, Kaps built the first double overstrung grand piano. Named âthe system Kapsâ 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
125:
in
Philadelphia. 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. In 1925 the factory, then known as the Kaps/Kuhse Pianoforte AG, made both piano brands
466:
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.
530:
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
483:
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. Although revolutionary, most were not economically practical and were not commercially produced.
462:
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.
459:
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.
513:
Ernst Kaps, Dresden, Germany Percy
Graingerâs 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
496:
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.
117:
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
578:
Nyström, Pia; Kyhlberg-Boström Anna, Elmquist Anne-Marie: Kungl. Musikaliska
Akademien: Matrikel 1771-1995 (Kungl. Musikaliska Akademiens Skriftserie, 0347-5158 (1996), p. 84;
851:
846:
101:
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
122:
799:
Pianos and Their Makers: A Comprehensive
History of the Development of the Piano from the Monochord to the Concert Grand Player Piano
745:
583:
509:
841:
807:
114:
822:
705:
WIPO Geneva & Madrid international registration DM/084695/ published in the international designs bulletin 47/2014
550:
A dictionary of pianists and composers for the pianoforte, with an appendix of manufacturers of the instrument
85:
was a German piano manufacturer founded in 1858 with the original factory at 20 to 22 Seminarstrasse in
21:
36:
598:
803:
741:
579:
90:
797:
139:
692:
448:
612:
145:
Production resumed under ownership of an Australian company in 2012 with Philip Shayer.
527:
467:
The idea of these were that this would create a larger vibrational mass and additional
452:
135:
835:
637:
548:
678:
468:
118:
769:
153:
The table below shows the assignment of serial numbers to year of manufacture.
471:(harmonics)âa complex endeavour to attempt a fuller and more colourful sound.
783:
757:
639:
History of the American Pianoforte: Its Technical Development, and the Trade
613:"Jahrbuch des Vermögens und Einkommens der MillionÀre im Königreich Sachsen"
493:
480:
664:
102:
479:
The inventions and developments of Kaps were often patented, including a
106:
86:
58:
131:
110:
758:
Details/biblio?CC=GB&NR=189810052 Abstract of GB189810052 (A)
508:
127:
20:
716:
566:
492:
One interesting and important invention was the patented
113:. Kaps was appointed in 1879 an honorary member of the
89:, Germany. Kaps acquired the title of purveyor of the
25:
Picture of new ERNST KAPS MODEL 158B GRAND PIANO 2012
72:
54:
46:
802:, , Volume 1, p. 64. Courier Dover Publications
8:
29:
41:Poster for Kaps pianos by Friedrich Brodauf
35:
28:
852:Manufacturing companies based in Dresden
847:Piano manufacturing companies of Germany
155:
819:University of Melbourne Library Journal
540:
105:on 6 December 1826 and died in 1887 in
642:(D. Spillane Publishers, 1890), p. 59.
740:Pierce, Bob Piano Atlas . 10 Edition
7:
599:"House of Ernst Kaps in Bankruptcy"
123:Centennial International Exhibition
823:"Percy Grainger's Childhood Piano"
14:
654:, published by Larry E. Ashley
115:Royal Swedish Academy of Music
1:
784:"Improvement in piano-fortes"
563:Meyers Konversations-Lexikon
451:(1789â1875), the teacher of
523:Percy Grainger's Kaps piano
868:
553:, p. 145. Novello and Ewer
522:
770:"Ernst Kaps Piano Makers"
679:"Ernst Kaps Piano Makers"
665:"Ernst Kaps Piano Makers"
34:
16:German piano manufacturer
756:European Patent Office.
443:Jean-Henri Pape and Kaps
83:Ernst Kaps Piano Fabrik
617:digital.slub-dresden.de
76:Ernst Karl Wilhelm Kaps
30:Ernst Kaps Piano Fabrik
796:Dolge, Alfred (1911).
601:, vol. 51 no. 6, p. 9.
515:
475:Inventions and patents
26:
842:Royal Warrant holders
512:
140:St Petersburg, Russia
24:
825:, Vol 5, No. 1, p. 2
693:"WIPO Hague Express"
469:coincident partials
50:Piano manufacturing
31:
652:Pierce Piano Atlas
636:Spillane, Daniel:
595:Music Trade Review
547:Pauer, E. (1896).
516:
27:
715:Australia, I. P.
597:, 6 August 1910,
569:, vol. 9, p. 495.
440:
439:
91:Kingdom of Saxony
80:
79:
859:
826:
816:
810:
794:
788:
787:
780:
774:
773:
766:
760:
754:
748:
738:
732:
731:
729:
727:
712:
706:
703:
697:
696:
689:
683:
682:
675:
669:
668:
661:
655:
649:
643:
634:
628:
627:
625:
623:
608:
602:
592:
586:
576:
570:
560:
554:
545:
404:Kaps & Kuhse
156:
68:
66:
39:
32:
867:
866:
862:
861:
860:
858:
857:
856:
832:
831:
830:
829:
817:
813:
795:
791:
782:
781:
777:
768:
767:
763:
755:
751:
739:
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725:
723:
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713:
709:
704:
700:
691:
690:
686:
677:
676:
672:
663:
662:
658:
650:
646:
635:
631:
621:
619:
611:Dresden, SLUB.
610:
609:
605:
593:
589:
577:
573:
561:
557:
546:
542:
537:
525:
507:
490:
477:
449:Jean-Henri Pape
445:
151:
99:
64:
62:
42:
17:
12:
11:
5:
865:
863:
855:
854:
849:
844:
834:
833:
828:
827:
811:
789:
775:
761:
749:
733:
717:"IP Australia"
707:
698:
684:
670:
656:
644:
629:
603:
587:
571:
555:
539:
538:
536:
533:
528:Percy Grainger
524:
521:
506:
503:
489:
486:
476:
473:
453:Carl Bechstein
444:
441:
438:
437:
435:
433:
430:
429:36001 to 37500
427:
424:
423:18001 to 20000
421:
418:
414:
413:
411:
409:
406:
401:
398:
397:16001 to 18000
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392:
388:
387:
385:
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380:
379:34001 to 36000
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373:14001 to 16000
371:
368:
364:
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359:42501 to 43000
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333:42001 to 42500
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328:
327:30001 to 32000
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321:10001 to 12000
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307:41451 to 42000
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301:28001 to 30000
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281:40501 to 41450
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203:37501 to 37700
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136:Irkutsk Oblast
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61:, Germany 1858
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584:91-85428-99-X
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567:"Kaps, Ernst"
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258:2013 to 2014
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432:1922 to 1930
426:1896 to 1897
420:1867 to 1868
408:1922 to 1930
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400:1893 to 1895
394:1866 to 1867
382:1917 to 1921
376:1890 to 1892
370:1865 to 1866
356:1912 to 1916
350:1888 to 1889
344:1864 to 1865
330:1909 to 1911
324:1885 to 1887
318:1863 to 1864
304:1906 to 1908
298:1883 to 1884
292:1862 to 1863
278:1904 to 1905
272:1880 to 1882
269:6001 to 8000
266:1861 to 1862
252:1902 to 1903
246:1877 to 1879
243:4001 to 6000
240:1860 to 1861
226:1900 to 1901
220:1872 to 1876
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200:1898 to 1899
194:1869 to 1871
188:1858 to 1859
152:
144:
119:receivership
100:
82:
81:
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191:501 to 1000
836:Categories
808:0486228568
535:References
505:Baby grand
417:451 to 500
391:401 to 450
367:351 to 400
341:301 to 350
315:251 to 300
289:201 to 250
263:151 to 200
237:101 to 150
177:Serial No.
171:Serial No.
165:Serial No.
159:Serial No.
514:Melbourne
494:resonator
488:Resonator
481:resonator
211:51 to 100
821:(1999).
47:Industry
565:(1888).
447:It was
185:1 to 50
107:Dresden
97:History
87:Dresden
73:Founder
63: (
59:Dresden
55:Founded
806:
744:
726:12 May
622:12 May
582:
149:Models
132:London
111:Saxony
103:Döbeln
180:Year
128:Paris
804:ISBN
742:ISBN
728:2023
624:2023
580:ISBN
174:Year
168:Year
162:Year
138:and
65:1858
721:dxa
838::
719:.
615:.
142:.
134:,
130:,
109:,
93:.
786:.
772:.
730:.
695:.
681:.
667:.
626:.
67:)
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