She was pleased and the piano responded beautifully to her skillful touch. I asked Julie to come and play the piano and see if she felt it would enhance our services at CUCC. Recently, I decided it was not kind to such a beloved and beautiful instrument to be so ill respected. Forsaken of talent, the piano quietly graced our living room for many years. Neither my son or daughter had any interest in the piano and neither did any of my grandchildren. Ann had taken piano lessons as a youngster and could play a few tunes. When my mother died, the piano came to High Turr Farm in Ligonier. However, I still know where middle C resides! I loved the music and singing, but, alas, whatever else I was meant to be in life, it certainly was not a musician much to my mother’s chagrin.
Major remodeling for the new arrival was accomplished to “make it fit.” Both my mother and sister were accomplished pianists, so the Sunday sing-alongs continued and became a major event in my young life. When grandpa died, the piano took up new residence at my childhood home in Delmont, PA. He also played and sang at Pentecostal singing and revival services at a local Pentecostal church. Grandpa’s voice was rated the best of all! He subbed at Denmark Manor as pianist when needed. He was a passionate Christian, and Sunday family dinners were always followed by family singing around the piano. Grandpa was himself an accomplished musician who played the piano, mandolin, trumpet and sang in the choir at Denmark Manor UCC. My grandfather, Richard Muse Whiteman who was also an immigrant but from England, bought the piano from an unknown original owner in or about 1945. Due to their smaller scale production and private nature of the company, many of their pianos are in relatively good condition today and are highly revered. By the early 20th century the Krakauer Brothers were building small numbers of “exceptional, high end quality” pianos, each one totally by hand and with individual attention. Krakauer Brothers was one of the few American piano manufacturers to survive well over a century Krakauer Brothers Upright Piano. His pianos also became known for their exceptional cases. Beautiful Krakauer Brothers Square Grand Piano In Rococo Style Brazilian Rosewood Cabinet. Simon’s passion was to build and improve the tonal quality of his pianos. He was soon joined in the piano making business by his son David and his brother Julius. He was an accomplished violinist and orchestra conductor in his hometown of Kissinger, Germany prior to coming to America in 1854. The company was founded by a German immigrant in 1869 by the name of Simon Krakauer. This Grand Old Dame of a piano was built in 1927 by Krakauer Brothers Company located at that time in New York City. accurate idea of what the new piano factory of Krakauer Brothers, now in course of erection at One Hundred and Twenty-sixth street, near Lexington avenue, will be. If desired, this piano can be equipped with the Pianomation player system, and can play by itself by streaming music live on an iPod, computer, iPad, etc., Some Notes about Kraukauer Brothers Piano After restoration, it will rival the tone and touch of the finest new upright piano available on today’s market. This piano will be restored to like-new condition, inside and out. You simply can’t get craftsmanship like this in pianos built today!
Even now prior to restoration, the piano has a large, full sound one would expect from a well-made Krakauer piano.
These old finishes chemically break down and turn very dark over the years. The piano will be quite beautiful after professional restoration. This piano is made of beautiful imported Honduran Mahogany wood and is made in the simple and elegant Greek Revival style. This beautiful piano was built by Krakauer in 1906, the “Golden Age” of piano building in America. Krakauer Brothers built extremely high quality, expensive pianos in New York from about 1869-1980, one of the very few American piano manufacturers to survive well over a century.