Montal Upright Piano

In 1851Montal was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. His firm, which was listedin 1851 at 5 boulevards Montmartre, was takenover at his death by Tessereau; in 1893 the firm still existed and was directedby Donasson

Montal invented several improvements,including a repetition action and a transposing piano. Montals 1848 patent alsoillustrated his system for placing the soundboard above the strings, with thehammers striking them from below, and including a system of metal bracing bars,the wrest plank being made of metal and wood. His 1851 addition no 3711 includedhis Pedal Expression, which softened the sound by shortening the hammer blowagainst the strings.

Montal established his own shop in 1835.Within four years he employed a dozen workmen, who finished some 172 pianos ayear; including grands, squares, and uprights. Montal received a bronze medalat the Paris exhibition in 1844 and silver in1849; and in Londongreat Exhibition of 1851 he was presented with a second class medal for threecottage pianos with expression pedals. The morning Chronicle, London 10 June 1851, remarked for hisblindness.

Musical instrument maker in Paris. Blind from earlychildhood, Montal attended a school for the blind in Paris. There he learned how to play severalmusical instruments, and to tune and rebuild pianos and organs. In 1834, whileconnected with the school, he wrote and published his important treaties ontuning Lart daccorder soi meme son piano

Born La Palisse, 28th July 1800, died Paris? 7-8 March 1865

Claude Montal

A Gorgeously Decorated and inlaid upright piano made byMontal Paris 1851. This upright piano was displayed and won Montal an awardmedal the same year. The upright is made of numerous different types of fruitwood, and exotic woods. Flower and birds are inlaid all over the case on allsides followed by gilt bronzes. This piano is also built with a transpositorsystem made by this famous and well known maker of pianos. This piano was shownin the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in 1851 whereMontal won the gold medal for his unique and beautiful pieces.

A Gorgeously Decorated and inlaid upright piano made by Montal Paris 1851.