SCHIMMEL MASTERPIECES

Art Nouveau

Decorative curves, surfaces decorated with floral ornaments and abandonment of symmetry: these are the elements of Art Nouveau, also termed in German as Jugendstil, a new artistic style which transformed everyday articles into artistic objects. The intention was to incorporate art into everyday life. Here it was the decorative arts which came into their own. This approach was also appreciated by the piano craftsmen at Schimmel - and prompted the development of this grand piano model.

Belle Epoque

The Belle Epoque is the "beautiful era" of art, culture and pleasure spanning a period of approximately 30 years before and after the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. The founding member of the family firm, Wilhelm Schimmel, was also inspired by this style and developed an exquisite grand piano in Belle Epoque style. This instrument is still owned by the Schimmel family and retains such a fascinating aura that they decided to reissue this model - much to the delight of numerous pianists!

Nikolaus Wilhelm Schimmel Edition

On the foundation of over 50 years experience, Nikolaus Wilhelm Schimmel created a particularly noble special edition grand piano in cooperation with a team of Schimmel craftsmen. This very personal design combining the classic piano black finish, quilted maple and a distinctive leg design which underlines the individularity of this masterpiece of piano craftsmanship. Nikolaus Wilhelm Schimmel personally developed the slow-fall system for the lid giving a little insight into his creative personality. The uniqueness of these grand pianos is verified by his signature on the fallboard of the instrument.

Empire

The Empire style ( 1804 - 1830 ), originating in Paris, took the world of the grand salons by storm - and was closely linked to the personality cult surrounding Napoleon Bonaparte. Representation and decoration were the objectives of the style which was characterised by straight lines, austerity and solemnity, for example in furniture, applied art and fashion. We have recreated this style in our Empire grand pianos, but not in its most opulent form. The slender lines of marquetry and the fine cannelures emphasise the classicistic elegance of the Early Napoleonic era. This is an ornament for any room in which the grand piano can communicate the flair and atmosphere of a French salon.

Royal

Taste is the art of an understanding for detail - and also of presenting this detail in an accomplished fashion. The exceptional personality of the model Royal is characterised by the model's piano legs with its traditionally carved stylistic elements from solid wood. The majestic appearance of this grand piano transforms music-making into an experience for all senses!

Royal Marketerie

An old stylistic technique lends our model Royal an extravagant touch-marquetry. In previous centuries, this technique was used for the decoration of expensive furniture. In contrast to the inlay technique, marquetry is prepared in its entirety beforehand and consists of small veneer elements assembled to be subsequently glued onto the wooden corpus. Marquetry experts base their motif designs on the colour and structure of the primarily exotic wood types employed. With the aid of this veneer technique, our experts produce unusual individual elements manufactured from flame khaya mahogany to great effect.

Royal Intarsie Flora

It is probably only on second glance that you will notice the subtle accent our craftsmen create with their delicate floral inlay work and yet it is a feature sure to delight for years. Reserved for the upper part of the leg, inside the fallboard and the music-desk, the restrained inlay work refines the instrument in an artful way. A gentle variation in the shade of the mahogany wood gives the grand piano a harmonious understated whole.

Royal Intarsie Oval

It is the little things which characterise the beauty of this Masterpiece, but perfection is anything but trivial itself. Specialists invest a great deal of time and utilise their entire range of skills for the carving of the wood inlays - each one an artistic jewel in itself. With great technical skill, miniature art works are created with the aid of a scalpel and the precision of a surgeon. This work requires patience and also excellent judgment of proportion and colour. The result is an instrument for afficionados such as this Masterpiece.

Tradition Intarsie Harfe

Beauty has its price - Time. This is particularly true for the art of wood inlay carving. As a rule, it takes over two weeks for our master specialist to complete the basic wood inlay veneer sheet in which he has to integrate over 300 individual filigree elements to form artistic ornaments. Individual and valuable unique designs are produced with the aid of highly developed technical and artistic skills, lending this model its particularly noble character.

Tradition Intarsie Liaison

With this firework of intarsia work, our craftsmen demonstrate their full array of skills of a several thousand years old technique. Through the use of various techniques of intarsia woodwork and the selection of a unique and large number of different woods, a lavish splendor of ornaments, patterns and pictures immediately captivates the eye.

Tradition Intarsie Vase

For this expressive motive, we were inspired by the vestige art of Greek Antiquity. Our artisans have interpreted this style in their own way. The vase itself made of maple wood, embedded in an oval of exclusive macassar wood. The vase is framed by wild bubinga wood and is contrasted with clearly structured mahogany. Fine inlaid lines on the legs stress the strong overall appearance of this Masterpiece.

Royal Exquisite Wood Macassar

A piano is more than an instrument; perhaps it can even be termed a synthesis of the arts. This is borne out by the valuable and unending variety of the exotic woods utilised in the building of Schimmel instruments, with their stunning and timeless richness in colouring. For our grand piano series Tradition, we have selected only the best - exotic woods with a special character. These woods must be crafted with both great care and the highest art of workmanship in the technique of veneer. This has always been an integral part of the Schimmel craftsmanship tradition and is a guarantee for the consummate, attractive and durable casings of our grand and upright pianos.