The museum houses a black polished grand piano which once belonged to the Jurgenson family, heirs of Peter Ivanovich Jurgenson, a friend of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It was made at the factory “Blüthner”.
The company was founded by Julius Blüthner in 1853. A “Blüthner” piano was distinguished by the presence of aliquot strings, which provided richer overtones and served to enhance the tone quality of the instrument. The main materials of “Blüthner” pianos were pine and red beech. The keys were made of spruce with dense growth rings. The steel frame was cast according to a special technique. The piano strings are made of steel capable of withstanding high tension. In 1867, “Blüthner” pianos received the Grand Prix Prize at the international exhibition in Paris.
This piano is a cultural artifact. During the 1910s and 1920s, the instrument belonged to the family of the largest music publisher and philanthropist in Russia, Peter Ivanovich Jurgenson. It was kept in the building of his music printing house in Khokhlovsky Lane. Peter Jurgenson’s sons Boris and Grigory, who continued their father’s work, as well as his daughter Alexandra lived in this house with their families.
When Peter Jurgenson died, his sons Boris and Grigory took over the business. Boris Jurgenson helped his father in conducting affairs. From 1904 to 1918, he managed the family business, continuing to improve printing techniques.
Around 1911 Boris Jurgenson purchased a new piano from the “Blüthner” company which he personally chose. It is no coincidence that a high-quality instrument appeared in the house. The music publishing house “P. Jurgenson” had great ties with composers and teachers of the Moscow Conservatory. Vladimir Rebikov and Alexander Scriabin, who were friends with Boris Jurgenson, as well as Sergey Taneyev, Nikolai Medtner and Sergei Rachmaninoff visited the publishing house. Hence, the hands of these outstanding musicians touched the keys of the “Blüthner” piano.
In the early 1930s, the piano was purchased by Adolf Eduardovich Strauss from relatives of the music publisher Peter Jurgenson. The grand piano entered the museum in 1986 according to the will of the violinist and teacher Dmitry Adolfovich Strauss.
