Schiedmayer

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Schiedmayer

Schiedmayer, the name of 2 well-known German firms of piano makers in Stuttgart: Schiedmayer & Söhne and Schiedmayer Pianofortefabrik. Balthasar Schiedmayer (1711–81) began manufacturing musical instruments in Erlangen c. 1740; at his death, his son Johann David Schiedmayer (1753–1805) assumed the management; he was succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Johann David Schiedmayer (1753−1805) assu medt he had moved (c. 1800) from Erlangen to Nuremberg. Johann Lorenz ended the business at Nuremberg after 2 years, and went to Vienna for a brief time; in 1809 he was in Stuttgart, where he set up business in partnership with a young piano maker, Carl Dieudonné (d. 1825); from 1825, he carried on the business alone, until 1845, when his eldest sons, Adolf Schiedmayer (1819–90) and Hermann Schiedmayer (1820–61), entered the firm, which was then called J.L. Schiedmayer & Sohne. In 1853 Johann Lorenz Schiedmayer provided his 2 younger sons, Julius Schiedmayer (1822–78) and Paul Schiedmayer (1829–90), with their own separate factory, producing harmoniums. After their father’s death, they turned to piano making, and their business became known as Schiedmayer Pianofortefabrik. Upon Paul Schiedmayer’s death, his son, Max Julius Schied-mayer, became head of the firm.

Bibliography

A. Eisenmann, S. und Söhne (Stuttgart, 1909); 150 Jahre S. und Söhne (Stuttgart, 1959).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire