With Peter Behrens, IBACH was able to win
one of the most prolific artists of the 20th century for the design of
piano cases. Peter Behrens was a universal talent in allmost all fields
of creativity. He worked as painter, draftsrnan, landscape-gardener, book-illustrator,
designed typeset such as "Behrens-Antiqua" and reached greatest importance
as product designer and architect. From 1907 on, he served as artistic
counsel for AEG for whom he designed useful objects such as lamps, kettles,
ventilators, the company's logo and production facilities. Through this
he helped enhanced industrical mass products with an aesthetic dimension
and helped to lay the foundation of industrial aesthetics. During his time
as director of the Duesseldorf Kunstgewerbeschule (Duesseldorf Arts and
Crafts school) frorn 1903 to 1907 Peter Behrens designed several instrument
cases for IBACH. The mighty "Richard-Wagner-Flügel" (grand
piano) in burr walnut with ebony intarsia was first shown at the "III.
Deutschen Kunstgewerbeausstellung" zu Dresden in 1906 (German exhibiton
of crafts and arts) within a music-hall, errected for this purpose only.
This grand piano with design of Peter Behrens was strictly limited, only
two instruments were produced Both are missed today. The IBACH-archive
would be glad to get some hints.
Ibach-Behrens-grand at the"
III. Deutschen Kunstgewerbeausstellung", Dresden 1906
In his 1905 design Peter Behrens succeded
in establishing a stern, yet elegant piano case. At that time, IBACH furnished
this instrument in two veneers: amaranth and walnut. The piano was first
shown at the Werthheim exhibiton „Neue Wohnkäume, Neues Kunstgewerbe“
in Berlin in 1905, managed by Professor Curt Stoeving, later at the Milano/Italy
word exhibition of 1906.
In his search for simple rectilinearity, Behrens
avoided the usual curviture of the lid. The decorative elements of the
inlays recall his sparse and severe decoration used in several buildings:
the circle in a perfect square. The same clarity and elengance enhance
the present bicentennial edition upright piano H 128 Edition Design Peter
Behrens which IBACH offers in Swiss pear tree, burr walnut and mahogani
veneer.
C.H. -
F.S. - C.S.
Copyright
1998 Christoph Heuter - Florian Speer
Peter Behrens-page University Hamburg-Harburg here
