Missing for about a century, a historic Steinway & Sons Piano has returned to Vizcaya Museum & Gardens.
The 1916 piano was documented in archival photographs and in an inventory of the estate made after the death of Vizcaya’s patron James Deering. But the instrument was removed from the villa sometime in the 1920s.
The piano resurfaced last year in the hands of a family who, according to the museum’s curator Helena Gomez, preferred to remain anonymous. The American family acquired the instrument in the 1980s and passed it down through several generations.
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Now featured at Vizcaya’s reception room, the piano reflects the music spirit that was once present in the halls of the estate.
Unlike other objects in the well-furnished museum, this piano was not brought over from Europe but rather crafted by Steinway and Sons in New York — a firm known for their exquisite craftsmanship and innovation of sounds, Gomez told WLRN.
“This is one of those objects that were made in America by contemporary art craftsmen and tell a story of Gilded Age America and industrialists like James Deering,” Gomez said. “ It really is a unique piece because… while [the piano] does look at Europe, it really is full of American sensibilities.”
At the time, owning a Steinway & Sons piano symbolized wealth and high culture. Vizcaya’s patron, James Deering, commissioned the instrument in 1915. According to archives, Deering’s artistic advisor, Paul Chalfin, made the order indicating the design of the piano needed to look as close as possible to a harpsichord Deering had purchased in 1914. After being completed, the piano was shipped to Chalfin’s for gilding and painting.
“You can see the direct similarities with the harpsichord with its square box and and its carvings around the frame with floral and coral motifs.” Gomez said. “As well as the painted surface, [which] follows these arabesque patterns that were painted by Chalfin inspired by the harpsichord’s case.”
Additionally, the piano displays a “D” for Deering on its lid and an 8-point star on the board akin to the one that the harpsichord has. The instrument is a B-model piano, which is the size considered ideal for a mid-size concert.
Standing next to the piano is its bench. Gomez said Vizcaya’s archival materials show drawings of the piano with the same bench, which confirms both items have remained together throughout the years.
While the piano is over 100 years old, the instrument is still in playable condition. The museum has tuned the piano and is hoping to showcase its sound in the near future through programming.
In the meantime, visitors can imagine the lively ambiance this Steinway Piano & Sons brought to the villa back then.
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