Player pianos tickle treasure hunters' interest
Jay Mark
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 31, 2004

Provenance, or the documented history of ownership, can add immeasurably to the value of an antique. Think of the names Wrigley, Steinway and Hormel. Then apply them to a unique, priceless piano residing in the Valley for nearly three-quarters of a century at one of the region's most prestigious addresses.

Perched atop a 10-acre hill west of the Arizona Biltmore is the Wrigley Mansion, completed at the height of the Depression in 1931 at a cost of $1.2 million. The nearly 17,000-square-foot winter home was the smallest and last of the five Wrigley family houses.

Tucked into a corner of the spacious living room with an ornately painted ceiling is an imposing, decorated baby grand Steinway piano. Not only is it a superb musical instrument, it is also a reproducing player piano.

There are many treasures in the Wrigley Mansion, but the Steinway stands out among the paintings and furniture. Cynthia Parker, the mansion's historian and interior designer, speaks with great pride about the Steinway being the home's most recognized furnishing. She says it was selected and made especially for La Colina Solana, as the house was known. William Wrigley Jr.'s wife Ada visited the Steinway factory in 1929 to place the order.

The Steinway dynasty begins with Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, who constructed his first piano-forte in 1825 in Seesen, Germany, for his new bride.

Of 10 children born to the Steinwegs, nine survived. Each of the six sons was trained in piano-making techniques. They helped build the first Steinweg grand piano in the family kitchen in 1836.

In 1850 at age 53, Heinrich moved his family and successful business to New York. A year after their arrival, he Anglicized the family name to Steinway. By 1860, Steinway & Sons was competing directly with the industry leader Chickering, based in Boston. In 1868, Steinway was producing an incredible 50 instruments a week.

By the end of the 19th century, pianos were common in American homes, but many were underutilized. The Aeolian Co. of New York came up with an ingenious solution. In 1898 the company introduced the Pianola reproducing piano. Using a perforated paper roll originally designed for organs, Aeolian made pianos self-playing. They also successfully competed with increasingly popular phonograph records. Player pianos became so fashionable that by 1923, 10 percent of all instruments made were player pianos. Even the prestigious firm of Steinway & Sons capitalized on the demand. Steinway built specially designed pianos and sent them to Aeolian as well as Welte-Mignon and Ampico for the installation of reproducing mechanisms.

The Depression and the growing popularity of the phonograph and radio led to the decline of the player piano. Parker also points out that "the market crash made them too expensive for almost everyone - except the Wrigleys."

The Wrigley Model L, for "living room grand," features an Aeolian Duo-Art player system. In addition, attesting to the Wrigley fortune, a separate mahogany cabinet houses an expensive instrument that remotely selects and plays any of 10 rolls.

Parker points out the difference between player pianos and the more expensive reproducing pianos: Reproducers are motor-driven; player pianos are pedal-activated. Reproducing pianos allow for "expression" controlled by the player roll itself.

Many musicians and composers cut rolls for reproducing pianos, thus permitting listeners to hear music exactly as it was performed. Among the many player piano rolls in the Wrigley collection is Rhapsody in Blue played by composer George Gershwin.

This handsome, elaborately hand-carved walnut instrument is fully functional. It is the pride and joy of self-taught jazz musician Geordie Hormel, Wrigley Mansion owner and heir to the Hormel-Spam fortune. During many Sunday brunches the 76-year-old Hormel treats diners to impromptu concerts. Songs might even include some of the music he wrote for 1950s and '60s television shows, including The Untouchables, The Fugitive, The Naked City and Ozzie & Harriet.

A story is told at the mansion about Liberace, who once approached the Wrigley heirs about buying the piano. It seems he left a signed, blank check with instructions to just fill in the amount.

So, what is a Steinway reproducing piano worth today? Parker says it has been formally appraised but is reluctant to disclose the value. Let's just say that if you have to ask . . .

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