With their stunning looks, sparkling sounds and spectacular ancestry, Sauter pianos are making a much-welcome expansion into the UK market – and Warwick Thompson is delighted
The King’s Road in Chelsea has a fascinating history. Nell Gwynn walked along it with Charles II; Thomas Arne wrote Rule, Britannia! while living on it, and Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood made it the epicentre of London’s swinging sixties and seventies. Recently, this royal roadway has become even more remarkable: The stretch which is now known as New King’s Road is home to the London branch of Coach House Pianos, the sole distributor of Sauter pianos in the UK.
Sauter, the oldest continuous piano-making company in the world, is still something of a jealously guarded connoisseurs’ secret here in the UK, but that’s all about to change. In operation since 1819, Sauter is a thoroughbred German brand with a huge presence in mainland Europe, both in concert halls and homes, but which has only recently decided to expand more fully into the UK market. It really is the oldest brand, too. Some may claim that Bösendorfer is the oldest piano manufacturer in the world but it was founded in 1828, a full nine years later than Sauter.
Sam Rusling, Managing Director of Coach House Pianos, is a huge fan of Sauter. ‘Our customers tell us it is really like unearthing or discovering a secret. It may not be as well-known as one of the big names like Steinway or Bösendorfer – or not yet! – but when you play it, and see the craftsmanship and quality, it is actually superior in many ways. The tone is unique – it has a beautiful sparkle with European depth. You really have to play it to appreciate it. And the feedback we’ve had has been incredibly positive.’
The Alpha 160 grand piano in Mahogany
Craftsmen and celebrities
The brand can even claim Beethoven himself as a patron saint. The founder of the company, Johann Grimm, learned his craft as an apprentice with Johann Andreas Streicher who was both Beethoven’s friend and favoured piano maker. Grimm’s nephew Carl Sauter later took over, and the company has subsequently remained in the same family for six generations, continuously improving its output along the way. The unique patented double-repetition R2 action of their upright models is a particularly successful innovation.
‘It’s a fantastic system. You get the touch of a grand piano on an upright,’ says Rusling. ‘Other manufacturers have tried to emulate it, but have not been as successful.’
Other patented innovations include a ‘spherical concavity’ in the soundboard, which enhances the vibration of the soundboard to produce ever richer overtones; the company proudly claim it to be at the heart of the uniquely full Sauter sound. And there are sliding titanium supports for the duplex bridge (which controls some of the ‘non-speaking’ parts of the piano wire) which can give uniquely fine adjustments to sympathetically ringing overtones – thus producing Sauter’s characteristically pure and brilliant sparkle when playing.
Some recent prominent purchasers of a Sauter have included the Fellows of All Souls College. The magnificent Chapel of All Souls dates from the 1430s, and contains one of Oxford’s best concert spaces. In 2023, the College took the decision to upgrade the existing small grand piano, and replace it with a model which would better suit the high-gothic splendour and acoustic grandeur of the space. They chose a superb premium grand, the Omega 220, for its rich and sonorous tone and its versatility (main picture, top). As you can see, the new instrument already looks wonderfully at home in its new surroundings, and, by all accounts, sounds like heaven among the dreaming spires.
Other well-known purchasers include Bruce Springsteen, Katherine Jenkins, and Steve Jobs. (Apparently Jennifer Aniston is a fan as well.) All these personalities and institutions could easily have maybe plumped for expensive and more familiar makes, but chose with their ears instead. ‘They could all feel immediately that Sauter was a truly thoroughbred brand,’ says Rusling. ‘It’s 100% made in Germany, unlike several other brands which are allegedly German made, but in reality are only finished off there. Even the majority of components for a Sauter are from Germany itself and the quality control at the factory in Spaichingen is unparalleled.’
For Hermann Kaufmann, master piano maker at the factory, creating a Sauter is an almost mystical process. ‘For me, voicing a piano is like meditation,’ he says.
Rhapsody 122 Designed by Peter Maly
Seeing is believing
Visually there are some extremely stylish options available. Sauter has worked with the acclaimed German designer Peter Maly to offer some extraordinary looking uprights, grands and benches. Take a look at the models ‘Pure Basic’, ‘Rhapsody’ (pictured above) and ‘Vivace’, with their chic, pared-down aesthetic, and let me know if you’ve ever seen anything quite as eye-catching. ‘The visual aspect is pretty unique,’ agrees Rusling. ‘But Sauter also caters to the traditional shiny black cabinet styling, as well as many other looks. The important point is that, being a small factory, Sauter can respond to many elements of bespoke customer wishes. You can create something to your own taste.’
How did the relationship between Sauter and Coach House come about? ‘They sought us out,’ says Rusling. ‘They were looking for a UK company which could uphold the service standards and reputation of their brand in a way that they wanted. We’re a well-established company ourselves – not quite 206 years old maybe, but still a third-generation family business – so we’ve lots in common. They wanted to find people who could be true custodians of the brand, and we’ve been honoured to represent them since they chose us.’
Coach House Pianos don’t only stock Sauter pianos – in fact, they are the largest independent supplier of piano brands in the UK. ‘We see ourselves as unbiased, trusted advisers, who want to help you select absolutely the right instrument, the right model for your requirements. We certainly don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. And we really are a family firm, with lots of family members involved. The choosing of the piano is just the beginning of the journey as part of the Coach House family.’
www.coachhousepianos.co.uk/sauter
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