Mozart Rail: The Performance of a Fortepiano, today.

Steingraeber’s new features can often draw upon earlier variations of design features, such as the Mozart Rail (DGB 20 2014 003 845.7), employed either as hand pedal or knee lever. In this instance, key depth in the grand pianos is reduced to 8mm, and distance from hammer to string is shortened to 36mm, making softer pppp articulation possible, together with quicker repetition.

The resulting instrument is faster and more ‘Mozart-like’, with a tone that is both small and silvery, but also more sustained.

The Mozart Rail is available in two different versions: a knee lever to use it while playing or a hand rail to adjust it between 8 and 10 mm before starting to play. George Steingraeber developed this pianissimo pedal in 1894 and it was also used by Engelbert Humperdinck.

The key-dip became deeper and deeper through three hundred years of piano history; starting under 5 mm it went down to more than 10 mm today – a real challenge for pianists! Due to the Mozart Rail, pianist are able to perfom authentically, as in historic fortepianos.

Hugh Sung – pianist, author, techie and entrepreneur – tested the Mozart Rail and other innovations at the NAMM Show 2017 in the U.S.

Pianist Ratko Delorko during the Musikmesse trade fair 2014: „It’s a huge benefit for the pianist because you can now do things that will not work on a normal grand piano – just because the distances are different.“