Europiano (long)

[Joel Rappaport]

William Maxim asks:
>
>Is it true that to receive the designation 'Klavierbauer,' one must >design and build a piano from scratch - scale, plate, cabinet, etc.?
>
and
> No need to question which examination was the most exacting
> overall, but does the RPT exam come close!

To Bill and anyone else interested, the German Trade System consists of
what we would call apprentice, journeyman and master.  I believe they
have this type of structure in the plumbing and electrical trades, among
others, here in the USA.  For Pianomakers in Germany, the apprenticeship
is 3-1/2 years under the watchful eye of a master.  At the end of the
learning time, you must pass an exam to complete the apprenticeship.
The German worker then can call him- or herself a Piano Maker or
Klavierbauer.  This most closely matches the PTG exams, but there is
much more emphasis on piano building (using raw materials and the
understanding of wood, felt, leather, glues, finishes, etc.) rather than
the repair aspects of our PTG training.  I must say, however, PTG
training has progressed leaps and bounds through the PACE program and
the exchange of ideas in forums such as this PianoTech Newsgroup.

After at least five years as a Klavierbauer, you may either pursue
independent study or attend a year at the School For Master Piano
Builders in Ludwigsburg, Germany (just north of Stuttgart) to learn
mostly bookkeeping, law, money exchange, psychology of teaching
apprentices, music and architectural history and some practical piano
building subjects such as scale design and mechanical drawing.  The
tests to become a Master Piano Builder or Klavierbaumeister are the ones
to which Bill refers.  I can tell you the situation when I took my exams
in the mid-1970's.  You may come up with an original design if you wish,
but the cost of producing a new cast iron plate alone usually
discourages this.  However, we were allowed to go into a production
factory (I did my piano - a Bechstein Model B grand - at the factory in
Berlin).  Yes, we were expected to do virtually everything from grinding
and drilling the raw cast iron of a new plate on.  Of course, we did not
produce our own rim, but did choose and fit the keybed, installed the
soundboard and so forth.  It is a little different now for some very
interesting reasons.  But that is too long a story to get into.

The tests for the Master's Diploma consist of three major areas:
1) Written test on business practices, law and money handling
2) Written and practical test on teaching of apprentices
3) Practical test and extensive exam by committee of making a piano
pretty much by yourself.

It is necessary, in Germany, to have the Master's Diploma in order to
open up your own piano building or repair business and/or teach
apprentices.  Without the diploma, you must work for someone else (who
is a Master) and you are not allowed to teach apprentices.  This is the
way it was when I studied over there.  The situation is changing a lot
with the unification of Germany and the European Union opening up
opportunities for all European citizens to work in any of the other
countries.

Hope you enjoyed this short synopsis and it answered your questions.

Best regards----Joel