Upright Pianos

The first known upright piano was built in 1739 by Domenico del Mela of Gagliano, Italy. It looked like a grand piano with the soundboard tipped up toward the ceiling. Shortly after, in the 1740s, Christian Ernst Frederici of Germany began making upright pyramid pianos, which had a pyramid shape and a flat top. Piano makers experimented with other upright piano forms before returning to the pyramid shape in the early 1800s.

The cabinet piano, a very tall version of the modern upright, was introduced about 1805. This style of piano encased the strings in a tall cabinet that rose from the keyboard almost to the ceiling. Cabinet pianos were built until the 1840s when shorter cottage pianos became popular. The cottage piano was the style used for upright pianos throughout the Victorian era and into the 20th century. Beginning in the '30s, the small console style piano became popular and is the predominant style of personal home piano to this day.

Vintage upright pianos can be classified into grades depending on the quality of materials and the style of the instrument. A grade one piano is typically a plain upright while a grade five may be an artistic case piano that is entirely handmade. Any piano made prior to 1915 can be considered an antique.

Quick Facts

• The lyre upright piano was a piano style produced by German piano makers in the first part of the 19th century. The upright portion of the piano was shaped like a lyre
• A player piano is an upright piano with an automatic mechanism that plays slotted music rolls. Antique player pianos in excellent condition are usually valued between $15,000 and $30,000
• The upright piano played by Sam in the movie "Casablanca," manufactured by Richardson's Inc., was sold by Sotheby's in 2012 for $602,500