Anton Walter

Gabriel Anton Walter (5 February 1752 – 11 April 1826) was a Viennese piano builder. 

Born in Neuhausen auf den Fildern in Germany, Walter moved to Vienna in 1780.Latcham, Michael (1997) "Mozart and the pianos of Gabriel Anton Walter." Early Music 25(3):383–400. In 1790 he obtained the status of Imperial Royal Chamber Organ Builder and Instrument Maker. His firm was employing about 20 craftsmen and was labeled "Anton Walter und Sohn" ("and son").Latcham, Michael (2009) "Anton Walter". Article in the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, online edition. Oxford University Press. Walter improved the Viennese piano mechanic design that was created by Johann Andreas Stein in Augsburg. The most famous composers of those times had pianos from Walter, among them were Ludwig van Beethoven,Carl Czerny, Über den richtigen Vertrag der sämtlichen Beethovenschen Klavierwerke (Vienna 1963), ed. Paul Badura-Skoda p.10Ludwig van Beethoven, Brief an Nikolaus Zmeskall, Wien, November 1802, Autograph Joseph HaydnMozart and the Pianos of Gabriel Anton Walter. Author(s): Michael Latcham. Source: Early Music , Aug., 1997, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Aug., 1997), pp. 382-400 Published by: Oxford University Press  and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Last bought Walter's piano in 1782 and was using it in an important phase of his career.Translated from the original German in Mozart: Briefe und Aufzeichnungen, ed. Wilhelm A. Bauer and Otto Erich Deutsch (Kassel, 1963), Vol. III. Mozart's own piano that was built by Walter survived till the XXI century and now is kept in Salzburg. 

 References 

 Other websites 
 Haydnhaus in Eisenstadt. Anton Walter’s piano. 
 Fortepiano Anton Walter (1795); The Min-On Music Museum in Tokyo 
 Fortepiano by Anton Walter (1792) replica by Paul McNulty  

Category:1752 births
Category:1826 deaths
Category:Piano makers
Category:People from Vienna