Hello All-- I recently purchased an old Steinway upright piano at an auction. The Steinway company tells me (using the serial number, listed in their files) that it was shipped to one Otto Sutro of Baltimore on April 2, 1884. I have done a little checking, and Otto was a musician, composer, and ran a musical publishing house in Baltimore form 1868 until his death in 1896. He was apparently a leading light on Baltimore's cultural landscape. My question is: Is he a brother of Adolph's? I ask because I see that Adolph's family settled in Baltimore in 1850ish. It's fascinating: before, I had an great old piano. Now, I have a bit of identifiable history! Thanks so much for any help you might be able to give me! Chris Long

-- Chris Long (calong@eudoramail.com), May 31, 2001

Answers

Chris, Congrats for owning a piece of the past, specially Sutro history.

You are right, Otto was a younger brother to Adolph H. Sutro, who moved from the East Coast to San Francisco, arriving here in November 1850. Otto continued his musical education in Bruxelles/Belgium until 1851, when he joined Adolph in S. F.; at the time Otto played organ in churches.

Otto was married to a lady by the name of Arianna Handy, and they had two daughters, namely Rose and Ottilie, both concert pianists in Baltimore. Their claim to fame came in 1915, when they created (playing with the Philadelphia Orchestra directed by Leopold Stokowski) the "Concerto for Two Pianos" written by Cologne-born German composer Max Bruch.

-- Wolfgang Schubert (wolfgang@legalmatch.com), June 01, 2001.

We also have a style 1 upright Steinway which was also first purchased by Otto Sutro. It has been in our family for ever it seems. I have pictures of my grandmother from the early 1900's with the piano in the picture.

I would love to trace the progression of it from him to our family.

-- Rob Carter (USSecretSquirrel@comcast.net), March 01, 2002.

Rob--did you find out the connection to Otto Sutro by calling Steinway, or is this just something that has been known in your family? What year was the piano made, I wonder?

-- Chris Long (chris@folksnake.com), March 02, 2002.