Gebruder Perzina Pianos:

A Musical Cinderella Story

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When we first came across the Perzina Challenge, we were intrigued, but more than a little skeptical.  After all, here was a little-known piano from who-knows-where being touted as comparable to Steinway, Schimmel and Seiler!  Talk about chutzpah - who did these people think they were?!

But, we thought, if these pianos are even half as good as they're claimed to be, they're definitely worth checking out.  So we did a little research.  We sought out opinions and reviews, asked around and checked out blogs.  A lot of people had never heard of them - not surprising, as Perzina is a relative newcomer to the U.S. market.  But of those that were familiar with Gebruder Perzina, most had good things to say.  Not only that, many pianists were raving about them, and many were, indeed, choosing them over very prestigious, much higher-rated brands.

What is so special about this mysterious piano with the funny name?  We decided to find out.  As it turns out, the Perzina is the piano world's version of Cinderella.  To understand why, you have to do a little digging into the pages of history.

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An Interesting History

Chapter 1: The Rise to Prominence

The history of the Perzina piano is a fascinating one, full of twists and turns of fortune.  It began on July 1, 1871.  On that day two brothers, Julius and Albert Perzina, opened their shop in the small German town of Schwerin.  They officially named the company Gebruder Perzina, which means "Brothers Perzina."  As business increased, the Perzina factory was moved to a larger facility in the German town of Lenzen.  

The Perzina piano soon became one of Germany's most influential and prestigious brands.  Many of the best musicians and world leaders purchased Perzina pianos.  These included the Arch-Duke of Mecklenburg, Duke of Oldenburg, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, and Hendrik of Mecklinburg-Schwerin.  Around 1900 the Perzina factory was the largest piano factory in Northern Germany.  Today in Germany and other European countries, Perzina remains a household name. 

Chapter 2: An Unfortunate Turn of Events

The events of the Second World War turned Perzina's destiny upside down.  Lenzen, like most cities in Northern Germany, was heavily bombed.  The Perzina factory suffered serious (although, as we shall see, not irreparable) damage.  To make matters worse, Lenzen was located in the part of the country that later became the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, which fell under the control of the Soviet Union. 

While the Western part of Germany recieved massive aid under the Marshal Plan and soon began to thrive economically, East Germany languished under the Soviets' authoritative regime.  Perzina was soon all but forgotten as other German piano manufacturers, fortunate enough to have ended up in West Germany, began to thrive.

Chapter 3: A Ray of Hope

November 9, 1989 signalled the beginning of profound change for East Germany, and for Perzina.  On that day, after weeks of protest on the part of its citizens, the East German government announced that it would allow free passage between East and West Berlin for the first time in over 28 years!  This was the first step towards the eventual reunification of Germany. 

The atmosphere in East Germany at that time was one of euphoric celebration.  Its citizens hoped that their economy, bolstered by the economic powerhouse that was West Germany, would soon improve.

Chapter 4: Uncertainty

Unfortunately, sometimes things get worse before they get better.  After decades of Soviet mis-management East German industry was, on the whole, ill-equipped to compete with Western European capitalism.  Many East German industries floundered and folded. 

Perzina, too, was on the brink of collapse.  After so many years of obscurity, and now facing the need to compete with other piano manufacturers whose experience in capitalist marketing far outstripped that of any East German company, what would happen to this piano, once chosen by queens and dukes?  Would it simply fail and be forgotten, another of history's unfortunate victims? 

Chapter 5: A New Beginning

 Perzina's fairy godmother arrived in the early 1990's in the form of Ronald G. Bol, an entrepreneur from the Netherlands who recognised the quality and potential of the Perzina piano, and bought the Perzina factory and name. 

He was also astute enough to realize that it would be next to impossible to compete against  the established big names in the European piano market on their terms.  He knew that a radical, innovative approach was needed - and he had the solution!

The answer to Perzina's predicament was quite obvious to anyone familiar with modern economics:  globalization!  The best pianos in the world were being produced in Europe.  That was because of two things:

1) Parts availability. Almost all top-quality piano parts are manufactured in Europe.  (You may not be aware that most of the world's most prestigious pianos contain parts that are not manufactured by the individual piano companies, but instead are built by manufacturers of piano componants - such as strings made by Roslau and pinblocks by Delignet.)

2) Knowledge.  Great pianos have traditionally come from Europe, because that's where the great piano-making tradition comes from.  After all, the piano is a European invention. 

However, labor costs in Europe are through the roof, which is the reason that up 'till now, if you wanted European sound in a quality piano, you had to be prepared to shell out the bucks.  

Ron Bol wanted to change all that.  His idea was really very simple:

 If you take the high quality parts and the expert knowlege that it takes to make a world-class piano, and combine them with lower-cost labor, you will end up with a world-class piano that you can sell at an extremely competitive price.

And that is exactly what he did with Perzina!  Here's how:

A Tremendous Opportunity

There is a place where the cost of labor is miniscule, and the pool of willing laborers is huge.  Where the most skilled workers are happy with a fraction of the wages demanded by even the least skilled European.  Where well trained and fairly treated workers respond with loyalty and superior performance. 

Where is this entrepreneur's dreamland? Why, China, of course!

Ron Bol knew that if he could match the quality parts and expert know-how from Europe with inexpensive Chinese labor, he would have an instrument that would rival the biggest names in the piano world - at a fraction of the cost!

Armed with this plan, he set about reversing Perzina's fortune and bringing it once again to prominance. And with persistence and dedication he soon met with...

...Success!

Because China's economic development policy does not allow foreign investors to operate in China on their own, Ron Bol partnered with  Sun Qiang, a Chinese businessman with many years of experience in the piano industry. 

To make a long story short, a new factory was built outside of Yantei, China.  Here, a crew of Chinese craftsmen, specially trained by German piano technicians and engineers, hand-builds each Perzina piano with the precision and attention to detail worthy of its rich and illustrious history.  The pianos are manufactured out of 90% European parts, resulting in an instrument that really does hold its own against big-name pianos made in Europe!

Together, Ron Bol and Sun Quang have succeeded in spearheading an effort that has resulted in the best value to be found in the world's piano market today - the modern Perzina!     

So far, we have been delighted with our decision to represent Perzina.  We find that the Perzina is consistently praised by players of all levels, and frequently compared very favorably to other brands, including Yamaha.                   

 Take the Perzina Challenge and judge for yourself! 

Stop by our store or call 715-355-0406 to schedule a private appointment today!

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