| #8217;s the best piano you’ve ever played on? | | | | about the midway point of the composition until its |
| What’s the worst? Can the quality of pianos | | | | conclusion. Thankfully, this was the last piece on the |
| that are used for composing and performing seriously | | | | program. Suffice to say, there were no encores. |
| affect your musical output? Here are some thoughts. | | | | Here’s another gem of a piano. When first |
| Two of the most remarkable pianos ever built are the | | | | arriving at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, I was |
| nine foot Steinway and the nine-and-a-half foot | | | | invited to a house of a friend. After dinner, I was asked |
| Bosendorfer. The Bosendorfer is more of a | | | | by our charming host to perform on their piano for the |
| conversation piece because of its additional low notes, | | | | three couples that were also invited to dinner. On this |
| used for extra resonance when playing the sustain | | | | occasion, I decided to play the Chopin Barcarolle. To |
| pedal. Both brands are of the highest quality, and | | | | my great surprise, the piano was out of tune by more |
| produce a sound and key action second to none. | | | | than a semitone. To a composer with perfect pitch, |
| There are so many quality brands these days that | | | | this is a death sentence. |
| deserve honorable mention. Heintzman pianos are | | | | Before going on, no implication was intended in labeling |
| generally gems and Yamaha are producing wonderful | | | | Baltimore and the surrounding areas with an infestation |
| instruments. I could go on, but I’d rather talk | | | | of bad pianos. Two bad pianos in one state is nothing |
| about lousy pianos. It’s more fun. | | | | more than an unfortunate coincidence. |
| Terrifying pianos are just another name for poorly | | | | From the above past experiences, it can be concluded |
| maintained pianos. Although these types of pianos can | | | | that badly maintained pianos can most definitely have |
| be found virtually anywhere, occasionally they are | | | | a negative impact on performers. However, can the |
| found in schools and in retirement homes. What a | | | | quality of a piano actually improve ones output? After |
| shame! | | | | all, it can be argued that music comes from within and |
| A bad piano in a school supplies students with a lesser | | | | that true emotion will not be subdued, regardless of the |
| music education. Musical demonstrations by an | | | | instrument that one is composing or performing on. |
| instructor are out of tune and private piano tutoring is a | | | | In the practical world, good equipment is always an |
| disastrous effort on such instruments. | | | | asset. If a piano delivers a quality, singing tone, it |
| Retirement homes with bad pianos are truly a tragic | | | | becomes addictive to play. That, alone, is an extremely |
| circumstance. Just because residents in a home are | | | | positive consideration. Any composer or performer |
| retired, doesn’t mean that the poor piano has to | | | | that has incentive to remain at their instrument for |
| retire from a life of tuning and maintenance. Yours truly | | | | greater lengths of time is bound to produce positive |
| encountered one such piano in a retirement home in | | | | results. |
| Baltimore, Maryland. The year was 1988, and it was | | | | Another point to consider is that a singing tone makes |
| the year that I came closest to breaking a finger. While | | | | ones soul sing. Any performer or composer that is |
| playing a Chopin study (opus. 10 no. 8), my right hand | | | | brought to a state of singing is in a very positive |
| third finger actually got stuck in between two black | | | | creative place. |
| notes! | | | | As a final thought, a well maintained piano makes for a |
| Ouch! One of the black keys was too close to the | | | | happy performer, composer and piano. The better the |
| adjacent black key, either through poor construction or | | | | instrument is, the better the chance of a successful |
| through some sort or warping process over time | | | | emergence of profoundly moving performances and |
| (probably the latter). The otherwise happy Chopin | | | | compositions from performers and composers |
| Etude must have had a painful emotional feel to it from | | | | respectively. |