Hunting The Muse

Music Status

The two big musical projects lately have been shopping for a grand piano, and preparing for my big fall project.

The grand piano has been a dream for a long time. I started playing piano when I was ten; comparably late for most pianists. I had a Baldwin upright that had synthetic felt on the hammers, a one-year exception for the Baldwins, I believe. They had to be fluffed up all the time. I didn't mind the Baldwin, but I always felt I deserved a grand.

My parents scoffed (good-naturedly) at my arguments that a grand piano made you a better pianist. Honestly, it was an argument I was pulling out of my butt. You know, it psychologically making you better and all that. I knew there wasn't a chance of them buying a grand. But I still felt like I deserved one.

I stopped playing piano regularly when I graduated from college nine years ago. (Actually... nine years ago yesterday. Huh.) Long story about trying to keep music in my life in way or another since then. Suffice it to say that two years ago I decided it was time to buy a house. I didn't really care all that much about the house. But I was going to get a grand piano, and I needed something to put around it.

So, I've got the house now. And honestly, I wanted it to be as easy as getting the house, and then going out to buy the piano the very next weekend, but of course, it's much more complicated than that.

It turns out that there's a whole ton of pianos. (Well, millions of tons actually, but... figure of speech.) And it's not a matter of Steinway, Yamaha, and all the other ones, as it first seemed. It turns out that there are actually plenty of pianos that are every bit as good as Steinway pianos, just not as well known - and for not as much money. Steinways are great pianos and great investments, but their extra value is in "status". But for a pianist, the only real reason to get a Steinway is if you compare pianos and decide you like Steinways. If you decide that you want a slightly different action or tone, however, there are a ton of good choices.

And so now, I am going around playing different pianos, and in the process, being treated quite flatteringly by some very well-dressed piano salespeople. As of right now, my three favorites are pianos that you probably haven't heard of before, since I hadn't. They're all in the 6'4" range - bigger than a baby grand, but not a concert grand. They are the Charles Walter (6'4"), the Mason & Hamlin (5'8"), and the Estonia (6'3"). They are very different. I think I like all three of them better than the Steinway - not so much because of the tone (the Steinway tone is gorgeous), but because of the action. The first two are American made, and the third one is, well, Estonian made. Estonia is a country, see. The American sound is richer and has more harmonics than the European sound. It's more "complicated", and then we start using words that make us sound like wine tasters. I think I prefer the American sound. But the Estonia is really very clean, and calm, and it's a beautiful piano. But I still think I'm leaning towards the American sound - there's something it that gets really immersive and gutsy when you are swelling the music. But, the Charles Walter supposedly has a wimpy low end, and isn't a very "loud" piano, while the Mason & Hamlin has amazing design patents but dubious present-day craftsmanship, almost a factory mentality (the other two are hand-made by piano technicians). And, the M&H is significantly more expensive.

I am told that I should check out a Grotrian if I can find it, and I'm going to go try out a Pleyel.

I tried out a Baldwin grand and hated it.

Interestingly, I tried out a Bosendorfer (the gourmet piano everyone knows about and talks about) and - I didn't like the tone very much. Although when you're on the 9'6" Imperial Concert Grand, you're so impressed with yourself that you're not really even listening, so who cares?

I also haven't tried out a good Yamaha lately, but I almost feel embarrassed to go try one out. I guess that pianists that actually shop turn their noses up at Yamahas. Horrid little beasts.

Ironically, I have learned that a grand piano really does make you a better pianist, and it's not just psychological. The physics of how the keys work are more consistent, more responsive, and allows for more subtle variation in touch and tone than you can do with any old upright or even a smaller grand. There's a ceiling on how advanced your playing control can be on a smaller piano. I hit that ceiling when I was in school. It'll take me a while to get to that level again, but it's another reason I'm excited to have it.

I'm hoping to get the piano by the end of the year. Maybe in the next month. It's a bit hard to think about anything big right now, of course, three weeks before election day. But I can feel the purchase happening somewhat soon. And then I don't have the faintest idea what I'm going to do with it. What piece do I learn first on my piano? There are a hundred very boring blog entries that could potentially be written about that very subject.

As for the big major fall project, that's something else. Another entry, another time...

Posted by Curt at October 13, 2004 04:09 AM