[CAUT] Fortepiano for University

[Laurence Libin]

Phil Belt is getting elderly and has slowed down but made some lovely pianos in the '80s and earlier. If you can go oveseas for a copy, consider Paul McNulty (American working in Czech Republic), probably less expensive and faster than Poletti. A Belgian maker, Chris Maene, has produced a few marvelous copies of the c. 1835 oldest known Steinway; Steinway in London has one.
Malcolm Bilson has retired from Cornell but the music dept. there can put you in touch with him.
Laurence 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Paul T Williams 
  To: caut at ptg.org 
  Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 5:25 PM
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] Fortepiano for University


  Hi Ed! 

  We have a Walter copy made by Philip Belt which is supposed to be something similar to the forte from Beethoven or Mozart's time.  Malcolm Bilson at Cornell can give you much more information than I know.  He was here about 2 years ago and gave me many free "lessons" on our instrument and taught me how to move it myself with very little effort.  He might be a good source of what's out there these days. 

  It's a very nice forte and sounds great after Malcolm and I tweeked it a bit.  Robert Murphy at Oberlin also knows this instrument you may also want to contact. He's up on old stuffs as well :>) 

  Stays in tune about like a harpsichord, but is much sturdier and strings rarely break. 

  Hope this helps a bit. 

  Paul T. Williams RPT
  Piano Technician 
  School of Music 
  5 Westbrook Bldg. 
  University of Nebraska 
  Lincoln, NE 68588-0100 
  pwilliams4 at unl.edu 



        From:  Ed Foote <a440a at aol.com>  
        To:  caut at ptg.org  
        Date:  08/27/2010 12:02 PM  
        Subject:  [CAUT] Fortepiano for University 


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  Greetings, 
      The school is considering acquiring a new fortepiano or a pianoforte.  The first question is which era, as they are not homogenized like pianos.  Another question is style of action, and yet another question is durability, I don't want to get a prima donna instrument that gets weird every time it is moved.  
    I also don't want to re-invent the wheel, so was hoping that other Cauts that  deal with the 18th century in an academic environment would offer a suggestion or two. 
  Thanks, 

  Ed Foote RPT
  http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html 

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