Petrof pianos

[Avery Todd]

Dave,

   Here are some comments I saved from a previous thread.

Avery

>A friend is considering buying a Petrof 52" piano. I have no
>experience with this brand of piano. Can anybody tell me anything
>about this piano, good or bad.
>Dave


>> #1 I own a music studio.  I bought 3 Petrof pianos (studio, not grands).  I
>>am very satisfied with them.  Is the Petrof a popular piano in Eastern
>>>>Europe?

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> I think so, Petrof pianos are made in Hradec Kralove - ab. 130 kms far from
>Brno. It's a traditional Czech brand of pianos. By the way we know each other
>with Antonin Petrof's (founder's) grandson (or grand-grandson?) Jan Petrof,
>recent director of Petrof factory. I don't know what's the situation in other
>countries, but here in Czech Republic, 90 % of all pianos at homes, schools,
>conservatories and academias are Petrof. Arthuro Benedetti Michelangeli, for
>example, played on his own Petrof all over the world, and used to visit Hradec
>Kralove now and then. Even when he played to pope, he played on Petrof -
>at >that time, damned communists were here and they didn't like these
>religion >things, so they ordered that there shouldn't be visible a
>"Petrof" label on the >piano at the time when Michelangeli would play to
>pope. But this would not have >been Michelangeli, if he would not have
>come with some trick. They covered the
>"Petrof" label with a simple patch, so Michelangeli chose very dramatic piece
>to make this patch literally blow away...
> I practise on Petrof, too. I even won in a competition one upright Petrof.
>Grands have beautiful sound, but - older Petrofs have very poor mechanics, I
>don't know what mechanics they put into Petrofs now, but if you order a Renner
>mechanic, you cannot make a mistake. I say that *ordinary* Petrof has better
>sound and poorer mechanics than *ordinary* Yamaha.
> Anyway, a Steinway is my favourite. Or favorite, as you Americans say.

_____________________________________
Avery Todd, RPT
Moores School of Music
University of Houston
713-743-3226
atodd@uh.edu
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