NYTimes.com Article: Where Old Pianos Go to Live

[Phillip L Ford]

I have been to visit the Frederics and their 'museum'.  They
received me graciously and spent a good part of a day with
me talking about the pianos, allowing me to play the ones
I wanted, and playing and demonstrating things to me with
music that would have been contemporary to the individual
piano.  It's hard to think of it as a museum (I think
they refer to it as a collection) since the
instruments get used.  They get played on by visitors, used
for recitals and concerts, and used for recordings (I have
a couple of CDs using instruments from their collection).
I found it very illuminating.  It gives you a new perspective
on piano touch and tone.  There's not a Steinway D in the
place and you see that there were many skilled makers who
had different thoughts about the way a piano should sound
and play, many of which were quite viable and quite
beautiful.  I would certainly encourage anyone living in
or visiting the New York or Boston areas to contact them
and visit the collection.

Phil
---
Phillip Ford
Piano Service & Restoration
1777 Yosemite Ave - 215
San Francisco, CA  94124


On Thu, 22 Nov 2001 08:47:32  
 raskobrg wrote:
>This article from NYTimes.com 
>has been sent to you by raskobrg@spinn.net.
>
>
>I found this article on the New York Times Site.  Hope you enjoy it.  Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
>
>Richard Raskob RPT
>
>raskobrg@spinn.net
>
>
>Where Old Pianos Go to Live
>
>November 22, 2001 
>
>By ANTHONY TOMMASINI
>
>
>Unlike most museums, this important collection of historic
>19th-century pianos is meant to be used.
>
>http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/22/arts/design/22PIAN.html?ex=1007447652&ei=1&en=4909f6aec386013b
>
>
>
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