Beethoven, Pianos

 This post is dedicated to the original pianos Beethoven had

I'd give a fortune to have a video or a noisy shellac-disc with Beethoven himself playing .

But, as this is impossible, we should be satisfied to listen to his instruments knowing it was himself who semidestroyed them by his consecrated hands.

Beethovens Graf-fortepiano, Beethovenhaus Bonn, Germany

click here for youtube

Beethoven / Jörg Demus, 1970, Sonata in C minor, Op.111 - Maestoso (Graf Piano) Movement 2


In this rare 1970 live recording, made in Bonn to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, Austrian pianist Jorg Demus performs on Beethoven's Graf piano the first movement of Sonata no. 32, Op. 111 in C minor

The following links lead you to further pieces played on the same occasion in 1970 by Jörg Demus.

Für Elise
Les Adieux

Jörg Demus spielt auf dem letztem Flügel Beethovens von Conrad Graf, Wien, um 1825 Beethovenhaus, Bonn

This Graf-fortepiano and the Broadwood were the ultimate ones Beethoven had until his death.


Beethovens Broadwood
Hungarian National Museum
Budapest

Film from England about the journey of Beethovens Broadwood to England in 1992
uploaded initially by Itwvw, now reuploaded by landoperunterwegs. Thank you to both.

click here for youtube

The following links lead you to the whole film about the journey of Beethovens Broadwood to England in 1992 to being carefully restored by David Winston

Part 1/5

Part 2/5
Part 3/5 Bagatelles op 126 1-3
Part 4/5 Bagatelles op 126 4-6
Part 5/5 Fantasia op 77

When I discovered this most beautiful film in the net I got friendly contact to  ltwvw and finally I found out more to obtain the CD which was produced by EMI after the Broadwood returned to Budapest. I was lucky enough to purchase one via Internet.

Detailed The Beethoven Broadwood Fortepiano / Melvyn Tan Music Information

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Label	EMI Reflexe
CD Universe Part number	6684282
Discs	1
Release Date	Nov 10, 1992

Post of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn (original instruments of Beethoven)
http://mediacenter.dw-world.de/english/audio/#!/2701/Beethoven_s_sonatas_as_the_first_listeners_heard_them_part_I

 A german text of "Stereo Play" on the recording of Melvyn Tan 1992 on the Beethoven Broadwood
 This article is written for stereo-device-enthusiasts, not for the adorer of the historic fortepiano ...;-)

 A virtual museum on Beethoven

Broadwood pianos (piano tuners,England)

 Article in "Early Music" about the BBC-transmission of the 1817 Broadwood of Beethoven 1992 (Bath)

List of contents of the Andras Schiff recording on the Beethoven Broadwood    1994)
Same, with audiobut from 1976 before the restooration of 1992
There is also a recording of Andras Schiff from 1994 with the bagatelles of Beethoven on that very Broadwood of Budapest.

Broadwood Nr. 7362 – Enzyklopädie PlusPedia

Beethovenhaus Bonn on Broadwood (german text)

About Liszt and the Broadwood in Weimar (german text)


Letter from Louis Van Beethoven to Broadwood & Sons

Blog: The daily Beethoven (article on Melvyn Tan)