by the way; do you, or anybody else, know about films or maybe recordings about Edith Picht Axenfeld regarding her piano-playing?
I had the great pleasure to listen to her personally in 1988 at Münster (D) where she gave a beneficial-concert for a polish-german students-exchange-organisation.
She played Chopin, Schönberg and Mozart (Adagio h-moll KV 540) on the Bösendorfer Grand.
I will never forget her sitting at the Bösendorfer shaken slightly probably by Parkinson but when she touched the keys or some pedal no shaking was visible any longer. I guess regretfully this event remained undocumented.
Best regards
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Some posts regarding Edith Picht-Axenfeld on youtube:
When enjoying actual ragtime, you will discover Tom Brier some day.
First here is the rapidly growing personal playlist regarding Tom Brier
(click on the blue text)
"Tom Brier was born in October, 1971 in Oakdale, California, a farming community in the Great Central Valley south of Sacramento. When he was four, his parents bought an old Schubert mechanical player piano, and soon he was picking out tunes he heard on the piano rolls. Aware that their son had talent, his parents enrolled him with a local piano teacher when he was five, and in a short time he was composing and notating his own music.. He composed over two dozen rags by the age of eleven.In 1985 he came to the attention of Larry Applegate, then the president of the Sacramento Ragtime Society. Tom was invited to play at a meeting and immediately blew everyone away with his aggressive and articulate renderings of the ragtime classics. But what amazed everyone was his depth of understanding of the early ragtime styles. His own compositions already embodied many of the subtleties of ragtime, yet were remarkably original - and all this when he was only fourteen years old. Unbelievably, he has only gotten better since then. His mastery of the ragtime idiom has matured over a few short years. Now his signature rapid-fire left hand runs have been tempered by a new attention to the inner harmonies and voicings of ragtime. This sensitivity is seen in his own compositions which number well over 100. He has released two CDs: Rising Star in 1994 and Generic in 1997. He began appearing as a featured performer at the West Coast Ragtime Festival and other ragtime festivals right out of high school. Tom works as a programmer/analyst. When not tapping the computer keyboard at work, he''s at home pounding on the piano keyboard, working up a new rag, transcribing handwritten scores or piano rolls, or busily engaged in a variety of music recording projects." Text on Tom Brier from "Jazz by Mail"
Ernst Gröschel (*9. December 1918, Nürnberg, Germany, + 5. May 2000, Zams /Tyrol, Austria) was a german pianist and teacher.
He studied at Emil von Sauer, a pupil of Franz Liszt in Vienna and played the piano in the tradition of Liszt all his life.
Gröschel was the first pianist in Germany toplay Mozart and Beethoven completely on contemporary instruments.
Recently a youtube-account was initiated to maintain the commemoration to this extraordinary person by some of his pupils.
Ernst Gröschel was a genius and very well known pianist in Germany and a pupil from Emil von Sauer. His clear and direct touch of keys builds a sound of rich virtuosity. The piano he is playing is the Erard grand from Family Schlesinger. when they emigrated back to germany they took their parisien piano with them to Nürnberg. Today this piano is not allowed to be played.
Die Ecosaissen hat Frédéric Chopin mit 16 Jahren komponiert. Ernst Gröschel spielte sie in Frankreich meisterlich ein. (Played in France by Ernst Gröschel)
Chopin Opus 10 No 1 - Ernst Gröschel
Ernst Gröschel spielt nicht nur das originale Tempo, sondern auch noch jeden einzelnen Anschlag mit Klang!
Im Bild sind seine handgeschriebenen Fingersätze in meinem Buch.
Martin Dalheimer
Inn case you like to learn furtherly about Ernst Gröschel the best will be to contact Martin Dalheimer.
The discussion in some internet-places about rubato or not - surprises me.
The rubato since the beginning of the 1900... was almost abandoned and not many pianists can do rubato - may I call it the "real rubato"? - any more, or even if they can, only few do.
But what is the composers left to us?
I would love it to have a youtube - video with Franz Schubert playing his Sonata D 960 - do I ask to much? Ok, I were happy to have at least a noisy, crackling shellac-disc with Schubert playing whatever minuscle piece of him himself.
The composers left us the scores - but probably often they left us nothing and only very lucky situations lead to the fortunate situation pieces like the Kupelwieser-Waltz of Schubert (Richard Strauss) survive. Richard Strauss added some personal ornaments by the way. Shoud we blame him?
Music was and nontheless todays technical equipment still is a temporarily performance, like each creature is born, exists a limited period of time and finally dies, lucky those who can be present.
Photography, all the conserved music and finally fhe film accessible today for everybody give us the possibility to keep some information, to keep in fact much more information than the composers left us by leaving us the scores.
The score illustrates the idea of the composer as precisely as possible. Who had the luck to have been present during an original piano-evening by Schubert could immagine better how to play the score ...
To play the score as precisely as possible is a valuable try. To play the score following historic research, but also permitting personal feeling may give the music the vitality it might have had when performed following the composers idea. But those who knew the composers personally are dead since long.
Still nowadays Classic Music is performed in public, mastered, discussed, compared.
I feel so very lucky nowadays I can get also music played by less known pianists and I wonder very much why they are less known. At least I notice genuine vitality, creativity, personality and expression, while there is still the desire to research composers will. I do not care whether a performance coincides perfectly with the score as long as the music "feels good".
When I listen to Johann Sebastian Bachs Music I do not really feel much need for rubato, regarding Chopin we all know he was a magic pianist using rubato quite often.
I hope I won't be misunderstood when I post following here some impressions of pieces - regardless whether they have rubato or not.
Oft sind deutsche youtube-Nutzer in Deutschland verwundert, weil ein ganz privates Video von zum Beispiel der Gema blockiert wurde, zum Beispiel ein Video, wo ein ganz privater Pianist auf einem ganz privaten Klavier Haydn spielt.
Sie sollten einen jungen niederländischen Pianisten hören. Wenn Sie das Video sehen können, haben Sie keinen Bedarf, hier weiterzulesen. Sie sehen und hören nichts, auch keine Kommentare? Das folgende Video wäre es gewesen: Was ist daran im Sinne der Gema bitte verboten? Aber auch eingebettet läuft dieses Video wohl immer noch nicht.
Leider ist es meistens frustran, die ausländischen Pianisten zu bewegen, gegen die Sperre vorzugehen. Es ist ja nur die Situation in Deutschland - so what?
Wir müssen dieses Problem also selbst lösen, möglichst national, notfalls individuell.
Bitte kopieren Sie probehalber die folgende Linkadresse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDdTDHFkQUc (markieren und mit rechter Maustaste kopieren) und klicken Sie dann auf den folgenden Link: http://hidemyass.com/youtube-proxy/ dort fügen Sie die kopierte Linkadresse ein - leider gibt es gelegentlich ein Problem. Vor allem können Sie sich nicht anmelden und Kommentare posten.
Dann wird man vielleicht ein wenig komplizierter vorgehen müssen:
schreiben diese ab und dann navigieren Sie unter Firefox: "Extras", "Einstellungen", "Netzwerk - Einstellungen", "Manuelle Proxy-Einstellungen" (den Punkt davor anklicken und die unter hidemyass ausgewähhlte IP-Nummer und den Port einstellen).
Vergessen Sie nach erfolgreicher Internetsitzung nicht, alles wieder auf "Proxy-Einstellungsn des Systems verwenden" zurückzustellen, weil die Verbindung bei verborgener IP langsamer werden könnte.
Folgend finden Sie die Beschreibung ausführlicher
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Eine individuelle Lösung findet sich im Internet als Beschreibung, hier einige Links, die behilflich sein.
Sometimes german youtube-users simply can't understand why some videos are blocked for example on request of the GEMA, for example a video a private pianist plays Haydn on a private piano absolutely privately.
Haydn is dead over 70 years.
A solution to solve this problem we find in the internet, above some probably helpful links ------------
I found the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-qFLX26-O8
Sehr geehrte Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte (GEMA),
Wir sind Anonymous. Wir beobachten mit Sorge eure überhöhten Forderungen bezüglich urheberrechtlich geschützem Material auf Youtube und anderen Plattformen dieser Art.
Das Resultat ist vielen YouTube-Nutzern hierzulande sicherlich bekannt. Beim Klick auf ein entsprechendes Musikvideo ist nur die Meldung „Leider ist dieses Video [...] in Deutschland nicht verfügbar, da die GEMA die Verlagsrechte hieran nicht eingeräumt hat." zu lesen.
Anonymous empfindet dieses Vorgehen als eine Einschränkung des freien Informations flusses.
Sie weigern sich offenbar massiv dem Google-Unternehmen die nötigen Rechte einzuräumen, um bestimmte Musik- und Filmtitel in Deutschland zeigen zu dürfen.
Ihren überzogenen Forderungen kann und wird das Unternehmen Google nicht zustimmen können, da es nicht die benötigten Werbeeinnahmen generieren kann.
Wir haben keine Probleme damit, dass sie versuchen den Plattenfirmen und Künstlern einen Gewinn zu verschaffen. Dabei stehen sie sich aber selbst im Weg und dadurch auch den Künstlern.
Musiker brauchen YouTube Videos, das wissen mittlerweise sogar schon die Plattenfirmen.
Denn dies ist eine kostenlose Promotion auf die kein Musiker freiwillig verzichten möchte.
Wenn sich dieses Verhalten nich ändert, sehen wir uns gezwungen, weitere Maßnahmen einzuleiten.
Auch werden wir schon jetzt gewisse Tools verbreiten, mit denen wir es ermöglichen , dass auch gesperrte Video's von den Nutzern angesehen werden können.
Der Link dazu befindet sich in der Beschreibung des Videos.
Dadurch möchten wir erreichen, dass mit Google eine schnelle Einigung stattfindet.
We are Anonymous.
We are Legion.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
Expect us!
One day I visited a big and very beautiful collection and exhibition of historic music-instruments accessible for public and spent a whole day there.
It was during a symposium and probably because of this departments like storage-rooms with unrestored pianos and the non public part of the collection were unlocked.
I felt like a spy.
It is a point of honour I did not touch any instrument but maximum opening a closed cover above the keys to see the makers name, enjoying only by eye and without leaving any finger-print anywhere.
The whole day long I did not notice a single acoustic tone produced by at least a single string of the exhibited pianos. The visitors had only opportunity or permission to listen to the sound of some selected fortepiani by computer and speakers.
Late in the afternoon, as there is also a beautiful chamber to perform concerts, I finally took advantage to hit some keys of the modern grand standing there, and within less than half a minute the prelude of Bach in C was interrupted by the guards.
The question why not giving the public at least one piano to try, probably a historic one - to give at least children the feeling for the piano not as an electronic sound but as an acoustic instrument - is still in consideration fruitless since two years.
Eines Tages besuchte ich eine öffentliche, große und sehr schöne Sammlungsausstellung historischer Musikinstrumente und verbrachte dort einen ganzen Tag.
Es war zur Zeit eines Symposiums und vielleicht deshalb waren Räumlichkeiten wie die Asservatenkammern mit unrestaurierten Klavieren und der nicht öffentliche Teil der Sammlung unverschlossen; ich fühlte mich wie ein Spion. Ehrensache, dass ich nichts berührte, mit Ausnahme des Öffnens von Tastendeckeln, um den Herstellernamen zu sehen. Ich genoß mit den Augen, ohne irgendwo etwa Fingerabdrücke zu hinterlassen.
Über den ganzen Tag nahm ich nicht einen akustisch erzeugten Ton auch nur eines der ausgestellten Instrumente wahr. Die Besucher hatten Gelegenheit oder Erlaubnis, den Klang ausgewählter Instrumente über einen Computer und Lautsprecher zu hören.
Spät am Nachmittag, es gibt dort auch einen schönen Konzertsaal, nahm ich mir endlich ein Herz und schlug einige Töne auf dem dort stehenden Flügel moderner Herstellung an und innerhalb weniger als einer halben Minute unterbrachen die Angestellten das Präludium in C-dur von Bach.
Die Frage, ob man nicht wenigstens ein, möglichst historisches Instrument dem Publikum zum Probieren anbieten könnte, damit vor allem die Kinder das Klavier als akustisches Instrument anstelle des elektronischen Klangs wahrnehmen könnten, ist seit bisher zwei Jahren in bisher ergebnisloser Erörterung.
I wonder how I can I explain what I think about the intended purpose of historic instruments. I'll give it a try indirectly.
About 1985 I met first an Alfa-Romeo historic race-driver, Terry Cohn from England, at the Nürburgring, coming from England with an Ex-Nuvolari Alfa Grand Prix car from the ferry on wheels, not on trailer, but with a foldable caravan behind. He had constructed a towing device and every year he pulled the caravan to the Nürburgring living in the caravan and racing his valuable, visibly used but well maintained Alfa.
When I asked him many years later during the Techno Classica at Essen whether he were not sorry for the consume of such valuable car he pointed out that until the 70ies of the last century most race drivers had to go to the races with their racing cars as the ordinary race-driver could not afford a further car and he loved to do so also. And, so he finished his reply:
"That they were built for."
Two years after speaking this sentence Terry Cohn did not continue to come to the Nürburgring because he died.
His sentence and the friendly scene in the paddock will be unforgotten.
Wie kann ich meine Gedanken zum Zweck historischer Instrumente erklären? Ich versuche es einmal indirekt:
Etwa 1985 traf ich am Nürburgring den englischen Rennfahrer Terry Cohn, der aus England mit einem Alfa Grand Prix Rennwagen, den einst Nuvolari zum Sieg steuerte, auf eigener Achse mit einem Faltwohnwagen anreiste. Er hatte die Anhängezugvorrichtung selbst konstruiert und zog jedes Jahr zum Nürburgring, um dort seinen wertvollen, zwar sichtbar benutzten, aber gut gewarteten Alfa rennmäßig zu bewegen, wobei er im Wohnwagen im Fahrerlager wohnte.
Viele Jahre nach dem Kennenlernen, auf der Techno Classica in Essen fragte ich ihn, ob es ihm nicht leid täte, solch ein wertvolles Fahrzeug zu verschleißen . Terry Cohn erklärte mir jedoch, dass bis in die 70er Jahre hinein die Privatfahrer zu den Rennen fast stets auf eigener Achse anreisten, weil sie sich kein weiteres Fahrzeug leisten konnten; er liebe es ihnen gleich zu tun und, so beendete er seine Antwort:
"That they were built for."
(Dafür sind sie gebaut worden.)
Zwei Jahre, nachdem Terry Cohn diesen Satz sprach, kam er nicht mehr zum Nürburgring, denn er war verstorben.
Sein Satz und der erfreuliche Anblick im Fahrerlager werden mir unvergesslich bleiben.
Some informations and surroundings about the downstriking "Nanette Streicher und Sohn" grands;
surely one of the most expensive grands about 1825 and surely the state of art then. As the strings are running the full length of the instrument until under the keys this type of instrument has remarcably longer strings than a conventional grand of similar length.
Apart of the dimension theoretically it is much better to knock the hammer onto the string pushing it to the soundboard than hitting the string from underneath lifting it ... Practically this mechanism was too expensive to be sold numerously but the sound still is incomparable.
The downstriking viennese action works with 5-6 mm way of the keys, a completely different feeling, but I doubt I can describe it properly by words.
We have to consider these instruments travelled by coach to their most aristocratic customers.
In case you can provide any information about previous or actual owners or locations or in case you know further instruments please send a Mail
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On 10. January 2009 Gisela informed me on a friends birthday-feast she had been in a concert in Bielefeld at Villa Hülsmann where was played a Streicher-grand.
I asked whether she were sure, as I did not know such Instrument in Bielefeld.
She insisted, Streicher und Sohn indeed, played by Gerrit Zitterbart.
I replied: "That Gerrit Zitterbart from Göttingen?"
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The next day I was at Villa Huelsmann to see that instrument, could hardly trust my eyes and could purchase at least the famous CD of Gerrit Zitterbart, playing Schubert D 960 Sonata on this very grand.
Just half a year before I unsuccessfully tried to contact Mr. Zitterbart as I had been informed he were a specialist for historic performance ... and as he teaches at Hannocer and I had a serious question about a square piano from Bornemann, Hannover, I searched for information trying to ask him.
But things came different, when I was at Kloster (monastery) Michaelstein near Blankenburg, visiting the piano collection there a saturday-afternoon.
Somebody came in and freely tested a piano there, another too, and so on and I kept in background for not disturbing him as I guessed he were as frightened as me to touch the instruments ...
Finally I watched closer and had some idea of deja vue and asked after introducing me: "Are you Mr. Zitterbart?" He replied: "Yes".
I mentioned my desire for information about Bornemann and asked happily what he were doing this afternoon at Blankenburg.
A concert in the evening was to be given and so he was there to test the instrument before (or to warm up) and before this he took advantage of the opportunity to visit the collection.
He encouraged me to come with him while he were testing the instrument and this way I had evenings concert in the afternoon, but twice and with opportunity to ask ...
I told him about the missed concert in January and it was sure I were present next occasion.
So on 2nd January 2010 I was able to listen to the Streicher und Sohn grand in Bielefeld the first time in "nature" ...
On this occasion I was kindly permitted to come sooner and could hear not only the concert partly in advance, but the most charming moments where when Gerrit Zitterbart and Burkhard Scheibe happily discussed the performance of the Streicher-grand, while trying the instrument alternating. I will ask once more whether I probably may put in probably here this very dialogue, but I perfectly understand professional pianists aren't that keen on everybody hears them in the internet but doesn't buy their CD's.
Let me use this occasion to remind youthere areCD's for saledirectly..
I purchased most of them and feel happy to hear them quite often.. Just after the Schubert D 960 - in two versions, one the famous Streicher and the other version a Bösendorfer Imperial - I love most the Beethoven Frühlingssonate (spring sonata) and I could hardly tell you which version I like better; it depends on the mood and I alternate often, listening to them over and over again ...
There is still the recording of the whole concert of 2.1.2010 at last wave Studio and I seriously hope to be able to buy it as a film, not only as a CD one day. It is much more educative to have visibility to the whole situation. I mediate on how I could corrupt Burkhard Scheibe to do that job to create this masterpiece similar to that excellent post on youtube he gave us ...
Gerrit Zitterbart introduces his concerts with fascinating explanations about the instrument and the composer and informed his public there were about six grands of that type of Streicher still existent worldwide,
the whereabouts you may research on Tastenwiki, that special mechanism is called "oberschlägig" there ...
Sure, next year on 2.1.2011 I was present again, this time Gerrit Zitterbart played my beloved D960 from Franz Schubert.
This Grand was at Castle Bückeburg until about 1955,when it was bought and given to the city of Bielefeld as a gift; it was restored in Swiss and found its place at Museum Hülsmann after several years of storage in the concert hall of Bielefeld, the Oetkerhalle.
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In the internet were traces about another exemplar, built 1825 with number 2288 of this very type of Streicher-grand, at Piano Salon Christophori , Berlin.
After some contacts it was clear I had to go there; I feel ashamed I did not yet. At least there is some information visible here. Piano Salon Christophory collects and restores finest historic grands and performs concerts in the workshop by excellent pianist almost weekly. Christoph Schreiber and his Salon might will become s several post so here is the link to the Homepage of the Salon Chrostophori only.
Spring 2011 returning from Italy I passed Bad Berleburg, the location of another Streicher und Sohn grand, identical to that one at Bielefeld, but in worse condition. Unfortenately the preparations of the wedding (which took part this weekend, in June) of princess Nathalie were intense so nobody could give me opportunity to watch the instrument my way. I recected the opportunity of a normal public visit as I guess ist might be shocking when a visitor sinks under the instrument, watching underneath and so on ...
But as I researched in the internet in advance, I knew the sight I missed as an ordinary visitor.
I would like to express my sinceerest congratulations to the bridal couple on occasion and will announce in advance my next visit at Berleburg.
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During researching again for this text appeared further information, there is another exemplar in North America. in the National Music Museum, South Dacota on the campus of the University of South Dacota, Vermillion.
here is the enclosed text:
NMM 10298. Grand piano by Nannette Streicher und Sohn, Vienna, 1829. Serial nos. 2316 (cumulative) and 136 (of this model). CC-f4 (6+ octaves). Three pedals: una corda, due corde, dampers. Downstriking action, patented by Johann Baptist Streicher in 1823. Purchase funds gift of Tom and Cindy Lillibridge, Bonesteel, South Dakota, 2003.
- See the full article following here. This quotoation is only destinated for historic research.-
Images from the Study-Storage Collections
Grand Piano by Nannette Streicher and Son, Vienna, 1829
NMM 10298. Grand piano by Nannette Streicher und Sohn, Vienna, 1829. This immaculately preserved grand piano represents a glorious moment in the history of instrument making. When J. A. Stein died in 1792, his workshop was kept in operation by his daughter, Nannette (1769-1833), and her brother, Matthäus Andreas (1776-1842), known as André. In 1794 the siblings moved the business from provincial Augsburg to Vienna, where they worked together until 1802, when André set up his own workshop. Nannette, who in the meantime had married the pianist and composer, J. A. Streicher, is an extremely rare historical instance of a woman visibly in charge of a major business. Moreover, it is virtually certain that her role was not confined to the front office. She was actively engaged in the design and musical finishing of the instruments bearing her name.
A radically redesigned new model with a downstriking action, of which the Museum's example is one of the earliest in existence and undoubtedly the best preserved, it was patented in 1823 by Johann Baptist Streicher (1796-1871), Nannette's son, the same year that he joined the firm as a partner. The Streichers maintained a long and cordial association with Beethoven, and the downstriking model, expensive to produce, was the top of their line.
The Streicher firm was one of the two or three most eminent in Vienna, arguably even the industry leader among the scores of piano makers, including A. M. Thÿm, who were active in the Imperial and musical capital.
Embossed brass plate bearing both the maker's married (Streicher) and maiden (Stein) names.
Maker's label. Purchase funds gift of Tom and Cindy Lillibridge, Bonesteel, South Dakota, 2003.
Click arrow to continue Study-Storage Collections Tour
- One Exemplar should be at New York (Courtesy Gerrit Zittebrbart)
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- Ludwig Maximilians Universität München (Munich)
Copyright Robert A. Brown
- this and further fotos of this exemplar you may find here on the site of Robert A. Brown. It is exemplar No. 1977/19 and I would like to quote his description: "Veneered in exotic walnut. Compass: FF - f4. Three pedals (from left to right): una corda, due corde, damperlifter. This instrument belongs to the Department of Musicology, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich. Restored in 2002"
as the above link is not working properly, following here I post the original text from the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien:, hoping to be permitted to do so.
At least here I try to post their direct Link once again:
http://www.khm.at/
Hammerflügel mit oberschlägiger Mechanik
Johann Baptist Streicher | 1840
Johann Baptist Streichers (1796-1871) Klavierfabrik war bis zu ihrer Auflösung im Jahr 1896 zusammen mit der Firma Bösendorfer die bedeutendste im österreichischen Raum. Die Grundlage dafür waren nicht zuletzt Streichers großes technisches Verständnis und sein Streben nach Perfektion. Er nahm zahlreiche Verbesserungen vor, die teilweise nur Details, teilweise aber auch grundlegende Konzepte betrafen. So erkannte er beispielsweise, dass der Hammeranschlag von oben eine bessere Übertragung der Energie von der Saite auf den Resonanzboden bewirkt. Er entwickelte die so genannte oberschlägige Mechanik, die nach diesem Prinzip funktioniert. Die klanglichen Ergebnisse gaben ihm zwar Recht, die Wartung der Mechanik dieses Typs und der Stimmvorgang erwiesen sich aber als zu kompliziert.
Literatur:
Julius Schlosser: Die Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente. Beschreibendes Verzeichnis, Wien 1920.
Victor Luithlen: Kunsthistorisches Museum. Katalog der Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente. Teil 1. Saitenklaviere, Wien 1966.
Rudolf Hopfner: Meisterwerke der Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente, Wien 2004.
I had to find out why this were possible, apart from the fact I like Recuerdos very much and so I researched, sent some messages and received a kind reply most quickly. We had some contacts by mail and telephone and after easter 2010 I dropped in at his house returning from Italy.
We spent some hours as I neglected the fact I had to return home soon and I found out that he had regulated his piano in his very personal way, this way avoiding the escapement would prevent very, very rapid repetitions. I came home very late by night having to work in the morning ...
Some months later they came to visit us. But that is worth a different story.
First I would like to give you the link onbroadwood1830
Chopin Opus 72 c-moll
Martin Dalheimer is playing one of Prof Beurmanns famous pianos in Hasselburg. It is a Hüni and Hübert made in 1860 in Zürich.
Martin Dalheimer is playing Chopin Opus 9 No 3 on a historical grand from 1860 of Prof. Andreas Beurmanns collection. It's a Hüni and Hübert from the wellknown Zürich pianomaker.
Martin Dalheimer is playing a Broadwood grand from 1841 in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg. The collection there includes about 400 pianos and cembali inclusive the Andreas Beurmann pianos. This broadwood grand belongs to Max Matthias and is dated to 1841.
Martin Dalheimer is playing.
1. Chopin Opus 72 e-moll
2. ChopinOpus Posthum cis-moll
3. ChopinOpus 27 No 2
Chopins humorous waltz in memory to his time he spent in vienna. It´s a persiflage on Viennas lifestyle where Frédéric Chopin was not able to get the consideration he wanted. Second time Vienna has been a great disillunsion for the young composer and musicain. Nobody wanted to hear him, nobody wanted to print his scores. So he did this wonderfull persiflage on viennas modern music in the early 19th. century: the waltz
There is a surprising discussion in some internet-places about the style not only this jewel is interpreted by Martin Dalheimer.
Martins rubato is remarkable; the rubato since the beginning of the 1900... was almost abandoned and not many pianists can do rubato - may I call it the "real rubato"? - any more , or even if they can, only few do.
The explanation of this piece astonished me and since then I heared this op.18 with more fun and better understanding. I do not care for some gellous critics ...
Martin Dalheimer had a workshop in the Piano-atelier Olivier Fadini in Paris. Olivier is on best condition to find the real Chopin sound. He works with several Pleyel Pianos. Also with a Pianino Chopin liked so much. After intonation of the Hammer-heads Martin Dalheimer performed well known Opus 9 No 2 with unusual ornamentic like Koczalski did about 100 years ago.
Chopin Opus 55 No 1 On a workshop in the famous piano atelier of the genius Olivier Fadini in Paris, Martin Dalheimer plays on a Pleyel Pianino. Sorry for the Quality of recording.
But you can hear, how Opus 55 No 1 works with rubato.
This Video is made in the pianobuilder atelier from the genius Monsieur Olivier Fadini in Paris.
Martin Dalheimer is playing John Field Nocturne No 2, 6 and 3 on a Pleyel Pianino from 1837. It's hammerheads are covered with felt, so the sound is really warm and mystery. This kind of piano has been prefered by Chopin. During his life he posessed a lot of them like Mr. Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger showed in his new book about Chopin and Pleyel.
Martin Dalheimer if neccessary also repairs and tunes pianos so in ghe following links you can see a Broadwood cottage upright beeing tuned Tuning 1 Tuning 2 Tuning 3
Opus 72 c-moll on Cottage Upright Until 3 p.a. tonight Martin worked on Broadwood Cottage upright piano. Today in the morning the piano had it's premiere after rising again.
So Martin first played Chopins Nocturne Opus 72 c-moll.
With best regards to Gilles
Chopin Opus 9 No 1 on Cottage Upright This is one of the best known compositions from Frédéric Chopin. Most time you can hear it palyed in a romantic slowly kind. But the expression of this little music-piece will come closer if it is played in original tempo. Martin told me any minutes ago that playing this piece on the upright cottage piano from 1844 is very different to plaing it on his square piano. The use of „real rubato" is much easier on this piano. Hands work togehter and against each other naturally. plaing real rubato is not as difficult as on another piano. So there comes the question why it is so.
I think it belongs to the fact, that the strings in this piano didn't cross. It is allover double stringed. And the strings grow up straight vertically. So the tone can be built without any obstacle without interferences which are built if two strings cross.
At least we can say: yes this piano gives us a clear imagine how Chopin worked. It makes possible to understand his instructions how to play...
Today there are a lot of people who tells us, tempi are not possible to play Chopins tempi based on a wrong time and so on. A lot of people take modern pedaling by plaing Chopin. But the piano like Chopin played had no so such Pedals. But therefore they had a una corda pedal which changes tone heavy. It is perfect for some interesting effects by playing Chopin. Although the other pedal which shortens the way of Hammer. it makes a dry, clear, fine tone. So we hope that it will be possible to find more people who want to take care of the rare instruments of the 19th century which are not tuned and restored on todays taste.
One day we will find a Pleyel upright piano and an Erard upright piano and although one of Broadwood again to compare and learn how Chopin really played.
The raindrop prelude Frédéric Chopin wrote down in Mallorca in the monastery of Valldemosa. The weather was windy and stormy, the rooms dark and cold overlaid from creepy silence. The housclaks have always stolen foods and never done their work satisfactory. And then there it was always raining. So Chopin may be influences by all this in composing the prélude Opus 28 / 15. The so called raindrop-prélude. So called by George Sand. She said it seems to hear the Raindrops fallen down from roof to the ground. Chopin reacts with a little annoy. He said this interpretation is very childish. And not engough George added to her first description: The prélude he wrote down on this evening was filled of raindrops, which resounds on the clinking bricks; in his own fantasie and in his singing Raindrops changed into tears falling down from heaven to his heart.
This is all a trying to explain with romantic words a composition without a lot of romance. I think, Chopin would show the piano players that it is possibel to change left and right hands work. So here you find the right hand giving rythm, speed and basics. Left had is playing a sometimes sweet and othertimes obtrusive melody which includes pain, love, and joy of life.
Today, June 2011 I found the information that Martin put some new videos to youtube from his most recent journey to Austria:
As it is so beautiful I would like to quote the original comment in german and translate it afterwards:
Kurzbesuch in Wyregg im privaten Piano-Museum von Jörg Demus, dem Museo Cristofori. Neben vielen anderen erlesenen Instrumenten hatte es Martin besonders der wunderschöne Wiener Bösendorfer-Flügel angetan. Wunderbar für Martins Spielweise. Der Liebestraum entstand ganz spontan, nachdem Martin Dalheimer den Flügel erstmals angefasst hatte. Jörg Demus hat hier ein Märchenschloss für musikbegeisterte Menschen geschaffen, das in einem tiefen Dornröschenschlaf zu liegen scheint. Die wunderbaren Instrumente in ihrer traumhaften Umgebung möchten nur eines: gespielt und gehört werden.
Short visit at Wyregg in the private piano-museum of Jörg Demus, the musei, Cristofori. Beside of many other most precious instruments Martin was attracted by a terrific viennese Bösendorfer grand. The "Liebestraum" arose spontaneously, immediately after Martin touched the grand the first time. Jörg Demus here created a castle from the fairy tales for the public loving the music which seems to be fallen in a deep sleep. The miraculous instruments in this dreamlike ambiance seem to desire only this: To be played on and to be listened to.
Martin Dalheimer zu Besuch bei Anton Wille im Flügelhaus Ernst Gröschel im Kaunertal in Österreich. (Tel. 0043 676 6382477 (14.00 - 18.00 °clock GMT-1)
At Kaunertal in Austria met Ernst Gröschel in memoriam, Martin Dalheimer as a student of Ernst Gröschel and the friend Anton Wille to speak and to play music.
There lay around the preludes of Rachmaninov, and the tuning of the grands were still these Ernst Gröschel gave them over 10 years ago. Spontanously Martin played from the score, not concertant, on this beautiful Bechstein grand..
Toni Wille here created his own paradise where he created the only memorial-location to Ernst Gröschel, the extraordinary pianist. Through Gröschels influence Wille started to collect grands, from Gröschel he learned to tune and much about sound and sound-development. He lives and maintains Ernst Gröschels Heritage and by the way he creates his own works: Kornkreise, cut in wood to keep these messages in the memory of mankind.
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Martin Dalheimer studied at Ernst Gröschel. This might become a separate post..
Probably you detected this post were an almost complete quotation of the whole youtube account of Martin Dalheimer, but I assure you I have chosen only the pieces I like best ....
Martin Dalheimer is one of the few pianists performing on a genuine historic instrument. He also comes with his instrument in his car on demand and performs his superb concerts in your location. His Broadwood square piano is a fine, well preserved example of popular instruments from about 1830. Sure, such instument won't fill big halls with sound and public and the sound is different to nowadays ears. The sound is percussive and brilliant, rich of overtones and may be that sort of sound the composers expected when composing their music.I regret, Martin lives 400 km distant from my home but I am happy I have opportunity to experience that sort of concert here and there again
She played Chopin, Schönberg and Mozart (Adagio h-moll KV 540) on the Bösendorfer Grand.
I will never forget her sitting at the Bösendorfer shaken slightly probably by Parkinson but when she touched the keys or some pedal no shaking was visible any longer. I guess regretfully this event remained undocumented.
Best regards