It looks like the pandemic was true to form in igniting interest in buying pianos– mostly NEW for my brood, with one fully restored grand plucked from Coach House Pianos in South Wales: A 1950’s era Hamburg Steinway ‘B,’ that shimmers with a well-defined resonant bass supporting a tonally beautiful mid and upper range.
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Another lucky pupil who owned an acoustic piano in Florida, (a Chickering grand), and a Roland digital at his second home in Massachusetts, selected a singing nightingale piano to replace his New England electronic. It’s a 6’9″ Schimmel model 206 (made in Poland) that shines across its 88’s. With a resonating bass and lyrical voice, the instrument is a winner!
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From Japan to Portugal came a Yamaha U-3 vertical that replaced a digital piano. The student’s playing took an upturn as he ran his happy fingers over a well regulated, tonally gratifying upright. Without a doubt, he’s in seventh heaven playing it!
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On the way to a San Francisco based student is a well regulated, “singing” Yamaha US5 upright that I was lucky to sample at San Jose’s Music Exchange. Where space considerations were of concern, this 50″ high piano fit the bill, and will be comfortably situated to sing its own praises.
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Another Bay area pupil, purchased a NEW Steinway ‘S’ model grand (5’1″), that is in the process of being voiced, tuned and adapted to the acoustic environment of her home. You can tell her cat is giving the new family member a proper welcome!
On our collaborative piano finding journey, we had sampled a used Steinway ‘S,’ at a local dealer, and ruled it out, though I was lucky enough to run my hands over a Fazioli Model 228, 7’6″ grand that graced the establishment. (Piedmont Pianos in Oakland, CA) It was definitely out of my price range but worth a dip into its ocean of musical pleasure.
And still another piano search yielded a resonant Baldwin R, 5’8″ 1920 grand restored at Cunningham Pianos in 2005, that was snatched in short order by another interested buyer.
It’s apparent that piano sales are thriving and new owners are glowing with music through difficult times. For my students, their tonally lovely instruments enrich their creative expression and add to the joy of practicing! May all continue to thrive!
P.S. I forgot to mention a Pre-pandemic purchased NEW Kawai model (K-200) vertical piano that a student selected (with my help) to replace her digital. We’ll give this 2019 newbie a spotlight as it was a practicing magnet for this adult pupil who is progressing nicely!
from Arioso7's Blog (Shirley Kirsten)
https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2021/08/21/new-pianos-abound-for-my-students/
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