Concerts at Hatchlands Park: Chopin's music on his own piano
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 сер 2024
- Krzysztof Moskalewicz
Friday 10th of July 2020, 7pm
Chopin’s ‘Own’ Grand Piano, No. 13819, by Pleyel & Compagnie, 1848
Adopted for 2020 by The Chopin Society, London
We are grateful to those who have so generously given donations that made this event possible.
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www.cobbecolle....
THE PROGRAMME
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849):
Ballade in G minor op.23
Étude in C sharp minor op.25 no 7
Barcarolle op.60
Scherzo op.39
Waltz in A flat op.34 no 1
Ballade in F minor op.52
THE PIANO
Pleyel pianos were Chopin’s instruments of choice from his arrival in Paris in 1831 until his death. While the firm normally lent Chopin any piano he wanted without charge, this was only provided they remained in France. The piano played in this recital, Pleyel No. 13819, is, however, one of two Pleyel pianos that Chopin had actually to pay for, because he wished in April 1848 to take it to England. He had already had it for some months in his home at Square d’Orléans, and had almost certainly used it for his public concert in the Salle Pleyel in February. Pleyel No. 13819 travelled with him to London and he slept his first few nights in a London lodging along with it still in its packing case. It was a source of considerable pleasure to him that in his drawing-room in his second London lodging, 48 Dover Street, there were three piano by the three dominant piano-makers of his era - Camille Pleyel, Pierre Erard and John Fowler Broadwood - all three of whom Chopin knew and who experienced his friendship, comments, praise or criticism. He made proud allusion to the three pianos in several of his letters, always referring to the Pleyel as ‘his own’.
The one other Pleyel instrument for which he had had to take financial responsibility, was the pianino he asked to be sent to Majorca for his celebrated sojourn there ten years earlier.
The making of Pleyel 13819 took a year, with it being finally varnished on 8th January 1848. By the 11th February it had been delivered to the composer. On it Chopin composed and performed some major works, including Barcarolle op. 60 and the Cello Sonata op. 65.
THE PIANIST
Polish pianist, Krzysztof Moskalewicz, started his musical education in Warsaw at the age of seven. In 2016 Krzysztof became an artist of the Talent Unlimited Trust and was awarded the Derek Butler Award from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the James Gibb Award Scholarship. In 2017 he completed a Master’s in Piano Performance with first class honours, studying with Ronan O’Hora at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, having graduated there with a first class degree in 2015. Subsequently, he was offered a prestigious Guildhall Artist Fellowship in 2017/2018.
Krzysztof has won prizes in major piano competitions and has taken part in many international music festivals and piano courses. He often plays in masterclasses with distinguished musicians including Richard Goode, Angela Hewitt, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Jonathan Biss and Kevin Kenner.
He has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and with orchestra, at many prestigious venues including Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Purcell Room, Milton Court Concert Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, Palacio de Festivales de Santander, Casa da Musica in Porto, Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio in Warsaw, as well as in Germany, France, The Netherlands, Japan and United States. He has appeared as soloist with the Opole Philharmonic Orchestra, Radom Chamber Orchestra, Frederic Chopin State School Symphony Orchestra and the Hornton Chamber Orchestra.
www.krzysztofmo...
Chopin’s ‘Own’ Grand Piano, No. 13819, by Pleyel & Compagnie, Paris, 1848
Adopted for 2020 by The Chopin Society
www.cobbecolle....
THE COLLECTION
The Cobbe Collection at Hatchlands possesses the world’s largest group of keyboards owned by or associated with the masters of music in the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, including instruments that belonged to or were played by Purcell, J C Bach, Mozart, Marie Antoinette, Haydn, Beethoven, Bizet, Liszt, Mahler and Elgar. Amongst them is a truly exceptional group of instruments associated with Chopin. The present Pleyel, on which, having had it at home in Paris, he made his London debut at Gore House, the residence of Lady Blessington and Count d’Orsay; the Broadwood piano on which he gave all his other English concerts (on permanent loan from the Royal Academy of Music); and the Erard piano of his close friend Jane Stirling, which he had known in Paris and was made available to him when he spent the best part of a week at the Stirling seat of Keir House in Scotland. Throughout the London season of 1848 the Pleyel piano stood in his drawing-room in Dover Street where he doubtless used it in his busy teaching curriculum.
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Ballade in G minor 4:05
Etude in C-sharp minor 14:15
Barcarolle in F-sharp major 19:41
Scherzo in C-sharp minor 28:59
Waltz in A-flat major 36:56
Ballade in F minor 42:17
That's very kind, thank you Olivier!
@@TheCobbeCollection you should pin this comment.
My understanding is that Pleyel recently went bankrupt. Hard to believe it had such a long history.
What's covering the inside of the piano seen at 46:36? Was this piano restrung?
Honestly great selections
What an experience just touching the keys that Chopin played!
probably fully restored so nothing chopin had touched
ikr i wish i could have it
@@barejon2733 yes that too is a possibility:(
@@barejon2733 No, the Pleyel was kept in great condition over the decades, the keys are as original as the hammer and damper felts, every part of that instrument was looked at by Chopin, every key, certainly most pegs when tuning, the lid, the keyboard lid were touched by Chopin.
@@barejon2733 :: Oh, party pooper!
I can’t believe this video only has 1k views...
This is literally history that’s striking our ears! What a disappointment that so few people know about this concert!
And what an honor also! I’m listening to this with deep emotion, respect and nostalgia (for something I never lived and wish I had).
Thank you so much for giving the whole world the opportunity to listen to what music sounded like back to 1830-50.
Forever grateful. From France.
Thank you very much for your very kind comment. Online concerts is our new venture and we hope it will grow and grow. Meanwhile, please feel free to spread the word and do subscribe! Kindest regards
It probably has to do with UA-cam algorithms. I watch piano related videos daily and yet today was the first day that this showed up in my suggested videos stream ! In any case, I am subscribing in the hopes that this will lead to more showing up in my stream.
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Nobody knows how this piano sounded when it was new. Even though the strings have been replaced, other parts of the piano is still over 170 years old, which could have greatly eroded the sounds they produce today.
Or maybe it has mellowed like the Strads
I can’t believe I’m hearing Chopin on his own piano. Best video I’ve seen in awhile!!
Thank you very much!
@@TheCobbeCollection and in what fantastic quality!!!!!
Amazing
i know! where can we see it? can I play it? (lol, I do want to try it)
Me too !
As a human to human I can't help you understand just how emotionally incredible to hear as Chopin has saved my life thanks to his music. THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH
So what's your story?
It’s actually crazy to hear Barcarolle from *the piano on which Chopin wrote it.* Thank you so much.
👍💯🎼🎹🥰🐬
Every note seems to be alive.
Your music helped both me and my Dad who recently died of alzheimers disease. I played it on my PC through UA-cam where he could watch and listen and pretend to play along on the kitchen table. I'm sure that listening to it helped him feel better
Our sincere condolences, Paul, but we are glad that the music provided solace...
My husband died with alzheimers, and in the last few months of his life, I found that music gave him such great joy. In my husband's case it was Elvis I know, but that was what he needed. It filled something he needed. I would put music on every afternoon and, for him, all was right with the world. I'm glad you found music for your father, too. If you find the right music for the person, it can perform miracles. Actually, you've told me so much about your father, and I've told you so much about my husband without using long descriptions. Nice.
Discovered this video today. Couldn’t describe how much my heart and all of cells are thrilled when hearing Chopin’s own piano and his music being brought back to life. A huge thank you to the Cobbe Collection. ❤❤❤
Full marks to the piano and the pianist whose reproduction of Chopin on Chopin was complete.Thankyou.!
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Hearing it as if it was Chopin himself playing... Just the way he intended... So beautiful and haunting...!
BEAUTIFUL experience playing on chopin's piano. its every pianists' dream
To me, the mellow sound of this piano replaces the fire we usually hear from modern instruments with a nuanced grandeur which can never be replicated on a modern piano.
This is one of the most magnificent presents we can hear online, we are listening the sound that heard Chopin too when playing his own composition in his own piano! and what a great selection of pieces he chose to play! My sincere gratitude for this, I love it 💜
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I also admire pianists who are used to play on modern pianos and are brave enough to play on authentic historical instruments, because the touch, the resonance and the sound are different from those that the modern instruments produce. Bravo for the pianist and his beautiful recital. Thanks also for the Cobbe Collection that enable us to enjoy this upload.
Thank you for your kind comment. Indeed, they require a greater degree of sensitivity and not every musician can connect with them as well as Krzysztof! :) But we try and encourage musicians to come and experience them
Very interesting to know how long a performer has to live with an instrument like this in order to express himself/herself fully.
Thank you so much for giving us all the rare opportunity to hear Chopin's music played on his own piano! Exquisite in every way.
I own an 1874 Pleyel Boudoir grand that I saved from being scrapped over thirty years ago. It was used at the BBC at
Alexander Palace( 1920's) . I had to go to Paris to find new pins and have a tuning key made. All very original. The dampers are so very small and light. Lovely soft tone, not modern harsh .
Absolutely fantastic! Chopin's music deserves to be heard on the instrument it was intended to be played on, sure--but, hearing it on Chopin's own instrument is an incredible treat all on its own.
Oh my goodness, hearing Chopin's pieces in Chopin's own Piano gave me goosebumps. Even though I only heard and saw it online, it was a fantastic experience. Thank you so much!
I'm trying to think of what to say here, and I can't. I'm honestly speechless.
We would all do well to just listen and admire the sound this wonderful artist has produced. Quit analyzing what we all know to be Chopin's genius! Just listen! Playing on a period instrument
is tough. Stop adjudicating this marvelous performance!
THRILLINGLY GORGEOUS!! It sounds as if Chopin were inprovising the final touches on his works just before writing them down - very spontaneous and pensive! Krzysztof Moskalievicz should have a great career ahead of him!
I was so shocked that it was for auction where I live. One of the best pianists and composers ever near my home! That's insane. To hear what he heard and to know he composed his best works on a piano a just like this, or this piano itself is so special. wow.
Chopin, unfortunately, did not compose anything we know from him today on this piano, as he only owned this specific model from 1848 on. He did, however, most likely play his last concert in Paris in Feb 1848 on it and then took it with him to Great Britain where he sold it before his return to Paris.
@@Seleuce That's really interesting, thank you. I don't know nearly that much about Chopin. It's still amazing that we can hear what pianos would have sounded like back then. Even if it's just a glimpse.
@@franktherabbit42 Yes, it's fascinating that we have those instruments! They don't sound like they did when they were new, of course. They would be perfectly in tune and much rounder and clearer when Chopin played them. So, as you say, it's just a glimpse, but still stunning! :)
It is intriguing to hear Chopin's music as he would have heard it. However, developments of the instrument has brought us an instrument with a totally level of sophistication of different sounds and I suspect playing characteristics. Congratulations to Krzysztof for a marvelous concert.
What a great honour to have heard chopin's pieces being played on his orginal piano! I can clearly hear the beautiful singing quality of the piano. Thank you for your performance
I enjoyed this recital and Krzysztof Moskalewicz's wonderful playing. Awesome playing
I’d like to hear the heroic polonaise on it, can’t have a Chopin concert without that masterpiece.
Would you please showcase more of his works on this piano? This young man is magnificent. I'd love to hear him do Nocturnes Op. 9 No.1 and 2 as well as Preludes Op. 28 No. 20 and 24
A romantic concert vibrating Frederick Chopin's charm Great to witness.❤
👏👏👏👍🎼🎹❤😃🐬
What a treat this is! So glad I came across this video as I can't believe this is the first time I'm seeing this ❤
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I once had the opportunity to play Giuseppina Strepponi’s piano, which was a moving experience even though it was in terrible shape. A few thoughts:
The greatest advantage pianos of this era had was their lightness of touch and (I believe) narrower keys, which makes playing Chopin much easier. In timbre, I believe its low and mid range could be reproduced by a sensitive pianist on a modern Bechstein. It’s the treble range that is truly different: thinner sound, percussive attack, and faster decay. Given that Chopin’s music is above all melodic, and that he adored Bellini and hence great Italian singers, I see no advantage in using this piano rather than a Bechstein or similarly light-actioned modern piano. I know this is not a popular view, but there it is.
I keep coming back to this video. Never ever delete it from UA-cam as it is simply historic! Charge a grand for 15 mins of playing on this and I would happily still pay. But please at all costs, protect this instrument!
As if I have just discovered a Great Continent full of wonders.....I close my eyes, I listen and my mind is numb....
Vielen Dank!! Es ist schön einen "echten" Chopin zu hören. Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland.
Thank you very much Nahuel! Very glad you enjoyed
Thank you! I heard so many nuances and had new insights from this amazing concert! Thank you!!
What a amazing programme, well chosen pieces that showcased the full range of the piano
So excited to hear this on Chopin”s own instrument. It illuminates so much. Thank you for this.
It is a wonderful collection. The Cobbe Collection also produces an excellent book which has information; dates, compass etc. for all the instruments in the collection. These instruments were meant to be played and performances by the Cobbe Collection further our knowledge and love of music of the past and how it is still rrelevant today
Thank you Paul!
This was great experience. However as a pianist… I am very grateful for modern concert grands. If Chopin himself could’ve experienced a modern Hamburg Steinway D I can’t imagine the music we’d have to enjoy today.
I feel transported back in time, like I’m actually hearing some of Chopin’s music how he would have played it!
Aaaand now I'm planning a trip to the UK specifically to visit this magical place...
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Do it!
It’s a train and then bus ride from London
thank you greatly to mr Mokalewicz...WONDERFUL playing!!!!
Indeed, there is a great difference between the bass and baritone on the one hand and the mid- and upper registers on the other. It is like playing two instruments at the same time. It explains some of the characteristics of Chopin's compositions. These instruments of mid 19th century had less tension in the strings and the strings were all parallel. Modern pianos have the strings crossed which gives a fuller and more uniform sound.
Chopin preferred Pleyel Pianos, because he claimed Liszt's Erards had too much of a "ready-made" tone. They didn't produce the sort of power needed for a concert-hall. Chopin generally played in salons in private houses, whereas liszt aimed to 'democratise' music- setting up solo concerts, and turning the piano reflector towards the audience. His pianos had double escapement , full iron frames and overstringing which made them more audible. Chopin's solo concerts were rare, and, I believe, were sometimes difficult to hear.
I was in Las Vegas about 30 years ago and saw Liberace’s piano covered entirely in sequins. I think I prefer this one.
..to hear Chopin's music on his favourite piano es simply exquisite
Hearing this it is easily to hear why her preferred Pleyel; over Erards. Broadwoods, and other pianos of hte day. Such a very well balanced and rich chorus with a profound yet not overwhelming bass as in modern day instruments. Hid music literally sings here.
Thank you for this recording.
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Thank you very much for sharing this incredible experience of being able to hear a little of the 19th century sound, especially what Chopin himself heard when composing or performing his music! Exciting! Congratulations to Mr Cobbe for his initiative, and congratulations to the concertist, for his beautiful, competent and sensitive performance!
Muito obrigado por compartilhar esta esperiência incrível de poder ouvir um pouco do som do Século XIX, muito especialmente o som que o próprio Chopin ouvia ao compor ou executar suas músicas! Emocionante! Parabéns ao Sr Cobbe pela iniciativa, e parabéns ao jovem concertista, por sua bela, competente e sensível execução!
There's a big difference in sound if you compare an 1890s piano to an 1840s piano like this one.
Merveilleux piano et merveilleusement joué
Thank you for this wonderful performance on this beautiful piano.
Thank you very much for letting me experience this Incredible music.. thank you very much for your heart.. hope your channel will grow more
Arcydzieło, rewelacja ! Chopinie, geniuszu ❤️
ok boomer
Grazie. Un documento sonoro preziosissimo soprattutto se si pensa che sono rimaste pochissime cose di lui, oltre la sua straordinaria musica intendo. I suoi mobili, i suoi oggetti, i suoi vestiti furono venduti all'asta, la sua stanza a Nohant è stata divisa in due, la sua casa alla Square d'orleans non si visita poiché ci abitera' qualcun'altro. Questo che qui proponete è un dono vero per chi è sulle sue tracce da molto molto tempo
This is really special, glad I stumbled on this video! I do wish the recording was right around the player's ear perspective, I think the stereo image would be nice to hear, great performance! Ciao, ALDO
Its amazing how pianos have evolved since then. It reminds me of an old saloon piano in sound
Thank you for the amazing Sound quality!!!!
❤Chopin❤
Just amazing
A truly romantic sound. got to see this piano in person a few weeks ago for the first time.
Very emotional to hear this!
Thank you very much!!
What a treat. Love it.
The old pleyel pianos are almost a different instrument all together.
Why do old pianos always sound old?
@@JoeLinux2000 cuz they're old. xD
Back then, there wasn't such things as crossed strings. And that is the problem with modern instruments in my point of view. Crossed strings may add volume and etc, but certainly it makes the instrument sound much more "neutral". I had the pleasure of playing an old upright Pleyel (from the late 19th century). Of course it is a much simpler intrument than this Masterpiece on the video, and some fortepianos and harpsichords. The sound is much more complex and rich. And then, there was tuning. Equal temerament wasn't the standard yet.
@@JoeLinux2000 Because they were built different. Just like how cars 70 years ago are different.
@@guilhermeatanasov8423 I hope you don’t think 1840s pianos sound better than pianos from the 21st century.
What a Pleyel! What a sound! What a collection!
I feel honored just by watching the video of that piano so I can't imagine how mind blowing it must feel to actually PLAY THAT PIANO!
congratulations!
I've ceased to enjoy most modern piano recitals unless I've tuned the instrument and I know the pianist is a true musician . . . and coming back to this I'm really enjoying this performance and instrument. Thank you for this wonderful recording.
Your ego must be enormous then.
@@kamilo034 No - that's not the case. There are two problems with many modern performances and one is dependant upon the other. Many pianists don't listen to the music that they are producing. This is partly a problem with the modern tuning which gives no musical clue as to the narrative of the music. The tuning that Chopin would have heard is different from modern tuning and I tune to the old systems of tuning. This rewards both performer and audience in terms of the sound that the pianist is making. Without this many pianists nowadays are interpreting black marks on white paper as automatons, having lost connexion with lyricism. Music is vibrations and specific tuning of such is vitally important.
@@kamilo034 he hears what he hears and it is valid to his experience if you were a good player, it’s alright to say yes, I am good
Mr gatekeeping PoS thinking he knows what a true musicians sound like. If it is art it is not for everyone.
Beautiful...piano love Chopin..
I saw Chopins upright Pleijel in the monastery where he lived with George Sand high on Majorca and wished I could have heard it played. Now I have heard the grand version and wish I could hear his work exclusively on this glorious instrument . I prefer it to the albeit magnificent Steinway and congratulations to this superb pianist.
That Pleyel in Valldemossa ended up being not a lot of use to Chopin because it arrived weeks after they did, was held up in customs and not delivered to him until the second half of January 1839. Until then he had to put up with a poor local instrument. By early March 1839 they were back in Marseille so he probably got about 5-6 weeks use out of it, much of which time he was very ill. It got sold on his departure fo defray expenses it seems. It’s pity the bad piano is not also in display because in some ways that would be just as interesting. As to how the Pleyel sounds now: probably nothing like when it was new. I wonder if he tuned it himself when it did arrive…
dang it why does this only have 54k views? this is chopin's actual pleyel with his own music being played on it!
Superb. Exceptional. A pleasure for the senses. The fact to ear and watch the own Chopin's piano enrich the experience. Congratulations.
Thank you very much
@@TheCobbeCollection My pleasure.
like a window into another world! I loved hearing this.
So a couple of years ago we were visiting a small french chateau and the lady owner gave us a tour. In one of the rooms there was a "small" old grand piano, looking at it she said Chopin had played on it. She couldnt play it herself and asked if maybe we played a bit, i did...a bit. But at the time couldnt play Chopin so i tried Beethoven and she loved it saying its been a long time since that piano had been played. Anyway i never really believed Chopin really did play that piano but still its a memory i cherish. Hope he wont be mad i couldn play his work though...
I remember that the piano itself was pretty hard to play, very different on the touch and sound from today's piano's. I wonder how the Pleyel played. Listening to it it seems hard work?
Anyway, wonderfull video and music, thank you for this
Don’t worry, Chopin’s ghost won’t chase you if you can’t play it.
Maybe if you play it badly, like me.
After hearing this, I'm mad at Lisitsa and all the other "modern" pianists who are just pounding their roaring Steinways. Right now, I genuinely think Koczalski and Mikuli were right....that isn't the way Chopin should be played.
Amazing piano, amazing performance, amazing pianist, amazing history! The real sound of Chopin!
I forget where the quote comes from or if I'm even saying it correctly but someone said "there is no room for banging in Chopin" which I find far too much in interpretations of a lot of Chopin especially the Ballade in G minor, have you heard Lang Lang's interpretation on youtube? Cold and dead performance
@@PabloRodriguez-um5ht Yes, I did. Basically, nowadays only a very, very small percent of pianists can play Chopin correctly (I mean "correctly" by revealing and freeing the emotion hidden in the piece - - -> 0.0001% can do that in the 21st century). Now, you can say that 20th century pianists were the best, but this still doesn't change my opinion about Horowitz and Rubinstein, or even Arrau. Absolutely horrible. Their ego was just off the chart, and they were trying to impress everyone with their own way of playing, not accepting other's interpretations (Horowitz and Rubinstein said that Koczalski was more of a composer than a virtuoso), and just completely destroying the melodical harmony of Chopin's masterpieces.
Michelangeli, Koczalski and Cortot on the other hand, they are my personal favorites to this day. No one, and I mean that, No One can outperform them. If you want to learn and STUDY a Chopin piece (not run through the sheet in a week like Kissin and Lisitsa does), check how the 3 Great Ones performed it, and then analyze them. I'm not saying you should completely avoid Rubinstein's and Horowitz's interpretations, they do have absolutely astonishing recordings like Horowitz's Etude Op. 10 No. 12, but in the end, the most emotionally and melodically correct interpretations will belong to either Koczalski, Cortot or Michelangeli. Also, Rubinstein's and Horowitz's attitude towards Koczalski and Cortot really made them a BIG no-go in my eyes.
@@wolfoair3096 I actually have only heard of Kocsalski, care to suggest some performances by the other two?
I found this performance to be excellent for a modern piano but not sympathetic to this historic instrument's sound. The notes were treated more like a Beethoven, rather than teased out in a world of 'discovering' or 'atmosphere', which is a shame.
@@wolfoair3096 I’m curious about your opinions on krystian zimerman’s performances of the 4 ballades did you like them? did you not?
Thank you for a great concert :)
Great pleasure Amit! :) There will be more to come this year.
Very lovely and beautiful maestro
Many thanks!
He composed with such a tone.
So enjoyable, such a clear sound, even if not as rich as modern pianos establish, but direct, nothing in between...
OMG can't wait to listen to this !
Wonderful video!
Hermoso gracias
And again: a video that is supposed to highlight the beauty of Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin and what does the comment section turn into? A snob-fest arguing about who played it better. People waste so much time arguing about subjective things like taste, even arguing that their taste and opinion is somehow objectively better. Horrowitz this, Rubestein that, Arrau there, Lang Lang, Lisitsa and many other more or less known pianists. That's the beauty of physics and the real world: you can subjectively interpret it with whatever manner you like but it objectively stays being reality, no matter how snobby, ignorant and bigoted one's own perception of it is. Thanks for the upload, it is interesting to hear Chopin's compositions on a piano of his era.
A memorable experience.
The instrument at this time was quite advanced compared to Mozart's. Its resonance is closer to today's Steinway, Bosendorfer, etc.
bravo!
Very elegant sounding
This was wonderful
Thank you for posting the video to give me a great feeling
magnificent !
One always wonders in cases like this how close the sound of the piano now is to how it sounded when it was new. Unless lot of parts have been replaced (in which case is it he same piano really?), lots of parts will have changed in ways that change the sound. The wood of the soundboard and bridges will have changed their moisture content and mechanical properties, and this may well result in a less resonant sound than the piano originally had. The strings will have corroded, also changing the sound. Then there’s the wear of the hammers and action. To discover we’d have to make a new copy, and we still wouldn’t be sure as we wouldn’t have exactly the same materials. Still, this was a very nice concert.
There is a private, internationally known piano builder by the name of Paul McNulty, who produces near flawless period piano replicas of famous composer's pianos. Info about him is on the Net. I think he now lives in Czechoslovakia with his wife Viviana Sofronitsky, who is a famous Russian Canadian concert pianist. A few years ago he built a replica of Chopin's Pleyel and I heard it demonstrated by Viviana in a few of his videos. To my ear the sound of his replica is remarkably like that of Chopin's Pleyel which is in the Cobbe collection. I was astonished by the similarity of the sounds of the two pianos which are so far apart in actual age. It would appear that the sound of Chopin's Cobbe/ Pleyel is very close to the actual sound which Chopin heard when he chose the piano in 1848. It seems that the sound of a superior piano does not diminish all that significantly over a long period of time if the instrument is treated well and clearly, the one in the Cobbe collection has been well cared for. Also, I used to think that the colouring of the sound of the Cobbe piano was because of the age of the piano but it seems as though that too is not the case. Apparently, the varying timbres of different sections of the keyboard was intentionally created by Pleyel and that's why Chopin liked and preferred Pleyel instruments. It makes one realize just how much character has been lost in the process of refining the evenly balanced sound of modern pianos. The Chopin Society in Warsaw uses a replica made by Paul McNulty for their period piano competitions.
down @mabdub . I am extremely pleased with your comment, which describes what Chopin's Pleyer actually sounded like in the past and today. My thoughts and conclusions that I came to were exactly confirmed by your actual confirmed evidence. And yet I had to take into account many factors, such as the age of the instrument, the soundboard, the strings in the bass, the diameter then probably without a cast steel winding, later with a brass winding, and in the duscant without a braid and their pressure, the bridge, a strong wooden skeleton, the entire body of the instrument, the entire mechanics hammer, felt hammers and silencers. These are very discreet and subtle factors, but they influence the timbre and sound of the sound. In previous comments I argued that all this had no significant impact on the current sound of this instrument. So we can imagine that it is very similar to the piano from Chopin's times. Only the repetition and the escapement of the hammer mechanism have deteriorated, but this affects the technical and performance capabilities of the pianist. To a large extent, this can be remedied by renovation and correction - adjustment of the mechanism, but only 75%, I guess. Our pianist handled it flawlessly in a masterly, even virtuoso, way. bringing us closer to the sound and technical capabilities of this wonderful, beautifully crafted historical favorite of Chopin's piano. Thank you @mabdub very much for your wonderful comment and statements supported by specifics, confirming my belief that I had the right train of thought. Thank you very much once again and greetings, Piotr from Warsaw
Let me quote @mabdub comment and my answer @japiat1520 .
@mabdub
There is a private, internationally known piano builder by the name of Paul McNulty, who produces near flawless period piano replicas of famous composer's pianos. Info about him is on the Net. I think he now lives in Czechoslovakia with his wife Viviana Sofronitsky, who is a famous Russian Canadian concert pianist. A few years ago he built a replica of Chopin's Pleyel and I heard it demonstrated by Viviana in a few of his videos. To my ear the sound of his replica is remarkably like that of Chopin's Pleyel which is in the Cobbe collection. I was astonished by the similarity of the sounds of the two pianos which are so far apart in actual age. It would appear that the sound of Chopin's Cobbe/ Pleyel is very close to the actual sound which Chopin heard when he chose the piano in 1848. It seems that the sound of a superior piano does not diminish all that significantly over a long period of time if the instrument is treated well and clearly, the one in the Cobbe collection has been well cared for. Also, I used to think that the colouring of the sound of the Cobbe piano was because of the age of the piano but it seems as though that too is not the case. Apparently, the varying timbres of different sections of the keyboard was intentionally created by Pleyel and that's why Chopin liked and preferred Pleyel instruments. It makes one realize just how much character has been lost in the process of refining the evenly balanced sound of modern pianos. The Chopin Society in Warsaw uses a replica made by Paul McNulty for their period piano competitions.
@japiat1520
down @mabdub . I am extremely pleased with your comment, which describes what Chopin's Pleyer actually sounded like in the past and today. My thoughts and conclusions that I came to were exactly confirmed by your actual confirmed evidence. And yet I had to take into account many factors, such as the age of the instrument, the soundboard, the strings in the bass, the diameter then probably without a cast steel winding, later with a brass winding, and in the duscant without a braid and their pressure, the bridge, a strong wooden skeleton, the entire body of the instrument, the entire mechanics hammer, felt hammers and silencers. These are very discreet and subtle factors, but they influence the timbre and sound of the sound. In previous comments I argued that all this had no significant impact on the current sound of this instrument. So we can imagine that it is very similar to the piano from Chopin's times. Only the repetition and the escapement of the hammer mechanism have deteriorated, but this affects the technical and performance capabilities of the pianist. To a large extent, this can be remedied by renovation and correction - adjustment of the mechanism, but only 75%, I guess. Our pianist handled it flawlessly in a masterly, even virtuoso, way. bringing us closer to the sound and technical capabilities of this wonderful, beautifully crafted historical favorite of Chopin's piano. Thank you @mabdub very much for your wonderful comment and statements supported by specifics, confirming my belief that I had the right train of thought. Thank you very much once again and greetings, Piotr from Warsaw
I'm here because of Orlando González! Saludos afectuosos desde Aguascalientes, México!
Delighted to have you here! Hope you enjoyed the concert - more to come
Oh, hello there! I’ve seen you over at Wim’s channel, Authentic Sound.
@@TheCobbeCollection Thank you very much!
@@makytondr8607 Warm greetings to you. 🤗
Now I must play this piano.
What a remarkable find. It would be wonderful to hear it properly miked and tuned.
WOW ...thank you ...what a TREAT to listen to chopin that way...the instrument he himself played and HEARD his own music with...
it brings out something distinctive...: The registers indeed have timbres of their own...but the individual notes are MORE speaking than subsequent giant pianos ....the highest notes not as "brilliant" as today s sounding a bit like UPRIGHT grandpianos...at least to my ear...that grew up with a KOLSKI large upright from the 1920 s when my late mom was a teen...but today , though in disrepair STILL has that unforgettalbe belllike but LONG sound...the bottom notes have a BITe OF their own but always present and full...in chopins instrument..
That is fantastic...
Yo de solo poner mi mano en esas teclas ya estaría en un mar de lágrimas.
Great performance!! It seems to be a specialized piano for Chopin only. It reminds me of J. S. Bach and his own personal clavichords. The sound of this piano is good but the upper registers don't have the same brilliance I am used to from the modern pianos and the size the piano is not of a concert grand piano, its more like a baby grand.
Perhaps the bass is allowed to bloom more in most scenarios and that chopin probably just plays softer on the bass notes when he plays?
The modern piano can be a bit harsh for Chopin and the resonance of the sound gets drowned by the brashness of the upper notes on modern instruments. If you listen you can hear every note. Something that you don't always get from a modern piano.
To @Pingoping
You're not entirely right... The sound of a piano is determined primarily by its resonance elements. Firstly, the soundboard and the frame on which it is mounted, and indirectly the body of the instrument itself and even the repeater mechanism. These elements remain the same, so the sound will be almost identical. The age of the instrument certainly affects its lower technical and dynamic capabilities, i.e. the playing itself. Strings influence the sound, timbre, but above all, the soundboard. The strings are not necessarily replaceable as they are strong and durable. Unless the original tuning was Viennese, a semitone lower, and has now been tuned a semitone higher. The pressure of the strings on the record would be greater, but it would not significantly affect the timbre of the sound. We can assume that we hear sounds - an instrument, just like back then. Currently, there would be a problem with the technical possibilities of the game - because it is an old mechanic - although the proofreaders certainly did a great job. Great recognition is due to the pianist who rose to the challenge and in a virtuoso way demonstrated the technical and sound capabilities of this valued instrument. We could imagine and hear how Chopin himself once played and composed. Thank you Piotr from Poland
Muito provavelmente as cordas são modernas. Estou achando o som muito bom para um piano de 1840 , posso estar enganado. Estupendo a oportunidade de ver e ouvir isso.
I bet Chopin up in heaven is jealous at us able to play modern pianos.
Delko, you are so right! Musical tast actually is a disaster
can't believe Chopin's hands touched those keys
This is so amazing
probably not no
where are all the views?!
Coming soon, hopefully!
Though the pianist is talented, he lacks experience on such a piano as he trades sound for speed. The frequent pedaling and the lack of it is just proof of how he is using this piano like he would use a modern one - clipping sound to separate each note. On the contrary, such a piano, when tuned and voiced well, should be played craftily at a slower speed to blend in harmonies and not chop the music into notes. It takes years of study solely on this instrument to bring out what it can achieve. Besides, there are other factors that are diminishing the authenticity of the sound. I urge the listener to visit my channel for me to illustrate this further. Nevertheless, one can only be grateful that such concerts are published.
This should put to rest the rumors about his keys being thinner than a normal piano