It is a sign of an exceptional pianist to be able to adapt to a piano that is very different from those he has played on for decades and produce such a pleasing result.
I was at the Albert Hall for this concert and it was a beautiful ocasion. That piano was Queen Victoria's personal possession and the present Queen lent it to Stephen Hough for this concert which was to commemorate Queen Victoria's 200th birthday year which is why it featured the music of Felix Mendelsohn her friend as well as favourite composer. I felt Sephen made a first class job of it
I find it is near impossible to find any occasion on which Stephen is not of the highest Class. I've met him on numerous occasions and he always remembers my name and is beyond kind and poignant. I hear this is very common among other friends I have who have met him more than once.
@@harrycorbiniv This video is of his encore. He also played the Mendelsohn piano concerto no 1 as well as accompanying the singer for Prince Albert's songs. The concert also featured Mendelsohn's Scottish symphony
Well I think it sounded lovely. Consider the pianos age and the fact it wasn't built for concerts in the Albert Hall. Nothing worse than musical snobbery. Not everything has to be Steinway! The man himself even said this in an article for the I Newspaper “There is an intimacy, and human quality, to this piano’s reedy timbre which really does feel like something from another era.” “It’s shallow action and smaller hammers require the pianist to play in a totally different, less muscular manner.” He clearly appreciated it.
Love your comment. Too many people on UA-cam seem to be the sort who take the score to the opera or a concert and go tut tut at what they perceive to be a wrong note, or something like that. They forget that every performance is unique, not a carbon copy, which is why it moves us. I saw one comment about an aria in an opera not being exactly as it was sung in 1730. How would they know? You are right. There is too much musical snobbery, too much trying to look clever. Too much pretension. Just enjoy it, and if people watching don't like it, don't watch it.
Just imagine being able to play on the same keys that Queen Victoria played. That would just send chills down my spine. What a special opportunity this gentleman had!
This was delightful to hear. Thank you . What a wonderful gift. The Errard Piano has a very unique and glorious quality. Thank you Your Majesty to let it be heard at Royal Albert Hall.
A lovely, warm performance on a fantastic instrument. This is a chamber instrument, intended for the most intimate moments shared by a loving couple. Anyone faulting this piano for not sounding like an Imperial Bösendorfer is completely missing the point! Erard's innovations paved the way for the virtuosos that gave us the modern piano, but this is a thoroughly small-scale, 19th-century instrument. Listen to how the right hand sings, and how effortlessly the balance keeps the left hand in an accompaniment role - the Queen is known to have been a singer, the Prince a talented organist, so it's entirely fitting. Bravo to all involved!
Its a remarkable instrument given its vintage and how far pianos have evolved since this was built. It gives real insight to what music of that period truly sounded like.
You have to hand it to Stephen Hough bearing in mind he has not experience with period pianos. How many even know the keys are smaller and he will have needed to adapt his playing.
At this time ... all piano's were smaller in every way... This was possibly one of the biggest Pianos at the time of it being built. Many Piano's had their own quirks at this time with no real standard, but the maker Sebastian Erard was a leading light and referred to "The Father" of todays Piano's. Setting standards that all others followed. His innovation was the Double Escapement Action allowing the rapid repartition of notes being played. This innovation lead the way for all the great pianist in the 19th century to play the pieces we now know and love. It aint just pretty!!!
Yes the key width and length is interesting . I'm no expert on early piano development but I think it has to do with the general increase in size of the instrument. Heavier string and triple stringing means greeter tension and higher down bearing on the bridge required a larger frame. Also greater spacing between strings. Another factor is that over many decades people have evolved and are generally taller and therefor have larger hands.
All these people in the comments complaining about the inferior sound of the piano. Who cares?! You wouldn't expect a Jaguar D Type to keep up with a Bugatti Veyron, would you?! Just sit back and enjoy listening to a little bit of history instead of running everything down.
This is how it's supposed to sound. This piano is different in a variety of ways from the modern piano. That's why you get a different sound. Your gift is getting to hear the difference.
This Piano commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1854 built by Sebastian Erard, of London and installed at Buckingham Palace they think in 1856. , Victoria had a number of this leading Piano makers pieces in different homes. This Piano was never intended for Concert halls and is much "quieter" than the big Concert Steinways of today. Prince Albert who was himself primarily a fine Organist, was a talented writer of music and a fine singer. But both The Prince and The Queen were fine & talented Pianist's and Queen Victoria was a talented Soprano. They gave concerts to family and visiting Royals on a regular basis. This much loved and much played Piano not only by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert but by generation's of Royals. The Piano is normally situated in the White Drawing room at Buckingham Palace, and can be viewed during the summer months when The Palace is open to the public. It had some restoration work in about 2017 / 18. Following so many years of smoky rooms and soot the case was in some need of a surface clean and the gilding and woodwork some restoration. It's a magnificent piece. Its to HM The Queens generous acceptance that this hugely valuable Piano was lent for this special Concert to celebrate Queen Victoria's 200th anniversary.
It's so beautiful that this instruments sound again. That's what they were built for. So pleased that you took all the effort on moving tue instrument so people could hear. Congrats!
The historical quality of this piano is stunning. We can appreciate that pianos sounded like this in times past, e.g. the bass was sonically equal to treble, the playability was more gentle, and that this balance of music contributed to the classical sound. Additionally, it sounds like this instrument hasn't seen restoration work for some many years, probably because they're terrified to restore an instrument owned by a queen.
ninjaassassin27 , I'm guessing maybe it's regularly maintained and 'conserved', but for restoration (to put back to its original condition) it would take a specialist Period Piano Restorer extensive knowledge and research of a particular piano's history ie previous restorations/conservation works etc. And lots and lots of time given the fact that it's still presently owned by Royalty. 🙂
@@heyyitsnikkiii She is a very good pianist and musician. Still it is a matter of preference. I'm very enchanted by Valentina Lisitsa and my altime favorit Tamas Vasary.In particular his interpretation of the Liszt Sonata in Bminor: ua-cam.com/video/RRl_O5LZhig/v-deo.html
It sounded lovely and so different to the rather harsh sounds of modern pianos! I wonder if the Bluthner, Bosendorfer and Steinway will sound as good after over a 100 years!
Im pretty sure they would still sound really good if not better, ive noticed that older pianos sound better than new ones. Reason why i say it because Bösendorfer, Steinway, Yamaha (dunno much about Blüthner), Kawai etc are hand made, made to a standard whereas other unknown brands are cheap and built on time not quality and life expectancy.
This has been restored wonderfully to sound very very similar to how it would in 1856, i own an 1886 bechstein V and it has been restored in most details but not to the extent of being a new piano and it plays like a dream. I think we have almost maxed out the amount of refining to do a modern concert grand so if they are preserved or partially restored in 200 years or so, I’m sure they will still sound beautiful and possibly even modern as top pianos are crafted so well.
@@eddiehuss5707 HI Eddie; that must brilliant - I hope you play it often. I used to have a 90 year old English Broadwood that had the most wonderful mellow tone.
Parabéns pela bela execução! O piano é maravilhoso, histórico, lindo e bem conservado. Eu ficaria muito orgulhoso e nervoso ao tocar em um instrumento antigo, famoso e histórico. Parabéns!!!
@@AlexAlcyone i thing you're expecting a modern Steinway Grand sound from this, which evidently is not what it is meant for. This piano sounds absolutely lovely as it is, that sound is closer to what Chopin would have probably worked with in his time...
I think that Chopin himself would have loved this piano a lot and in my opinion, this must be very close to how his music really sounded at the time due to this piano being of his era and also in unusually good health and condition for it's age. I am a Chopin fanatic, I have been playing for years and had the pleasure of playing the best modern and early 1900's Steinways, Bluthners, Bechsteins etc but this Erard piano sounds like it has been transported here in a time machine, most early pianos don't sound this good anymore. Huge respect and admiration to the restorer who repaired this piano's wrest plank too (tuning block) This piano deserves to be played in public more, it's belongs on stage and needs more Chopin on it's keys imo! I prefer it to a model D steinway for most romantic period music.
My piano teacher had an ancient piano that had little metal studs on the end of the keys, and it sounded like this except a lot more rusty. In fact, the keys on my teacher’s old piano had some trouble coming back up after you press them down, which I thought was rather cute.
@@FirstLast-uz6eq No unfortunately I was only 4 at that time and had no concept of brand recognition. I only got to see that piano a few times when I first started my lessons, because my teacher really treasured it. She lived in a small apartment but managed to cram in 3 pianos, and although I always loved the look and feel of the old piano, my lessons were always conducted on one of the two modern ones.
@@mscott3918 I am not referring to the value whether it is real gold piano but the historical attachment to its owner Queen Victoria but thanks for informing me😊🙂
@@markvincentbonachita8950 It is a wonderful piano, and a treat to hear it. I worked at Buckingham Palace for 30 years, and never once heard it being played.
@@mscott3918 Thank you for that information I was taking a guess based on the 'Regency style' decoration of the case and it's tone. Do you happen to know whether or not it's iron-framed?
@@gordonsmith8899 I believe it is, because Erhard patented a metal supporting framework in, I think, 1839. For such an important piano they would probably have included all the most up to date refinements. It is a wonderful piano, with neo classical decoration, a style very popular at that period. I worked in the North Wing of Buckingham Palace for 30 years, and walked past it many times. This was the first time I ever heard it played. I like its gentle tone. I sometimes find modern pianos a little harsh until they are, should I say, played in?
Lovely to hear a period instrument...... complete with out of tune notes,, falseness in all of the treble strings mechanical clanking of keys and squeaking creaking pedals....lovely to look at though....and good performance.
Yes. It has never been touched or repaired until shortly before this performance. It was a very light restoration because it couldn't be taken apart as it would normally have been.
The tone is very peculiar. The sound itself is kind of dull and warm with a sort of muted attack and not much sustain, but it seems to have a lot of resonance.
1856 was when this piano was commissioned. At that time, Franklin Pierce was president and the election between James Buchanan, John Frémont and Millard Fillmore was taking place. 6 years prior (1850), California became a state. 2 years prior (1854), the Republican party was founded. 1 year later (1857) was the Dred Scott Decision. 2 years later (1858) Minnesota would become a state, and 3 years later (1859) the first oil drilling was completed in PA. 4 years later (1860), Abraham Lincoln was President. Then 5 years later (1861) the American Civil War started. These aren't ordered in any particular fashion. I just thought this would be interesting. Our world is so vast and it's so interesting to look through history and see what was happening in different parts of the world at the same time.
He is playing the piano like a robot. Normally when someone starts playing piano, I can feel their emotions. I think he is playing it only for it's job. He don't like to play piano. This is what I felt when he played.
Its more the significance of seeing it played in public than the sound. Queen Victoria herself played that piano, its a piece of history being brought to life once more.
All that is gold does not glitter. Despite pianist's best efforts, what a tinny, metallic, empty sound comes from that chunk of ore. This monstrosity disembowels an otherwise sublime Nocturne by Chopin. It should have been buried at the time of Queen Victoria's entombment.
Greg Ruland So it doesn't feature the latest wizardry - neither does Shakespeare whose "All that glisters, is not gold" you misquote. It's an historic instrument Greg and makes a sound nearer to what Chopin would have been writing for. Would you dismiss a vintage motor car for not being capable of "nought to sixty in three seconds"?
@@greatmomentsofopera7170 You've missed the point completely. This year marks the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria - that's the sole reason why her piano was on stage.
@@greatmomentsofopera7170 The piano underwent a slight restoration earlier this year, when the cracked sounding board was replaced. It was not possible to do a full restoration without taking it apart completely, which was not really practical because of the way the decoration was put on. It came from Queen Victoria's 1839 piano.
It is a sign of an exceptional pianist to be able to adapt to a piano that is very different from those he has played on for decades and produce such a pleasing result.
I was at the Albert Hall for this concert and it was a beautiful ocasion. That piano was Queen Victoria's personal possession and the present Queen lent it to Stephen Hough for this concert which was to commemorate Queen Victoria's 200th birthday year which is why it featured the music of Felix Mendelsohn her friend as well as favourite composer. I felt Sephen made a first class job of it
Duncan Macpherson this is Chopin. Did I miss something?
I find it is near impossible to find any occasion on which Stephen is not of the highest Class. I've met him on numerous occasions and he always remembers my name and is beyond kind and poignant. I hear this is very common among other friends I have who have met him more than once.
@@harrycorbiniv This video is of his encore. He also played the Mendelsohn piano concerto no 1 as well as accompanying the singer for Prince Albert's songs. The concert also featured Mendelsohn's Scottish symphony
Duncan Macpherson oh ok thank you
You’re so lucky you’ve been there!
Love how it’s getting more and more common to play on historical instruments even in big halls. The sound of that piano is lovely!
Imagine when they transported that to the concert hall.
the pressure would break the barometer.
To me
To you
To me
To you
Why? It’s only some Germans piano
Exactly what I was just thinking!
@@kathykapsner3897 Then clearly you need lessons in thinking. Never mind.
Well I think it sounded lovely. Consider the pianos age and the fact it wasn't built for concerts in the Albert Hall. Nothing worse than musical snobbery. Not everything has to be Steinway!
The man himself even said this in an article for the I Newspaper “There is an intimacy, and human quality, to this piano’s reedy timbre which really does feel like something from another era.”
“It’s shallow action and smaller hammers require the pianist to play in a totally different, less muscular manner.” He clearly appreciated it.
Love your comment. Too many people on UA-cam seem to be the sort who take the score to the opera or a concert and go tut tut at what they perceive to be a wrong note, or something like that. They forget that every performance is unique, not a carbon copy, which is why it moves us. I saw one comment about an aria in an opera not being exactly as it was sung in 1730. How would they know? You are right. There is too much musical snobbery, too much trying to look clever. Too much pretension. Just enjoy it, and if people watching don't like it, don't watch it.
I also think the piano sounded absolutely lovely
@@mscott3918 Well said.
Long live the Bosendorfer ! Get rid of the promoted Steinways !
Theres far better than Steinway too.
Just imagine being able to play on the same keys that Queen Victoria played. That would just send chills down my spine. What a special opportunity this gentleman had!
Patrick Raynes
King George III's harpsichord is also in good playable condition and has been recorded
@@gordonsmith8899 And his Meissen flute.
Imagine if he was playing Rach 3 instead of this nocturne on the piano
Dam
Imagine playing Liszt's Operatic Transcriptions
That’s Queen Victoria’s piano! Absolutely incredible. Would love to see it in person, much less have the honor to play it. Well done, Mr. Hough.
When the Buckingham Palace state apartments are open again you can see it. It's normally in the White Drawing Room.
This was delightful to hear. Thank you . What a wonderful gift. The Errard Piano has a very unique and glorious quality. Thank you Your Majesty to let it be heard at Royal Albert Hall.
A lovely, warm performance on a fantastic instrument. This is a chamber instrument, intended for the most intimate moments shared by a loving couple. Anyone faulting this piano for not sounding like an Imperial Bösendorfer is completely missing the point! Erard's innovations paved the way for the virtuosos that gave us the modern piano, but this is a thoroughly small-scale, 19th-century instrument. Listen to how the right hand sings, and how effortlessly the balance keeps the left hand in an accompaniment role - the Queen is known to have been a singer, the Prince a talented organist, so it's entirely fitting. Bravo to all involved!
I watched a video on the restoration of this breathtaking instrument. Their artistry is out of this world, this piano sounds phenomenal!
I imagined Queen Victoria and her Albert playing this beautiful piano. It sounds tremendous! Thank you for posting.
Its a remarkable instrument given its vintage and how far pianos have evolved since this was built. It gives real insight to what music of that period truly sounded like.
You have to hand it to Stephen Hough bearing in mind he has not experience with period pianos. How many even know the keys are smaller and he will have needed to adapt his playing.
p1anosteve yes, it feels so different! Good that you pointed that
That's interesting - why are the keys smaller and where did you find that out?
@@lsbrother All pianos of that age had smaller keys.
At this time ... all piano's were smaller in every way... This was possibly one of the biggest Pianos at the time of it being built.
Many Piano's had their own quirks at this time with no real standard, but the maker Sebastian Erard was a leading light and referred to "The Father" of todays Piano's. Setting standards that all others followed. His innovation was the Double Escapement Action allowing the rapid repartition of notes being played. This innovation lead the way for all the great pianist in the 19th century to play the pieces we now know and love. It aint just pretty!!!
Yes the key width and length is interesting . I'm no expert on early piano development but I think it has to do with the general increase in size of the instrument. Heavier string and triple stringing means greeter tension and higher down bearing on the bridge required a larger frame. Also greater spacing between strings. Another factor is that over many decades people have evolved and are generally taller and therefor have larger hands.
All these people in the comments complaining about the inferior sound of the piano. Who cares?! You wouldn't expect a Jaguar D Type to keep up with a Bugatti Veyron, would you?! Just sit back and enjoy listening to a little bit of history instead of running everything down.
THANK you.
This is how it's supposed to sound. This piano is different in a variety of ways from the modern piano. That's why you get a different sound. Your gift is getting to hear the difference.
Imaging that Queen Victoria or Prince Albert playing the piano
I thlnk Elton John would be better suited to this piano.
I wonder if she ever played Chopin on it.
@@angelamarie4137 More than likely.
@@brianlynch2759 or the late Liberace.
And they often did duets
This Piano commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1854 built by Sebastian Erard, of London and installed at Buckingham Palace they think in 1856. , Victoria had a number of this leading Piano makers pieces in different homes.
This Piano was never intended for Concert halls and is much "quieter" than the big Concert Steinways of today.
Prince Albert who was himself primarily a fine Organist, was a talented writer of music and a fine singer. But both The Prince and The Queen were fine & talented Pianist's and Queen Victoria was a talented Soprano. They gave concerts to family and visiting Royals on a regular basis.
This much loved and much played Piano not only by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert but by generation's of Royals.
The Piano is normally situated in the White Drawing room at Buckingham Palace, and can be viewed during the summer months when The Palace is open to the public. It had some restoration work in about 2017 / 18. Following so many years of smoky rooms and soot the case was in some need of a surface clean and the gilding and woodwork some restoration. It's a magnificent piece.
Its to HM The Queens generous acceptance that this hugely valuable Piano was lent for this special Concert to celebrate Queen Victoria's 200th anniversary.
It's so beautiful that this instruments sound again. That's what they were built for. So pleased that you took all the effort on moving tue instrument so people could hear. Congrats!
Quite a piano. Need sun glasses. Sounds good.
The historical quality of this piano is stunning. We can appreciate that pianos sounded like this in times past, e.g. the bass was sonically equal to treble, the playability was more gentle, and that this balance of music contributed to the classical sound. Additionally, it sounds like this instrument hasn't seen restoration work for some many years, probably because they're terrified to restore an instrument owned by a queen.
ninjaassassin27 ,
I'm guessing maybe it's regularly maintained and 'conserved', but for restoration (to put back to its original condition) it would take a specialist Period Piano Restorer extensive knowledge and research of a particular piano's history ie previous restorations/conservation works etc. And lots and lots of time given the fact that it's still presently owned by Royalty. 🙂
@@OR10777BE You are correct. (Video: 'Queen Victoria's Erard Piano')
Liszt is my thing but this piano gives Chopin an out of this world melancholy.
You should hear Tiffany poon play liszt’s liebestraum no. 3 on an erard as well. Very beautiful and melancholic.
@@heyyitsnikkiii She is a very good pianist and musician. Still it is a matter of preference. I'm very enchanted by Valentina Lisitsa and my altime favorit Tamas Vasary.In particular his interpretation of the Liszt Sonata in Bminor: ua-cam.com/video/RRl_O5LZhig/v-deo.html
It's watching a concert like this that I think to myself...I am so glad that I own an original Erard piano :O!
It sounded lovely and so different to the rather harsh sounds of modern pianos! I wonder if the Bluthner, Bosendorfer and Steinway will sound as good after over a 100 years!
Im pretty sure they would still sound really good if not better, ive noticed that older pianos sound better than new ones. Reason why i say it because Bösendorfer, Steinway, Yamaha (dunno much about Blüthner), Kawai etc are hand made, made to a standard whereas other unknown brands are cheap and built on time not quality and life expectancy.
This has been restored wonderfully to sound very very similar to how it would in 1856, i own an 1886 bechstein V and it has been restored in most details but not to the extent of being a new piano and it plays like a dream. I think we have almost maxed out the amount of refining to do a modern concert grand so if they are preserved or partially restored in 200 years or so, I’m sure they will still sound beautiful and possibly even modern as top pianos are crafted so well.
I have a 100 year old Steinway that sounds very beautiful.
@@eddiehuss5707 HI Eddie; that must brilliant - I hope you play it often. I used to have a 90 year old English Broadwood that had the most wonderful mellow tone.
One of the most beautiful piece of music ever written !
Czerny Op.368 nocturne 4 Is more Beautiful And Hard
That’s my favorite also and when I was studying music my music teacher brain washed me with Beethoven and Bach music !
WOW. What a treasure to see and a pleasure to hear. Beautiful thank you so much for sharing.💛🌿
Sat here mesmerised!
Wunderschön !!! die Musik und das Piano...
Christine Louise Krähenbühl-Notz das stimmt!!
Oh boy...QV certainly loved to make use of gold. and what a lovely piece to play on it. WONDERFUL!
Greatly appreciate that I can experience the sound of this lovely historic instrument.
This is beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing.
🌿💛💛💛🌿
Bravo Stephen!!!
Parabéns pela bela execução! O piano é maravilhoso, histórico, lindo e bem conservado. Eu ficaria muito orgulhoso e nervoso ao tocar em um instrumento antigo, famoso e histórico. Parabéns!!!
I can hear echoes of the 1800s coming from that piano - this is the piano that Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert would have played together
Just a marvellous instrument 👍Sounds very good. Thank s for the performance 😊
Since the BBC didn't see fit to say, this piece it the nocturne in E flat major, Op. 9 no. 2, by Frédéric Chopin.
Took my breathe away! the memories this piece of music evokes!
Oh my word, that piano is stunning
Same 🤤
Truly 😍
Hi The piano and very beautiful. I tweeted it :)
Salut Le piano et très beau. Je l'ai tweeté :)
@@AlexAlcyone i thing you're expecting a modern Steinway Grand sound from this, which evidently is not what it is meant for. This piano sounds absolutely lovely as it is, that sound is closer to what Chopin would have probably worked with in his time...
@@AlexAlcyone It isn't generally used for concerts. This was to mark the bicentenary of Queen Victoria's birth, so was meant to be something unusual.
I´m cring. So beautiful!
Thanks Stephen!
Exquisite performance on an exquisite instrument.
Hard to believe how good this piano still sounds!
A lovely performance played on a stunning French piano in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace. Well done Mr Hough.
Erard was a London based piano firm.
Stinningly played! Scary to think that Queen Victoria once looked down on that piano’s notes🫣
..wow.. we are so lucky.. ..thankyou to all those involved for this! 🙂
How did they get it on stage!?
Beautiful piano and beautiful sound
Beautiful👏👏👏👏
I think that Chopin himself would have loved this piano a lot and in my opinion, this must be very close to how his music really sounded at the time due to this piano being of his era and also in unusually good health and condition for it's age. I am a Chopin fanatic, I have been playing for years and had the pleasure of playing the best modern and early 1900's Steinways, Bluthners, Bechsteins etc but this Erard piano sounds like it has been transported here in a time machine, most early pianos don't sound this good anymore. Huge respect and admiration to the restorer who repaired this piano's wrest plank too (tuning block) This piano deserves to be played in public more, it's belongs on stage and needs more Chopin on it's keys imo! I prefer it to a model D steinway for most romantic period music.
Lovely tone.
That was beautiful
My piano teacher had an ancient piano that had little metal studs on the end of the keys, and it sounded like this except a lot more rusty. In fact, the keys on my teacher’s old piano had some trouble coming back up after you press them down, which I thought was rather cute.
Metal studs on the keys is rare. Do you know the manufacturer?
@@FirstLast-uz6eq No unfortunately I was only 4 at that time and had no concept of brand recognition. I only got to see that piano a few times when I first started my lessons, because my teacher really treasured it. She lived in a small apartment but managed to cram in 3 pianos, and although I always loved the look and feel of the old piano, my lessons were always conducted on one of the two modern ones.
wow!!
Is that really Queen Victoria golden piano??😭😍 Stunning one to be played with a good matching song😊🙂
It isn't solid gold, just gilded wood.
@@mscott3918 I am not referring to the value whether it is real gold piano but the historical attachment to its owner Queen Victoria but thanks for informing me😊🙂
@@markvincentbonachita8950 It is a wonderful piano, and a treat to hear it. I worked at Buckingham Palace for 30 years, and never once heard it being played.
@@mscott3918 wow bravo for you now you heard it and especially in HD to which can be carried to generation to come.
@@markvincentbonachita8950 Absolutely. I prefer its tone to say a modern Steinway.
Très beau 💖
I imagine Chopin heroic polonaise play on this piano 😇
The interpretation was also by Queen Victoria
Chopin as it's meant to be played; on a beautiful Erard.
피아노 소리가 과하지도 적지도 않은 울림... 짱이다
💕
Fantastic!!!
She probably played Chopins Nocturne on this very piano 180 years ago.
Beautiful ❤️
Beautiful! Anyone know what year this Erard was built?
Honestly, thought it was a harpsichord at first.
Who had the temerity to actually pick up and move this from the palace? And who is going to bring it back?
I would think it was the specialist movers from the Royal Collection.
❤
The keys of this piano look narrower than the modern day piano. I wonder what the key width is~
Mercury Li
I'd guess the piano dates from the 1820 - 1830 and is wooden framed
@@gordonsmith8899 It was made in 1856.
@@mscott3918
Thank you for that information I was taking a guess based on the 'Regency style' decoration of the case and it's tone.
Do you happen to know whether or not it's iron-framed?
@@gordonsmith8899 I believe it is, because Erhard patented a metal supporting framework in, I think, 1839. For such an important piano they would probably have included all the most up to date refinements. It is a wonderful piano, with neo classical decoration, a style very popular at that period. I worked in the North Wing of Buckingham Palace for 30 years, and walked past it many times. This was the first time I ever heard it played. I like its gentle tone. I sometimes find modern pianos a little harsh until they are, should I say, played in?
About 21.5 mm I think. Modern piano white keys are 23.5
I want to play on this piano too.🙂
Imagine a life like that.
Maravilhoso!
This piano looks like it does not have a full 88 key keyboard.
85 was standard back then.
The keys are also a bit smaller
@@AnnaKhomichkoPianist how do you know the keys are smaller?
lsbrother because I played some historical instruments
But did you look at this particular instrument or did you think all pre 20th century piano's have smaller keys ( they clearly do not!)
Lovely to hear a period instrument...... complete with out of tune notes,, falseness in all of the treble strings mechanical clanking of keys and squeaking creaking pedals....lovely to look at though....and good performance.
I bet Liberace would've loved to have played it.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
are the keys original ?
Yes. It has never been touched or repaired until shortly before this performance. It was a very light restoration because it couldn't be taken apart as it would normally have been.
@@mscott3918 that is so cool, considering it was first piano ever.
The tone is very peculiar. The sound itself is kind of dull and warm with a sort of muted attack and not much sustain, but it seems to have a lot of resonance.
What bling! :-)
1856 was when this piano was commissioned. At that time, Franklin Pierce was president and the election between James Buchanan, John Frémont and Millard Fillmore was taking place. 6 years prior (1850), California became a state. 2 years prior (1854), the Republican party was founded. 1 year later (1857) was the Dred Scott Decision. 2 years later (1858) Minnesota would become a state, and 3 years later (1859) the first oil drilling was completed in PA. 4 years later (1860), Abraham Lincoln was President. Then 5 years later (1861) the American Civil War started.
These aren't ordered in any particular fashion. I just thought this would be interesting. Our world is so vast and it's so interesting to look through history and see what was happening in different parts of the world at the same time.
This is the piano Chopin played on.
Is it missing a sustain? or is it how he is playing this piece?
I think this is the amount of sustain modern pianists use, do you use more maybe?
How long is this piano?
Did you take this acclaimed piano by chance from Buckingham Palace?
That is indeed where it normally lives. There is another video here on youtube about its restoration
It normally stands in the White Drawing Room in the State Apartments.
I thought it was Brahms not Proms
He's wearing the Queen's shoes too!
Liberace style
kaleidoscopio5 $50 is he plays Chopsticks
Wondered how a piano covered in metal would sound; very well, actually.
Probably just gold leaf.
@@emjayay
Of course it's leaf - just the same as the "Golden" Coronation Coach.
Better than a boring old Steinway. Why do modern pianos all have to sound the same?
Take me away.
Remember, the piano is not all it. It may be a beautiful piano but the pianist played it beautifully!
It has so much more character than a boring old Steinway. Why can’t pianists use historic instruments more often?
Why ? Always nocturne chopin there are sooo many other pieces they could play i still love the piece tho
Play liszt on that piano if you are brave enough
bad rubato
Emmm, it is NOT a... valzer!
He is playing the piano like a robot. Normally when someone starts playing piano, I can feel their emotions. I think he is playing it only for it's job. He don't like to play piano. This is what I felt when he played.
The piano has a good and warm sound which I liked it.
Shut up, you don't know anything about piano you uneducated idiot. Stephen Hough is a world renowned pianist.
@@pubgplayer1720 lmao. Indian PUBG player says that... Ok..
@@pubgplayer1720 Learn how to play piano then talk to me. I've played the piano more than your existence.
The piano is incredible but the performance is far about this piano deserve!
Don’t really like the tone tbh. Sounds kind of muffled, dull, shallow. Looks blazé ofc and has a special history but timbre wise, meh.
Because it was made around the 1850s and the modern piano as it is today wasn't really established until the turn of the century.
@@Justin-ou6gq Sure. Knowing that doesn’t make it sound any better though! 😂
I don’t mean to sound disrespectful but my upright piano sounds better than that. Significantly so.
Its more the significance of seeing it played in public than the sound. Queen Victoria herself played that piano, its a piece of history being brought to life once more.
this piano sounds horrible!
It was never tuned again after Prince Albert died.
So would you if you were that old. You'd smell pretty bad too.
Skylar Lane
Mozart's & Beethoven's piano music would have been played on an instrument not much different from this.
All that is gold does not glitter. Despite pianist's best efforts, what a tinny, metallic, empty sound comes from that chunk of ore. This monstrosity disembowels an otherwise sublime Nocturne by Chopin. It should have been buried at the time of Queen Victoria's entombment.
It isn't metal, it's wood covered with gold leaf.
Greg Ruland
So it doesn't feature the latest wizardry - neither does Shakespeare whose "All that glisters, is not gold" you misquote.
It's an historic instrument Greg and makes a sound nearer to what Chopin would have been writing for.
Would you dismiss a vintage motor car for not being capable of "nought to sixty in three seconds"?
Gordon Smith but it’s not a good period instrument - plenty from that time sound better.
@@greatmomentsofopera7170
You've missed the point completely.
This year marks the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria - that's the sole reason why her piano was on stage.
@@greatmomentsofopera7170 The piano underwent a slight restoration earlier this year, when the cracked sounding board was replaced. It was not possible to do a full restoration without taking it apart completely, which was not really practical because of the way the decoration was put on. It came from Queen Victoria's 1839 piano.
What on earth was that, terrible (1:18)
That was rubato and a small mistake
How dare you sit where she sat!