Today is March 31, the last day of my current direct involvement with Bosendorfer. It’s been great, thanks to everybody involved, but I’m itching to move on. Stay tuned.
HEP Guy
The Frederick Collection and the world’s great piano builders
Click here for a great Slate article, make sure you read to the end. For those of you in a hurry, here is the last paragraph which could have come from my own brain: To be sure, Steinways are tremendous instruments and have earned their glory. But should any one brand be that dominant? […]
Visit to Steingraeber
Steingraeber is found in the bustling city of Bayreuth, which wears its illustrious musical heritage (both Wagner and Liszt are buried there) lightly.. Unlike some European makers, it’s hard to miss Steingraeber, being just off Steingraeber Passage. Let’s see, isn’t there a piano company around […]
Travels – Berlin
SPOILER Alert: There is nothing related to pianos in this post. I was back in Berlin recently. This being my 3rd trip, I’m beginning to feel like I know my way around a little. However this time it was freezing and dangerous since clearly nobody shovels snow in Berlin and every single walking surface was […]
Out of tune recordings
I recently purchased a CD of Horowitz playing Schumann Kinderszenen, the Op 17 Fantaisie and the Arabeske. His performance of the last movement of Kinderszenen, “Der Dichter spricht” is worth twice the price of the CD, just beautiful. The problem I have is that this CD was obviously made from different takes, and on some […]
The problem with sports
I’m not a sports person. Skinny and hollow chested, I was much more at home behind the music stand practicing horn in high school than doing anything athletic. Now that I’m older I appreciate not having the knee and hip problems that many of my more physically active peers have, but I regret having to […]