Pleyel Help

[Stephen Birkett]

> It sounds like the instrument is post 1850.  Thanks again for the help you
> all of you have already given.  Serial# 24360, and there is a capo tasto bar
> I believe.  There is a capo type bar extending over the high treble section
> starting at note 66 (D6) up thru note 85 (A7).  Agraffes (odd looking) below
> note 66.  The piano is seven feet two inches long.
>
The info. you provide puts the Pleyel at 1856-7. Can't say what it
could fetch on the market because I haven't come across anything
comparable sold. I suggest you get in touch with the auction houses
that periodically sell historical instruments...they may have a
better idea of value (try Sothebys). Just a guess: it will probably
have moderate historical value, regardless of condition, so I
wouldn't write it off as a piece of junk. I would welcome an
opportunity to restore a piano such as this one.

BTW Chopin's two Pleyel grands were numbers 7267 (1839), now located
in Paris, and 14810 (1847), which is in Poland. He also had a
miniature Pleyel pianino on which he accompanied students in the
lessons. The capo tasto bar seems to have appeared about 1850.
Pleyel were fairly conservative in terms of adopting innovation.
F.i. they were still using the single escapement action essentially
identical to a c1800 Broadwood on their pianos c1850. They went to
cross-stringing about 1880. I think their conservatism was both
their charm and downfall, as far as international competition. The
straight-strung Pleyel pianos of this period sound beautiful if
properly restored, but they all seem to have suffered the ravages of
time worse than many other makers...they haven't aged well.

If you have a moment I'd be interested to know whether the action is
single English on your Pleyel and also have a look at the
soundboard...there was a period when Pleyel experimented with
laminated soundboards (I think they used a three-ply mahogany-spruce
laminate at one time).


Stephen Birkett (Fortepianos)
Authentic Reproductions of 18th and 19th Century Pianos
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
tel: 519-885-2228
fax: 519-763-4686