Hi, Richard, Thanks for you incredibly entertaining post! While Liszt did endorse, own and play a multitude of pianos throughout his life, the piano of choice during his "recitalizing" and composing years was the Erard. His "sound world" as a pianist and composer was informed by all the brands he came into contact with (and there was a great variety in the first half of the nineteenth century). But since the Erard was his preferred instrument through the early 50's, it was his primary point of reference. This is why I believe in the importance of replicating the Erard, preferably an instrument similar to the one donated by our colleague David Moore (who died in a plane crash a couple years ago) to the National Music Museum: NMM 5984. Grand piano by Erard, Paris, 1849. AAA-a4 (7 octaves). Two pedals: una corda, dampers. Gift of David Moore, Jacksonville, Texas, 1996. David made sure to tell me that he had restrung and rehammered this piano, and that it was no longer original. But this 1849 Erard was the largest compass Erard built to date, one of the first 85 note pianos built. It can accomodate all of Liszt's literature, while faithfully representing his earlier material too, since the design remained similar for the 25 years leading up to 1849. I don't know what the treble will sound like on a replica Erard, but I would love to know. Your very entertaining description of the Erard in the recording isn't the reaction of everyone (my musicology professor loved the sound of the Erard restored by David Winston in the recent Emmanuel Ax Chopin recordings - but he has a more open mind than most... :) I still hold out hope we will get more from the treble when the belly is new and the string is deflected (I haven't found any documentation for crown or bearing for Erard, but I haven't looked too hard, and would love to find it), but it seems obvious Erard would have deflected the string some, and a new belly must sound different than an old one in the treble, no? Loved your post...! Bill >As far as Liszt goes, he owned at one time or another many brands of >pianos. He wrote >many endorsements on their worth, among them: >Chickering,Bosendorfer,Erard,Bechstein,Steinway, Ibach. >Perhaps the upright at Weimar.is an Ibach. There are several accounts >in various books of how >he taught and on what pianos he played. Fascinating reading. > >His last pianos at Weimar were an upright, and a Bechstein concerrt >grand. He played the upright to demonstrate on, and his pupils performed >on the Bechstein. There are some photos that >can be seen of him seated at the upright. Perhaps the Decca recordings >of Jorge Bolet on Bechstein >concert grands give you some idea, and then, perhaps not. > >Please don't ask me to document everything...I'm already staying >overtime ....I'm not goint >to research all this again. It is in the books on Liszt for you to >read. > >Liszt at the upright: >http://perso.wanadoo.fr/joel.puissant/perse/liszt.html > >http://www.freud.org.uk/Theory5.html > >http://www.mycomposers.co.uk/?page=composer&surname=Liszt > >http://www.classical.net/lps/images/big/lon-liszt.jpg > >the early square piano (can you imagine???!!!)... >http://www.arts.arizona.edu/mus330b/images/liszt-02.jpg > >perhpas you'll want to look at: > >1860 Steinway (like my friend's)... > >http://www.liszt.it/steinwaynew.htm > >http://www.periodpiano.com/Stock/default.htm > >Liszt's Erard >http://www.metmuseum.org/news/newspressrelease.asp?PressReleaseId=%7B98ED1CDA-5015-11D5-93F5-00902786BF44%7D > >sorry for thils windy post... > >Richard > > >
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