<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <html><head><style type="text/css"></style><title>Re: Query</title></head><body> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Hi List,</font></blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">While working in the shop, I took out my old 33rpm recordings and this brought up a question. I was listening to a recording of Lois Shapiro playing "Les valses nobles et sentimentales" (Maurice Ravel). This recording was made in France in 1976 on a "Mark Allen" concert grand. Have any of you heard about this particular brand of pianos. Was there many made? I've been wondering about this piano for a while now and thought of asking this knowledgable List.</font></blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Thanks in advance.</font><br> </blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Marcel Carey</font></blockquote> <div><font face="Arial" size="-1"><br></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-1">Marcel,</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-1"><br></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-1">I have heard of this guy.  Chick Corea did a few recordings on his piano(s) .  I remember reading an article back in the late seventies about him but I don't remember specifics.  I found here on one of Corea's albums "The piano I'm playing on these volumes is a unique instrument.  It is a prototype concert grand piano built single-handedly by Mark Allen.  Mark Allen, with this instrument, has established a new level of excellence and quality in the making of a grand piano.  The piano far surpasses any other I've played - it responded with ease to every way I touched it.  What a pleasure!"</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-1"><br></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-1">I would also be curious to hear what happened to Allen and his piano.  Anybody else know anything?</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-1"><br></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-1">chris</font></div> <x-sigsep><pre>-- </pre></x-sigsep> <div>-Christopher D. Purdy R.P.T.  <br> -School of Music, Ohio University <br> -Athens, OH  45701          <span ></span>    <br> -mailto:purdy@ohio.edu  <br> -(740) 593-1656 office  <br> -(740) 593-1429 fax</div> </body> </html>