I’ve been trying to come up with some examples of recordings where the non-Steinway piano is notated, AND it is a good representation of that makers sound.

I have many Bosendorfer examples, mostly Garrick Ohlsson’s vast output. I have also found some bad examples, such as good piano sound but bad playing (no, not Garrick) and good playing but bad piano sound. In the case of Bosendorfer, if the right technician isn’t working on it, then it is not going to be a good representation of the Bosendorfer sound.

I have found a recording of Garrick’s made on his rebuilt Mason & Hamlin (Prokofiev, Bartok, Webern, Barber) which, to my ear, does have a good representative Mason sound. Personally, I’m not crazy about the piano sound but I love the repertoire.

I also recently acquired another recording that is the best of both…good piano playing and good piano sound. In this case, it’s a Bluthner produced recording, “Alexander Paley Plays Bluthner” (Liszt, Mendelssohn, Bach, Mozart and more!). Again, to my ear, it has a very characteristic and pleasing, very specific, Bluthner sound. I like it a lot, actually.

While in Boston I visited (finally) the famous North Bennet Street School and met the director of the Piano Department, David Betts and Debbie Cyr, one of the instructors. The school has somewhat mythical status in the US, being a very old, formal and well respected school of a variety of crafts, including book binding, jewelry making, furniture making and piano technology.

Deep in Bostons Italian North End, it’s in a charming area and a funky, very large building, oozing skill and craftsmanship. I’m going back to give a class and am going to try to find a piano that I can place there for awhile…they should have a Bosendorfer for close up inspection of European craftsmanship…they certainly have enough exposure to Steinway and M&H.

By the way, if you are at all familiar with Boston, what an amazing difference the Big Dig has made…the old Central Artery, which cut the city like the Berlin Wall is gone. There is sun, open space and a well groomed but very obvious scar very much similar to Berlin. Unbelievable improvement in downtown Boston. I’m glad I wasn’t there for the construction.