Pianos and More Pianos
I have been a piano tuner and an amateur classical pianist and music lover for many years, so I hope I'm not talking through my hat.
I was of two minds but perhaps one heart when hearing the piano music in this film.
Most of the pieces were done by Emmanuel Ax on a modern 7 or 9 foot grand, probably an American Steinway, and in a hall of possibly not too large a size, maybe a recording studio. However, the pianos shown were of the period mostly, and in smaller chambers, although one large one early on had a bent rim, which I thought came later.
The cast iron plate was OK to see with that one though, since it was invented in the 1820s by one Alpheus Babcock, in Boston, I think.
Most of the pianos later in the film, like at the D'Antans, were early 19th century, one looking like maybe a Broadwood, maybe the others were Erards, or like Erards.
Well, they all never sounded like Mr. Ax on a new Steinway, and this was a little distracting. One of them, with Chopin and/or Liszt playing on it, and later in the film, did sound like itself.
Well, after all, it may have been distracting a bit, but oh such playing. Well worth the historical fiddle. I guess what happened to me was when the pieces were playing, it was so mesmerizing, I lost track of the film.
None of us can know completely accurately how these people played at that time. Any devoted musicologist can perhaps come up with enough written descriptions to form a musical image of that.
I have been a maverick about much of today's ideas of performance style.
Witold Malcuzynski, that old Polish wizard, does it for me. Lots of Poland and a less dainty head trip.
But, Mr. Ax comes very close to pleasing my aging and possibly jaded musical palate, certainly enough to send me to that somewhere in the sky.
Now, if any wish to poke holes in any of this, my best wishes, and please feel free to do so. It is only the rantings of an old romantic who has always loved pianos so.