Oldest piano

[rohansahai]

Hey everyone! Does anyone have a really old piano in good condition? I don't want to buy it but my uncle has a Schiedmayer grand dated 1900 and its in a tip top condition, so I wanted to know if anyone had an older one!
P.S. My uncle's piano was played upon in the 1900 Grand Prix in Stuttgart!

[luis]

my dear friend i have a 1865 black vertical steinway piano in great condition, wich i want to sell. Maybe you know someone who might be interested, if you do, please reply me, thank you.

[Happy-Amd_Freak]

I play an IBACH Grand Piano from 1913.

It is still 100% originial and in top-condition.


Picture from an old Catalogue

But it is not older then your uncle's one

[bernhard]

I believe the oldest piano still in working condition is the 1720 Cristofori in the Metroplolitan Museum of Art (New York, USA).

Martin Souter has recorded a CD (Classical Communications) of Soler, Seixas and Scarlatti music on it, so you can listen to it! (It sounds almost like a guitar).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[jr11]

I am a great fan of old pianos which have been restored. My primary instrument is a 1915 Mason & Risch 165cm grand, rebuilt and restored in 1985. Well worth the $5000 investment, and it plays and sounds as good as any newer Japanese grand I have come across. The ornate carving in the legs, pedal supports and music stand are not to be found in stock pianos these days.

A family member of mine has a mid-late 1800's Chickering square grand he had restored in 1995. It is a beautiful ornate piece of furniture, but sadly, not a musician's instrument. The action is poor and it does not hold tune well, problems I understand which were typical of square grands.

There is a misconception that older instruments are better. Perhaps this is true with strings and some wind instruments with few moving parts, but a complex piano mechanism can wear beyond repair if it has been played a lot. I guess not all pianos are good candidates for restoration.

New grand pianos are a pleasure to play, but they are ridiculously overpriced, and rather plain looking by yesterday's standards.

[Floristan]

I have a 1913 J&P Schiedmayer 170 cm grand.  I'm having the action rebuilt right now and will probably have the belly work done as well.  It's beautifully constructed with a wonderful scale for an instrument its size.  I'd show you a photo, but I'm new here, so haven't figured out how to embed images.  So not as old as the Schiedmayer that started this thread, but an old and loved Schiedmayer, nonetheless!

[Piazzo22]

I own a 1912 big upright August Förster (Löbau). It´s better than new grand Yamahas.

[Spatula]

Speaking of oldest piano....do manufactures still make "olden day" 1800 style harpsichords with all the nice paintings etc??

Are there any modern harpsichords???

[Tash]

I believe the oldest piano still in working condition is the 1720 Cristofori in the Metroplolitan Museum of Art (New York, USA).

Martin Souter has recorded a CD (Classical Communications) of Soler, Seixas and Scarlatti music on it, so you can listen to it! (It sounds almost like a guitar).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

omg i saw that piano and was like omg this is the coolest cos i'd done a speech about the history of the piano and had talked about it and stuff, and just to see it was so cool! but wasn't it the 3rd oldest piano? i cant remember.

and one day i'm gonna get someone to make me a piano that has all the cool paintings on it, except it's gonna be more modern and i'm gonna paint the pictures! just wait for it!

[solange]

Well, at school we have a Steinway Grand which is dated 1876, or something very close (could be 1879).

If chopin hadn't died of TB, he would probably still be around when it was made 

Anyway, it's in GORGEOUS condition and I am ADDICTED to it. I could cry though, because there is hardly ever a technition or tuner and it needs such tender care.

[Barbosa-piano]

The oldest piano I had was a Pleyel Wolf from the 1850's... I had to sell it, it had turmites on the the ribs and on the soundboard... Made me very mad. I just loved that piano, although it didn't sound right. I also had a Boyen piano on my grandmother's house. That was a true family piece. It is from around the early 1900's. Was taken from Germany to Brazil in World War II. I just love antique pianos.