Post your recent music/piano investment-purchases

[thalbergmad]

Bought meself a vintage banjo for Christmas.

Thal

[outin]

Bought meself a vintage banjo for Christmas.

Thal

Nice...so how many do you have exactly?

[thalbergmad]

2013 has been busy for me buying new ones and selling old ones, but I appear to be left now with 12.

Now I save up for a Pietsch Mastervox.

Thal

[outin]

2013 has been busy for me buying new ones and selling old ones, but I appear to be left now with 12.

Now I save up for a Pietsch Mastervox.

Thal

So how many can you play at once?

Checked out the Pietch website...Just wondering, do banjos sound that different or is it about the looks?

[thalbergmad]

Checked out the Pietch website...Just wondering, do banjos sound that different or is it about the looks?

All of my plectrum banjos sound different, but it is not something that would be immediately apparent to someone who is not used to the instrument. Different woods, strings and especially tone rings make a huge difference.

Playability and sound are of course more important than looks, but usually they do go hand in hand as quality banjo makers tend to distinguish their top of the range instruments with higher quality materials along with more artistry in the appearance. However, it is also true to say that flashier modern instruments that are built in the far east are made to look far better than they sound.

Thal

[outin]

All of my plectrum banjos sound different, but it is not something that would be immediately apparent to someone who is not used to the instrument. Different woods, strings and especially tone rings make a huge difference.

Playability and sound are of course more important than looks, but usually they do go hand in hand as quality banjo makers tend to distinguish their top of the range instruments with higher quality materials along with more artistry in the appearance. However, it is also true to say that flashier modern instruments that are built in the far east are made to look far better than they sound.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind if I ever decide to get one

[awesom_o]

All of my plectrum banjos sound different, but it is not something that would be immediately apparent to someone who is not used to the instrument. Different woods, strings and especially tone rings make a huge difference.

Playability and sound are of course more important than looks, but usually they do go hand in hand as quality banjo makers tend to distinguish their top of the range instruments with higher quality materials along with more artistry in the appearance. However, it is also true to say that flashier modern instruments that are built in the far east are made to look far better than they sound.

Thal

I'm impressed that you are a skilled banjoist! I know very little about the instrument, but my friends who I play country and folk music with are constantly bemoaning our lack of one.

Please show us some banjo-playing one day!

Hopefully I will soon have a beautiful new cello and a beautiful new recorder to post here! 

Next Christmas I plan to acquire a harpsichord! I'm just learning a bit about constructing piano-actions and saving $ so that I will be able to assemble one from a kit!

[thalbergmad]

I'm impressed that you are a skilled banjoist! I know very little about the instrument, but my friends who I play country and folk music with are constantly bemoaning our lack of one.

Almost certainly you will require someone who plays the 5 string banjo, which is an instrument I tried but passed over in favour of the 4 string.

I also once considered a Harpsichord kit, as they are sold in jolly old England by the Early Music Centre. However, after trying their Lute kit, which they claimed only required basic woodworking and assembly skills, it is not something I would consider again. My brother who I consider to be skilled at this kind of thing, failed to produce a playable instrument, and it would have cost so much money to have it fixed by a luthier, that it was not worth it and it ended up in the bin.

Thal

[visitor]

hardly representative of the encyclopedic amount of new and antique/rare stuff I have bought lately, but certainly one of the most beautiful. great set. can't wait to really dig in and learn them all!

(why is such genius ignored, I can understand some composers being obscure entirely but this cat is not a minor player by any definition, yet his absence for the regular line up of performance rep is mind boggle-ing.  the natural evolution of sound and orchestral piano writing from Wagner, Brahms....) many Strauss in music, he probably the best of them all.

Question - anyone know of other editions of his keyboard music in print? I really do hate modern Kalmus (the black and whites are no good, except for maybe wiping my fanny).

Richard Strauss Op 3 - range in appropriate difficulty from middle university/conservatory (i.e. year 2-3) to artist level (really more to the latter than the former, if  you struggle with late Brahms, look elsewhere  )

[thalbergmad]

My banjo came out of hospital today. She is doing really well.

[cabbynum]

Alkan op.39 book 1 arrived

Book 2 I am waiting on because the music store I ordered from jacked me around for a while. So it'll be a while before I get that one... I'm pretty pissed

[visitor]

I *heart these banjo pix 

[ale_ius]

Got all 4 volumes (the complete set) of these dandy Op. 11 
example


i.e. maybe the best known of the set (but not the best of the lot, nope nope nope, still neato speedo though)

[outin]

Long time no post...


Rarities of Piano Music at Schloss vor Husum

I've been drooling over this 25 cd set for some time and now it's on the way... I have a couple of these CD's already and they are just great...Live recordings are always kinda special.

[thalbergmad]

I say old chap, where can you buy the 25cd set???

Thal

[visitor]

I say old chap, where can you buy the 25cd set???

Thal

I have only seen them sold individually.

It's the one 'series' that consistently delivers! I love that thing, I have been meaning to check it out from library and through ILL nad rip the whole thing to my library

[outin]

I say old chap, where can you buy the 25cd set???

Thal

http://www.danacordbutik.dk/shop/

Just write husum in to the quick find box.

They have a lot of other goodies as well, beware...

[kakeithewolf]

My graduation gift was a keyboard. Suffice to say, it gets the mileage its price tag would warrant.

[goldentone]

My banjo came out of hospital today. She is doing really well.

Your banjo goes well with your decor, Thal.  I'm sure she'll feel better when she's slumbering in her own bed again.

[outin]

I have only seen them sold individually.

It's the one 'series' that consistently delivers! I love that thing, I have been meaning to check it out from library and through ILL nad rip the whole thing to my library

I received the CDs today, kind of like X-mas 

Only since I already had the 2011 and 2012 discs I now have two copies...what to do with those? 

[visitor]

Struck bargain bin oil at the second hand books shop again

Not a humongous fan of it but it was very cheap and published over seas ( Asian edition ).
New old stock if this ed. ( pub Shaofan Qi)  If i buy  another copy later I will just get the schott from diarezzo in the uk

 
Antique but unused copy from 1918 of these cool little studies for developing pianists however they are not exactly graded rep. As shown by this one from the set. Stand  on their own as cool little miniatures
Macdowell op 39 "12 etudes for developing technique and style"
Ie

[justanamateur]

You have great music shops...  Most of the shops here just have heaps upon heaps of Schirmer editions of Czerny and Hanon.

[Bob]

*Bob wonders if a pizza dough roller counts.*

[outin]

*Bob wonders if a pizza dough roller counts.*

You're a pizza maker? My kind of a guy! 

[Bob]

Nope.  But I'm getting a pizza making tool.... To help with music practicing in part....

[outin]

Nope.  But I'm getting a pizza making tool.... To help with music practicing in part....

You'll use it to modify your fingers??? 

[Bob]

I was thinking forearms, upper arms, shoulders.  If it's shovel-shaped with a roller end I'm thinking that could dig/press in nicely on a muscle to massage it a bit.  It's hard to take one hand and massage the muscles in the forearm of the other.  At least for me.  It's wearing my hand out right away.

[outin]

  It's hard to take one hand and massage the muscles in the forearm of the other.  At least for me.  It's wearing my hand out right away.

Of course it is, that's why people pay to get a massage...

[Bob]

I'm cheap.

Actually, going over the hands is probably a good idea.  It's all connected.  It's hard to tell where all the connections are.

[Bob]

That's a yes on the pizza dough roller.  Works well on the forearms.  You can hold it with one hand and press down fairly well on the other arm, hand, etc.

And yes, you can go over the boney parts too.  I think that helps.  Never know what's connected where exactly.  Or it just gives you more awareness there.

Definitely worth the $5.

[thalbergmad]

The first of a rather large batch of CPS purchases.

Thal

[visitor]

Rachmaninoff pc n3 transcribed and re arranged or solo piano by Peng Peng Gong.  He did some great things w voicing to actually make it "playable" and sound good as if it were composed as a solo piano sonata in grand scale

[awesom_o]

Rachmaninoff pc n3 transcribed and re arranged or solo piano by Peng Peng Gong.  He did some great things w voicing to actually make it "playable" and sound good as if it were composed as a solo piano sonata in grand scale

Wicked! I didn't know he did that... quite impressive, given how young he is! Post a video once you get it up to snuff!

[visitor]

Wicked! I didn't know he did that... quite impressive, given how young he is! Post a video once you get it up to snuff!

. It's quite good and I do wants to take up as very long term project .  I hope to do some progress shoots as I work my way through the blasted thing .  It's like sitting down to eat an elephant.... Just need to take it one bite at a time I suppose.  

Read his remarks here
http://www.halleonard.com/product/viewproduct.do?itemid=123381&lid=360&whatsnew=180&searchcategory=00&subsiteid=2&

[outin]

My X-mas present:



It's amazing what a difference a good bench can make! I've never felt really comfortable sitting on the standard Yamaha bench... That one will be good enough for the digital I guess, at least better than the ordinary chair I've been using...

[j_menz]

It's amazing what a difference a good bench can make!

Quite.

[emill]

My X-mas present:



It's amazing what a difference a good bench can make! I've never felt really comfortable sitting on the standard Yamaha bench... That one will be good enough for the digital I guess, at least better than the ordinary chair I've been using...  

Surely nothings beats the chair of Glen Gould in terms of comfort and aesthetics !!  

Glenn GOULD's PIANO CHAIR

[outin]

Surely nothings beats the chair of Glen Gould in terms of comfort and aesthetics !!  

Well, the chair I used looked a bit like that since it originally belonged to the cats...now they can have it back 

[richardb]

My X-mas present:



It's amazing what a difference a good bench can make! I've never felt really comfortable sitting on the standard Yamaha bench... That one will be good enough for the digital I guess, at least better than the ordinary chair I've been using...

What kind of bench is that? I recently got a Yamaha P105 digital piano.  I got the stand and three pedal unit too, but no bench, thinking maybe I'd get a good bench later.

[outin]

What kind of bench is that? I recently got a Yamaha P105 digital piano.  I got the stand and three pedal unit too, but no bench, thinking maybe I'd get a good bench later.

Here's more info:
http://produkte.k-m.de/en/product?info=1245&x9f863=e51628f0d5510f1f5026ca4b4e268bd7

[richardb]

Here's more info:
http://produkte.k-m.de/en/product?info=1245&x9f863=e51628f0d5510f1f5026ca4b4e268bd7

Thanks!

[visitor]

Szymanowski op 1 got the UE, really great score to incredible music
Can't wait to start working in these ( all if them this time) again


Read about them here
http://arts.ucdavis.edu/post/szymanowski-preludes-op-1

[visitor]

great book with a better (to me at least) typset and layout for some Kapustin etudes from op 40, some preludes, and some great solo arrangements of Ravel piano concerto (1st movement) Gershwin concerto (1st mvmnt),  Rachmaninnoff 2nd symphony third movement, and a host of related others. Some are pieces I already had but of the ones that I had, these are new arrangements I didn't have

think this may have gotten stuck in customs, took forever to import, had almost forgotten I bought it long time ago, glad it's finally here. can't wait to dig in (learning the whole book).
score here
http://www.ymm.co.jp/p/detail.php?code=GTP01088798


Kapustin
( this edition has good suggested fingerings as well . They make sense and for most part fall in line w what I had worked out in the std edition)
[1]eight concert etude 1. Prelude
  
[2] eight concert Etude 2.
    
[3] Etude 3

[4] 24 Preludes No. 9 of
    
[5] 24 Preludes No. 23 of
 Ravel
[6] Piano Concerto in G major first movement
    
[7] Pavane for Dead Princess

[8] Debussy symphonic poem than "sea" from the dawn of the sea until midday
   Gershwin
[9] Rhapsody in Blue
  
[10] An American in Paris
    
[11] I Got Rhythm
 
[12]
    From opera "Porgy and Bess"

[13]  Piano Concerto
Rachmaninoff
[14] Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

[15] Second Symphony third movement
Overall really pleased w/ the score, layouts, arranging, and selection. Collection as a whole is really attractive.

[themusne]

I purchase some scores of Ryuichi Sakamoto.I like Japanese composer.

[indianajo]

For July I bought a $50 Wurlitzer spinette piano from the fifties or sixties: The DeKalb Il plant. This is for my 1973 trailer in the country (caravan), my summer camp.  I was losing too much strength and coordination in my summer break, and there are plenty of rainy evenings out there to practice. I don't want to put anything good out there, mice might eat it as they have been eating the wires in the Hammond organ.   I did put mothballs in it. 
I liked the tuning stability, pretty good though neglected for decades, and the price had something to do with the broken music rack and bench, which I have replace with others.  But I found out while tuning it: If you leave the top up, it doesn't sound half bad.  With the steam-bent top down it is quite muffled and sounds like $50, but pieces I have already learned, I can enjoy them a little. The infamous spinette speed limitation of the drop action, the pieces I'm working on now don't have consecutive notes on the same key, so that is not a limitation.  Slow repeat action would be a problem on Rhapsody in Blue I suppose, but that is next year (maybe).  
Surprisingly, the piano(soft) action consistency is very good.  And it has a working middle pedal, that sustains the lowest two octaves. So I can start practicing Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle correctly using the middle pedal as if I was playing on a grand.  I can stop striking and holding the Db in the second section with my heel. The middle pedal is also useful on the Great Gate of Kiev.  The 1941 Steinway 40 console only has 2 pedals, and the 82 Sohmer 39 console, I can't get the middle pedal pushrod back in correctly yet by myself after taking out the action to repair a string.     Just getting the kickpanel out is a P***, another project for quiet winter evenings.  But I won't be quite so awful when I start staying in town again in cool/cold/frigid weather.    

[picasso18]

I bought a piano lamp from Cocoweb, a 14" antique brass model. It looks beautiful on my upright, I can see my shiny keys anytime I want!

http://www.cocoweb.com/14-led-piano-desk-lamp-antique-brass/#.Vbvo3ehVhBc

[pencilart3]

Urtext edition of Chopin Etudes a few months ago   

[visitor]

jut picked up a few vintage/nos misc scores at a used book shop i frequent. struck gold again. got this nice Myra Hess transcription as part of the lot. Really excited to start reading through it, perhaps work it up. not a lot of recordings/examples out there of it. Here's the only decent one I came across on yt

[briansaddleback]

Recent purchases
Cordoba Espana 45MR classical guitar
Yamaha Grand Concert 22 S classical guitar
Alvarez artist series AU70s soprano ukulele

[pencilart3]

My recent piano purchases: