What is the best piano you have ever played on?

[pencilart3]

What is the best piano you have ever played on? It can be in a music store, competition, recital, concert, etc...

[philolog]

I couldn't pick just one but I'll mention three. I remember a 7' (or thereabouts) Mason & Hamlin with great affection: It had an organ-like sonority without any harshness whatsoever. Also, the so-called Horowitz piano, which was much better in person than I imagined, with a wonderfully responsive action and fantastic tonal refinement. And finally, my very own rebuilt Steinway A, which I fell in love with immediately upon playing the opening to Petrushka.

Conversely, I hear all too many pianos today that fall far short of my ideal and that are, indeed, impossible to tolerate.

P.S. I forgot to mention my Mason & Hamlin "upright grand," for which I feel the sort of affection that Gould had for his Chickering.

[visitor]

i've played a lot of very fine instrument, among the new ones, i've played Bluthner, Steingraeber, SS Hamburg, SS NY, Bosendorfer, yamaha, Mason Hamlin, Estonia, etc. all the top tier and more commonly.
These were all fine really nice instruments. Not going to try and 'rank'. However by far, the slickest sweetest most responsive and beautiful thing i have ever played, and my 'dream instrument' remains  is the Shigeru. wow. wow. wow. Sk6/sk6l is pretty hard to beat.

[pencilart3]

It had an organ-like sonority without any harshness whatsoever.

That sounds wonderful!

@visitor the Shigeru Kawai I'm told is a wonderful piano, I hope to play on one someday.

[ahinton]

A modern Bösendorfer 290 (I won't identify which). I didn't even deserve to have that privilege as I am not even a pianist, but immense privilege it was and, as I value the instrument greatly as one for which to write, I hope and like to think that the experience might not be thought to have been entirely wasted on me...

Best,

Alistair

[rubinsteinmad]

i've played a lot of very fine instrument, among the new ones, i've played Bluthner, Steingraeber, SS Hamburg, SS NY, Bosendorfer, yamaha, Mason Hamlin, Estonia, etc. all the top tier and more commonly.
 the Shigeru. wow. wow. wow. Sk6/sk6l is pretty hard to beat.

OMG UR SO LUCKY!!!! Over in my area, there is only 1 piano from a major European brand- its a securely locked-up Imperial Grand Bosendorfer at a college that recently closed its music-department doors to the public. So that basically crosses out any European piano.

(Practically no Bosendorfer, No Bluethner, No Hamburg Steinways, no Fazioli, never even heard of Estonia  )

Also, there are no high-end Yamahas or Kawaiis in my area, which is a HUGE pity.; most of the Japanese brands we have here are those cheap practice pianos, which aren't that impressive

[rubinsteinmad]

That sounds wonderful!

@visitor the Shigeru Kawai I'm told is a wonderful piano, I hope to play on one someday.

I'm wondering, is there a difference between a "Kawaii" and a "Shigeru Kawaii"?
Are they two different brands, like the "Boston" and the "Steinway"?
Or are they the same?

Just wondering.

[rubinsteinmad]

My favorite pianos in my area are:

(1) The pianos recently forbidden to the public. (a Steinway Concert Grand and a BOSENDORFER IMPERIAL GRAND <3333)

(20 My own pianos, a beautiful Yamaha and a beautiful Steinway that is gradually getting out of shape due to my parents' repeated throwing of water in and out of the piano (when I misbehave).

[pencilart3]

I got to play on a concert grand Fazioli once. It was unforgettable. It was soft, clean, clear, precise, bright, yet warm. It was in a huge concert hall. It was epic. Also, I played one note on a Pleyel piano from the 1800s, just the kind Chopin would have used, an EXACT replica. The people in the museum were like YOU NO TOUCH NO TOUCH NO TOUCH but I was satisfied, that's all I wanted.

[zpianist]

.

[rubinsteinmad]

I got to play on a concert grand Fazioli once. It was unforgettable. It was soft, clean, clear, precise, bright, yet warm. It was in a huge concert hall. It was epic. Also, I played one note on a Pleyel piano from the 1800s, just the kind Chopin would have used, an EXACT replica. The people in the museum were like YOU NO TOUCH NO TOUCH NO TOUCH but I was satisfied, that's all I wanted.

OMG! Where was the Fazioli? Was it on your travels abroad? If so, where?
Our was she in our "Sweet Land of Liberty?"  

Because I'm sure our country has enough liberty so that we could touch and play pianos in museums   BTW where was the Pleyel? Because "You no touch" sounds kind of.... different  

[zpianist]

I got to play on a concert grand Fazioli once. It was unforgettable. It was soft, clean, clear, precise, bright, yet warm. It was in a huge concert hall. It was epic. Also, I played one note on a Pleyel piano from the 1800s, just the kind Chopin would have used, an EXACT replica. The people in the museum were like YOU NO TOUCH NO TOUCH NO TOUCH but I was satisfied, that's all I wanted.

You should've played your Chopin Prelude no. 1; then they would have quieted down...

[rubinsteinmad]

Oh, some more pianos that I forgot to mention are:

(1) a Yamaha (Concert Grand?) Disklavier in the Lied Center in Kansas.
(2) a (I'm not sure what size) Steinway in Oberlin Conservatory, in a room where the acoustics are WONDERFUL. I forgot what it was called. But it was AMAZING. It is my FAVORITE piano Ive played. <333333333333
(3) one of the many concert grands on the stage of Warner Concert Hall in Oberlin.

[pencilart3]

You should've busted out your Chopin Prelude no. 1; then they would have quieted down...

Haha, how did you know I played that?

@Rubinsteinmad the Fazioli was here in South Dakota, the Pleyel was in the Chopin Museum in Paris. It was awesome. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

[zpianist]

Haha, how did you know I played that?

oh  I was saying that you should've played it on the Pleyel

your description of the Fazioli does seem like something that one could conclude from the playing the Prelude though

[chopinlover01]

JUST this weekend I played at a local piano shop...
and they had a Bosendorfer Imperial that I played on.
And was offered a masterclass afterwards

[zpianist]

What did you think of it?

[pencilart3]

There is a large Bosendorfer at my piano teacher's church, I have played on it before but it isn't my favorite.

[irrational]

I have played a few mid-size and smaller grands, amongst them, Steinway, Bechstein and Yamaha
The best for me was a Bosendorfer 225.
It happened to be (at the time) being in my examination room instead of the usual Steinway B.
It was so far superior that I had to have a Bosendorfer one day.

Its the only piano I played where from the first note the sound and touch piqued my interest and I knew that I could not reach the capabilities of the piano yet and I so want to. I felt encouraged to explore the capabilities. I did not want to play my exam really and just learn to play that piano.

I now have an upright at least and I sometimes don't play pieces properly as I forget myself and just listen to the sounds and harmonies. One day though a 225 will be mine.

[tinyking12345]

Yeah so I've played on some pretty nice pianos,
I've played the Steinway in chicago symphony hall, the pianos in all three halls in Southbank, played on many faziolis (my old school had about 5 of them)and of course i've played on yamahas and kawais etc..
Tbh I don't really like NY Steinways much but the German ones are better

My favourite piano I've ever played on was a restored model B steinway I practiced on in Denmark.

[bronnestam]

1. A Shigeru Kawai in Vänersborg, Sweden. Only recital I've made in my life where I really enjoyed the moment. Wonderful sound and feel.

(Yes, Shigeru Kawais are a bit different than ordinary Kawais. The former is handmade and terribly expensive but ... they are good, indeed.)

2. A perfectly tuned Steinway D in the Carole Nash Hall at Chetham's School of Music last year. It was always occupied except one late night when I discovered that it was vacant, so I sneaked down there in the middle of the night just to try it out. And I was sitting there for more than an hour because I was amazed at this wonderful, soft, singing voice that came out from this instrument. I mean, it was ME playing ... didn't know I could play that well ...    The acoustics in this lovely concert hall was also lovely, by the way. Went away from there totally in love, literally.

3. A second-hand but prime quality Yamaha grand (C2??) in a piano shop. There were a number of different grands and other pianos and I tried them all, but this one ... cannot explain it, it just "clicked" when I started to play. They had almost to carry me out from there, ha ha. It was nearly affordable. I felt like Harry Potter when he finally found his right wand at Ollivander's. It felt so alive.

[visitor]

I'm wondering, is there a difference between a "Kawaii" and a "Shigeru Kawaii"?
Are they two different brands, like the "Boston" and the "Steinway"?
Or are they the same?

Just wondering.

hmm sorta. Its more like comparing essex to steinway or std mercedes to maybach.
Ie read here pretty much sums up perfectly
https://www.georgekolasis.com/shigeru-kawai.html

[pencilart3]

@tiny king how did I know you would have an extensive expensive list LOL XD those are awesome.

[tinyking12345]

@tiny king how did I know you would have an extensive expensive list LOL XD those are awesome.

That is only a small fraction of the list of good pianos that I have played on in my lifetime ...

[pencilart3]

That is only a small fraction of the list of good pianos that I have played on in my lifetime ...

I'm sure you played on more when you were still a child.

[ahinton]

The piano that I usually play (when I play at all, which is pretty rarely - and anyone who's heard me doing so would probably say "not rarely enough") is my 1896 Model C Steinway which is lovely now that it's undergone a full refurbishment (including a restring, new wrest plank, soundboard repair, &c.) at the hands of an excellent technician; I've also had at one time or another a Model BB-1 and Model A Mason & Hamlin, which were also nice.

I once tried out a Falcone concert grand and was most impressed with it.

Best,

Alistair

[pencilart3]

1896 Model C Steinway which is lovely now that it's undergone a full refurbishment (including a restring, new wrest plank, soundboard repair, &c.) at the hands of an excellent technician

Holy cow! That's awesome! Wait a minute do you own it?!

[rubinsteinmad]

Haha, how did you know I played that?

@Rubinsteinmad the Fazioli was here in South Dakota, the Pleyel was in the Chopin Museum in Paris. It was awesome. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

OMG THERE"S A CHOPIN MUSEUM IN PARIS!??!?!?!?!?!?! 

I cant believe I missed that! I went to Paris for a week but I wasted a lot of time there; One night there was going to be a concert of Chopin, Mozart and Liszt, but I didn't go, and instead I went to this French bookshop, and I found NOTHING in English that was interesting. Biggest. Mistake. Ever. I Made. In. Europe.

But anyways, did you visit the music store called "Arioso"? They have GRR-REAT Konemann Urtext editions there. Or did you miss that? 

[rubinsteinmad]

JUST this weekend I played at a local piano shop...
and they had a Bosendorfer Imperial that I played on.
And was offered a masterclass afterwards

<3 

I'm crying

[rubinsteinmad]

Tbh I don't really like NY Steinways much but the German ones are better

+1

[rubinsteinmad]

I felt like Harry Potter when he finally found his right wand at Ollivander's. It felt so alive.

I'm crying out of laughter!!     

[zpianist]

Haha, how did you know I played that?

@Rubinsteinmad the Fazioli was here in South Dakota, the Pleyel was in the Chopin Museum in Paris. It was awesome. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

wow, it seems like SD has a lot of good pianos a Bosendorfer Imperial, and a Fazioli??? dang

[pencilart3]

OMG THERE"S A CHOPIN MUSEUM IN PARIS!??!?!?!?!?!?! 

I cant believe I missed that! I went to Paris for a week but I wasted a lot of time there; One night there was going to be a concert of Chopin, Mozart and Liszt, but I didn't go, and instead I went to this French bookshop, and I found NOTHING in English that was interesting. Biggest. Mistake. Ever. I Made. In. Europe.

But anyways, did you visit the music store called "Arioso"? They have GRR-REAT Konemann Urtext editions there. Or did you miss that? 

https://www.travelsignposts.com/France/sightseeing/paris-sightseeing-chopin-paris < yes! It was all right, there wasn't a ton. It had some manuscript copies, but it didn't say what any of them were! Then it had the Pleyel piano, some paintings, the famous Chopin hand, and some MENDELSSOHN PLAYING! I was like what the heck this is a Chopin Museum! Actually, it is only one room in an arts museum. It's called like the "Chopin Room" or something. I couldn't believe the mendelssohn. Well actually they had 10/6 playing at first then when it finished it was all Mendelssohn. I couldn't spend too much time as I walked there (quite a ways) and the sun was going down.

A different place I went on that trip was England. There, in the British Library, it was amazing! They had ORIGINAL manuscripts of Beethoven, Mozart, Grieg, Bach, Mendelssohn, Liszt, and CHOPIN'S A MAJOR POLONAISE! THE MILITARY ONE! THE EXACT ONE HE WROTE WITH HIS OWN HAND! Lol, Beethoven's was a complete mess. Bach's was very orderly, and Mozart's so-so. Chopin's Polonaise was perfectly neat and precise. Also there are really really famous original books by authors, you can look it up if you want. And they had original Beetle's songs. If you want to go to one place, go to the Brittish Library! And yes, that same trip was the one that I heard Zimerman play the Brahms d minor concerto. That was the trip of a lifetime. It was with my whole family, as one last bang, right before my brother and sister moved out.

[pencilart3]

wow, it seems like SD has a lot of good pianos a Bosendorfer Imperial, and a Fazioli??? dang

The Bosendorfer I was referring to isn't that great... it has a really heavy touch, if you know what I mean. An I don't think it was an Imperial, whatever that means.

[perfect_pitch]

I have played on this beautiful bastard:



About 4 times for a good few hours each.

Man... I'd kill for a piano like that in my home.     

[pencilart3]

That looks quite a bit like the one I played on!

[tinyking12345]

Oh and forgot to mention that I practiced on Uchida's steinway model A a couple of years ago. I think it was her warm up piano as she was performing later on in the evening.

[rubinsteinmad]

https://www.travelsignposts.com/France/sightseeing/paris-sightseeing-chopin-paris < yes! It was all right, there wasn't a ton. It had some manuscript copies, but it didn't say what any of them were! Then it had the Pleyel piano, some paintings, the famous Chopin hand, and some MENDELSSOHN PLAYING! I was like what the heck this is a Chopin Museum! Actually, it is only one room in an arts museum. It's called like the "Chopin Room" or something. I couldn't believe the mendelssohn. Well actually they had 10/6 playing at first then when it finished it was all Mendelssohn. I couldn't spend too much time as I walked there (quite a ways) and the sun was going down.

A different place I went on that trip was England. There, in the British Library, it was amazing! They had ORIGINAL manuscripts of Beethoven, Mozart, Grieg, Bach, Mendelssohn, Liszt, and CHOPIN'S A MAJOR POLONAISE! THE MILITARY ONE! THE EXACT ONE HE WROTE WITH HIS OWN HAND! Lol, Beethoven's was a complete mess. Bach's was very orderly, and Mozart's so-so. Chopin's Polonaise was perfectly neat and precise. Also there are really really famous original books by authors, you can look it up if you want. And they had original Beetle's songs. If you want to go to one place, go to the Brittish Library! And yes, that same trip was the one that I heard Zimerman play the Brahms d minor concerto. That was the trip of a lifetime. It was with my whole family, as one last bang, right before my brother and sister moved out.

OMG On my trip to Paris, we were thinking about going to London, but my dad decided the trip was too expensive across that thing we have to go through. (The reason we were considering going to London is because Valentina Lisitsa would be performing there that week. <3 Even though she's not Zimmerman, she still is one of my favs <3333)

[rubinsteinmad]

Well hello, gorgeus

[pencilart3]

OMG On my trip to Paris, we were thinking about going to London, but my dad decided the trip was too expensive across that thing we have to go through.

Actually we took a train right from London to Paris. That's why we could go to both

[rubinsteinmad]

Actually we took a train right from London to Paris. That's why we could go to both

OK then.

I STILL WISH WE SAW LISITSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(But yeah, Zimmerman is even more preferable <333)

[pencilart3]

(But yeah, Zimmerman is even more preferable <333)

When I was 2, Val came to my city. Too bad I didn't see her. I've only seen Krystian Zimerman, Sean Chen and Vadym Kholodenko live. But Zimerman counts for like 3 great pianists. Rafal is next on my list, but he only does only a few concerts per year. Rats.

[ahinton]

Holy cow! That's awesome! Wait a minute do you own it?!

Yes - although as a non-pianist I'm far from certgain that I really deserve to. It doesn't sound like a modern Steinway but like a Steinway would almost certainly have sounded when it was new rather than the potentiall very pleasant but tired instrument that it had long since become.

Best,

Alistair

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Best piano Hamburg Steinway D, which I've both given a recital on and recorded on:

Made the Bosendorfer Imperial below feel very second-rate.

[pencilart3]

@ronde those look delicious

[indianajo]

I'm happy for you all you live in huge cities: at least in the piano dimension.  However I don't have to deal with traffic jams or street crime here.
So the best piano I have ever played on was a Baldwin Acrosonic 44 studio in an elementary school cafeteria at Houston Piano Guild competition 1965.  Great tone, no issues.  I play on a couple of Baldwin Acrosonics in churches now, but one has issues with the action and the other is an early ivory key model that doesn't have the full tone of that 60's model. 
The only Steinway I've ever touched was the 1941 40" console I bought in 2010.  Nice tone, pretty good match to my 82 Sohmer 39, but not as bright as the Baldwin Acrosonics.  But the Steinway 40 has mechanical issues, which I'm going to address this winter since last spring I broke a hammer shaft. 
The only grands I've touched were my teacher's Sohmer grand in the sixties, and a rejected Baldwin 9' model in the fellowship hall of a church in the next county. They are using it as a plant/diorama stand instead of a musical instrument.   The Baldwin grand has a subdued tone from the player's position, and it has a loose pin that requires frequent tuning.  The teacher's Sohmer grand was in a carpeted room full of upholstered furniture, and the sound was rather underwhelming.  Face either piano to a hard wall with the lid up and I might have a different opinion of the tone. 
Other brands of consoles I've played not in the running for the top piano, Everett, Wurlitzer, Yamaha, Kawai, Mason & Hamlin (a 36" spinett, impressive sound for a slow relative or real pianos), Grinell Bros of Detroit, Kurtz, numerous forgotten relics of the pre WWII upright boom. 

[pencilart3]

Actually, the city I live in is less than 70K population. So it's not that huge, but we are big on music here

[rubinsteinmad]

Actually, the city I live in is less than 70K population. So it's not that huge, but we are big on music here

I don't even live in a city

[indianajo]

I don't even live in a city

So your parents pay for you to travel around for your hobby?  Nice.  My parents paid $180 for a summer science course one time to travel as far as 180 miles to places like the Texas state natural history museum, the Exxon refinery and the FreeportMcMoran sulfer mine.
I could have attended music school, I was sent a hundred brochures inviting me to apply after I made All-State Band.  But with a music performance degree, I imagine I would still be having to work, instead of persuing my hobbies full time starting age 58.   I studied physics, worked in maintenance and electronics, and only do volunteer work now- most recently on pipe organ controls.  Lessons on a Hook/Skinner pipe organ are only $40 an hour, whereas piano lessons on a grand always involve a ******* Yamaha these days. I can live without.     

[rubinsteinmad]

So your parents pay for you to travel around for your hobby? 

No, but we have decent pianos in my town 

Id love to play on a piano in a major city, though.