The Swan Piano by Gaveau
Christie’s (London), will auction The Swan Piano on November 14th. Produced by the French manufacturer Gaveau in 1924, this is an exquisite example of the neo-classical art-case piano. Gaveau Joseph… Read more »
Category: Historical
130th Anniversary of the First Piano Recording
130 years ago, on August 14th 1888, a recording of famed composer Arthur Sullivan’s “The Lost Chord” was played to members of the press at an event in London, England…. Read more »
New Book: Chopin’s Piano
Chopin’s Piano – A Journey Through Romanticism* is a newly published book by conductor, author and biographer Paul Kildea. Books about pianos often explore a particular facet of the instrument—its… Read more »
Seismic Waves and The Tsunami Piano
In 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami devastated large areas of the country’s eastern seaboard. In the north-eastern region of Tohoku, amongst the wreckage of the Miyagi… Read more »
Beethoven’s Broadwood Bicentenary: 1818-2018
Two hundred years ago Ludwig van Beethoven received the gift of a Broadwood grand piano. This instrument, now known as Beethoven’s Broadwood, was much loved by the composer and is… Read more »
More Piano Burning Issues
On April 6th at Robins Airforce Base (Houston County, Georgia, USA) a rather unattractive upright piano was ceremonially torched. This piano burning event was organised as part of the Royal… Read more »
The Broadwood Manxman
A Broadwood Manxman upright piano is one of the more attention grabbing instruments at Piano Auctions Limited’s spring sale (London, April 12th, 2018). But what makes this piano so significant?… Read more »
Queen Victoria’s Broadwood Piano for Sale
It’s not often you can buy a piano once owned by Royalty, but in January 2018 a Broadwood grand piano once owned by Queen Victoria, is being put up for… Read more »
The Hindenburg’s Blüthner — A Grand Piano in the Air
Trawling through various current eBay auction items I came across a listing for a 1936 copy of Piano-Lover, Vol.1, Issue. 2 (ends 16-December). The magazine features an article written by… Read more »
Surviving Hiroshima Piano at Nobel Peace Prize Concert
Six pianos survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th, 1945. These are known as the “Hibaku Pianos”. One of these instruments will feature at… Read more »