Yesterday (Nov. 15) I stumbled, completely by accident, on a Martha
Stewart Living episode wherein she took her Duo-Art Steinway piano to
the factory for restoration. They showed how Steinway builds the piano
cases, re-strings the piano, and voices it (including showing how they
work the felt on the hammers to alter the voicing). This nicely
complements the recent thread about piano voicing.
This morning I visited the Martha Stewart web site. I'm writing them
to ask whether a video copy of the show is available. You can follow
this link, then select Nov. 14-15, to see descriptive text for the
three segments of the show, or to access a Quicktime video:
http://www.marthastewart.com/NAV/index.asp?body=/television/program_guide/index.asp&nav=/nav/2television_prog.asp
Here is the brief text that introduces each of the three segments:
"Since 1853, the name Steinway has been synonymous with the piano.
Learn about the company's rich history and dynamic impact on the
world of American music.
"The intricate craftsmanship that goes into a Steinway piano has
changed little over the past century. Bill Youse, a third-generation
piano builder, explains how Martha's 1926 player piano will be
restored.
"Franz Mohr was Steinway's chief concert technician for many years.
Today he joins Martha to share his expert advice on how to keep a
piano in concert condition."
Steve McCollum
|