Close readers of this blog know that I love the piano. It’s an instrument of enormous range and versatility. It’s a hugely complicated machine, with levers and hammers and wires. There are dozens of factors that can affect the sound in little ways.
When it comes to pianos, the top of the heap is Steinway. One of their models could run you tens of thousands of dollars or hundreds of thousands. As their own website says:
Since 1853, Steinway pianos have set an uncompromising standard for sound, touch, beauty, and investment value. Handcrafting each Steinway requires up to one full year – creating an instrument of rare quality and global renown.
Director Ben Niles decided to follow one of those pianos, from beginning to end. The result is a surprisingly touching film called Note By Note: The Making Of Steinway L1037.
The one Steinway factory in the U.S. is in Astoria, Queens in New York City. The process to make a piano is incredibly complex and features all hand work. The factory workers are an incredibly diverse group, mostly a blue-collar bunch who take very deep pride in what they do. You also see a variety of musicians, jazz and classical pianists, trying out different pianos for use in concert and talking about what makes a great piano.
There’s a terrific scene where Bill Charlap is shown trying out the opening of George Gershwin’s Prelude No. 2 on a series of pianos. He jets down the line, playing just a few notes, getting the jist of the sound, and then shooting down to the next one.
You get very attached to this one piano, the L1037. In fact, by the end, I got a little choked up as it’s played for the first time and judgment is rendered on its quality. It sits alone in a dark showroom, ready to begin the rest of its life’s journey.
Tags: Note by Note, Ben Niles, Steinway pianos, documentary, Silverdocs