Grand Obsession

wtg

Stumbled upon this recent video titled "Valentina Lisitsa Meets Grotrian".

Valentina Lisitsa visit us at PianoWorks over the weekend and during a tour of our workshop, she encountered a Grotrian Charis model 208 Studio. We recently retired this piano from concert duty and the pedals were taken apart while we re-sprayed the matte ebony finish...hence the no pedal challenge.

She plays for about 7 minutes, and then talks about her reaction to the piano.

Link to video

AndyD

Really like this demo, and her comment "It doesn't feel like a toy piano".

Her technique is to be envied; yet, dare I say she often plays like she has a train to catch?

Piano*Dad

@Mary-Anna said in Grand Obsession:

I believe the video of Muffin and me was made at Plays88Keys' piano party. Jon was there and he's in the video. Do you recall, Jon?

She had a Steinway at the time, so you're probably right that it was a New York Steinway.

I agree. I was there with Anthony at that one, in Richmond.

wtg

@Piano-Dad said in Grand Obsession:

I agree. I was there with Anthony at that one, in Richmond.

And there are videos to prove it...

pique

@AndyD hey if i could play that fast, i'd do it too. I hope they sent this video to the grotrian factory--they'd be so gratified.

AndyD

The three hinges on the sheet music ledge are loose and if the fallboard is closed it sags and sits on the keys.

Is there something out there the opposite of oil/grease/lubricant?
Something to gunk the three hinges in order to stiffen them? Maybe use a tiny dab of a glue on each?

ShiroKuro

@AndyD maybe you just need to replace the actual hardware part, the hinge? That should be too difficult I would think??

Rontuner

If you can take them apart and get the hinge pin out, sometimes putting slight bends in the pin before putting back in does the trick. I had heard some old-timers recommend using linseed oil which will gum up over time.

AndyD

Those tiny flat head screws can be tricky to rescrew, so first I'll try a small bowl of teak oil partially evaporated which looks gunky. But yes I recall using linseed oil on the daughters' new cricket bats and it would be better suited. Then bending the pins.

Thanks to you both.

Piano was tuned this morning and it sounds lovely; have been playing on and off all day.

AndyD

Crystallised teak oil on a putty knife and applied with bradawl and fingernails.
Realised I also have pure tung oil which probably goes stickier than linseed so if this fails that's next.
Cheers
Andy

ShiroKuro

@AndyD said in Grand Obsession:

Piano was tuned this morning and it sounds lovely; have been playing on and off all day.

There’s nothing better than a freshly tuned piano!!

AndyD

There is, it cascades on my hearing.
I was playing before 8. Spent much of the day noodling Beautiful Love (from 1931) in Ab, A & D minors.
Then watched Yuja play Rach 3 (tears of joy).

Bernard

I still have my Yamaha G1R and I still love it. It was my first piano and we've spent a lot of time together.

Ax, that was beautiful!

jon-nyc

@Mary-Anna said in Grand Obsession:

I believe the video of Muffin and me was made at Plays88Keys' piano party. Jon was there and he's in the video. Do you recall, Jon?

She had a Steinway at the time, so you're probably right that it was a New York Steinway.

I think that was Plays and Improv’s house in Richmond. You, me, Bernard, and PD were all there. And some local friends of theirs.

I remember seeing Piano Son and Muffin interacting as awkward teens.

What a great memory.

WTF-Beta

Grand Obsession