Reunited with the

restored

Pleyel

Restorer Bart Houtgraaf and his colleagues watch from a distance, eagerly awaiting Keiko’s first reaction. The last time Keiko played the instrument was a little over a year ago in Belgium. That’s where the Musical Instrument Fund tracked down the instrument. At that time, the soundboard was still cracked and the wood was completely dried out. Bart: “But the fortepiano was in a remarkably original condition. Nothing had been done to it. You come across that very rarely.”

Chopin was fan

Pianist Keiko Shichijo plans to delve deeper into the Romantic repertoire in the coming period, including Chopin’s chamber music. Keiko: “It’s well known that Chopin was a big fan of the French manufacturer Pleyel. If you want to explore Chopin’s works, it’s important to get to know this instrument thoroughly. Especially because of its special timbre and the specific technique required to play Romantic pieces.” The Musical Instrument Fund went in search of a piano for Keiko, came across a particularly authentic instrument in Belgium, and asked the Andriessen company to undertake its restoration.

Leather hammer heads

Bart walks around the fortepiano with Keiko and points out everything that has been done. “The pieces of the cracked soundboard were carefully pried loose and glued back together so they fit perfectly, allowing the soundboard to regain its tension. The varnish was carefully scraped off, collected, and dissolved in alcohol. This allowed the original varnish to be reapplied and polished. We had the original bass strings for the instrument replicated: wound all the way to the end with copper wire. There’s one thing we didn’t touch: the hammer heads. They still have the original leather, which is so unique. They’ve flattened out a bit over the years, but they sound incredibly beautiful. They give the instrument that clear, characteristic Pleyel sound."

Expressive

Keiko neemt weer plaats achter de fortepiano en zoekt wat er gebeurt als ze zeer expressieve of juist heel zachte Chopin-passages speelt. "All characterisics are there! Soft sound is now much easier to control. Shallow play is possible. Before, the sound was fading out, now it has a much longer sound. It makes the piano very expressive. I feel great! Thank you! I don’t know what to say!"

The Pleyel will soon be installed in Keiko’s studio, and she’ll be able to fully master the instrument. She plans to give chamber concerts and, eventually, make recordings as well. We’ll keep you posted!

Grateful

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated to this project. Thanks to your contributions, a remarkable historical instrument has been restored to its former glory. Once the grand piano is in Keiko’s studio, other musicians and students will also be able to play the Pleyel.