Reviewed by a

world-renowned

pianist

Under the Wing

This one was the last model of this type to be built. At the time, the wing cost 4,000 guilders—a large sum back then!

The grand piano arrived, and my mother played it constantly. She and my father regularly held living room concerts at our house. There was room for about 35 guests, and it was usually packed. They played as a duo, but sometimes as a quartet, with a cellist and a violist joining them. A little later, my father founded a gypsy orchestra. My mother played piano in that orchestra. A cimbalom was also brought into the house. It was played by my father, who, although a violinist by training, was well-versed in all kinds of music.

My mother “attended” music conservatory and became a piano teacher. In that capacity, she taught at various music schools for many years, right up until her retirement. At the same time, she also regularly gave private lessons at home on the Steinway and accompanied singers.

As a child, I had a special connection with both the grand piano and the violin. Every night, I fell asleep to the sound of my father playing the violin as he practiced in his study, which was next to my little bedroom. My mother usually practiced during the day. I had a habit of sitting under the grand piano for as long as she was playing. I don’t know why I did that. As a result, I knew many pieces of music by heart, and according to my mother, I would sing the melodies early in the morning while still in bed.

Michiel Borstlap

The grand piano has moved with us several times. My mother always made sure that only the most experienced movers were allowed to transport her “baby.” My parents separated when I was seven, and so we ended up in a somewhat smaller home in Bilthoven. And once again, the grand piano fit perfectly in the living room, thanks to its lovely size!

I went to high school in Bilthoven, where I became friends with fellow music lovers in my freshman year. We weren’t really into classical music (because if your parents like it, you don’t). And although we certainly listened to the popular ’80s music on the radio at the time, my friends and I loved jazz—which was pretty unusual for a bunch of freshmen back in the days of ska, new wave, Doe Maar, and punk. So, unhindered by any lack of knowledge, we started a band.

As it happened, I was in class with Michiel Borstlap. And even back then, as we all know now, he could play a pretty good tune. He came over to our house a few times. Of course, he’d play the grand piano whenever he was there. He was also in that band named after him. Even back then, his skill level was infinitely higher than ours, but none of that mattered at the time. We were somewhere between twelve and fifteen years old and played songs that were still way beyond our reach, but we had so much fun! Since I didn’t want to take piano lessons from my own mother seriously enough, my role in this band was singing. Now that Michiel is world-famous, it’s still nice to know that his hands have played this grand piano—that, in turn, adds to the history of this beautiful instrument!