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It might blow my socks off if I ever wore any while I play. Therein's a problem. I find my pedaling is only well-refined if I play totally barefoot. So if I ever get anywhere with this piano thing, I'll be the one in the tux and flip flops that only stay on till I sit down to play. I'll make Glenn Gould look positively normal. I do absolutely lay into it on that last page of Lecuona's "Malaguena"--and it is major fun. It sings and sustains like a big pipe organ at FFFF levels with all those high treble notes and low bass notes in those last bars evenly suspended with their fundamental pitch and beautifully harmonized partials so clearly identifiable you feel you could pick them each out of the air with your hands. When all those pitches line up in a big two-handed chord, the sound very distinctly rises in that glorious blossom of power even after the initial attack is over. That's my favorite moment to just sit and listen.

Very nice looking piano, chick.
You've told us before what year it was built, but I've forgotten even if its pre or post 1900. Care to clue me in again?

Also, maybe it's the perspective, but it I don't see the lid stick in position. It looks as though a black stick is laid across the plate, and a more "golden" stick is holding the lid up farther in from the edge of the lid than they normally are.

ah, i love carpets under the piano. Nice to step on when practicing. Chick, i like your piano. But i think the picture doesnt do it enough justice.( i can tell this piano would take my breath away with its beauty) Id love to help you with the rug.
This is my piano area. The lid is opened most of the time because i spread out my practices(and also because im a lazy ass)



and yeah, my room is nothing but pinkness.

I've been researching Chickering numbers--serial numbers and case numbers for two full years, through three curators of museums and personal contact with owners. The Smithsonian has the old Chickering & Sons records after the company closed in 1986. The records have been through several hands since the last Chickering heir, widow of the youngest son, sold the company in 1909 when Knabe and Chickering merged in the American Piano Co., then finally in the 30s with Aeolian and many other brands.

What the curators and I have just recently concluded is that the numbers for Chickering commonly published in several resources in print and on-line are not valid for the concert instruments, but only for the "mass produced" home series. If one makes the error of using those numbers, concert instruments would appear to have been produced apprx. 50 years earlier than dates that can be reasonably established. So we have concluded they were separately numbered in series, but have not yet found among the records any comprehensive list for the concert series and unfortunately, many of the old microfilmed records are quite damaged. We have taken a few known examples with good records for original purchase and extrapolated a vague range which narrows this one down to around 1895, though it could be as early as 1885 or as late as 1900. Of the 86 of the "modern" type Chickering built after the lovely old series of the roccoco "dragon-leg" beasts, the earliest like this one is fairly well documented to 1885, simultaneuous to the last of the old roccocos. That one, a 7'9" "semi-grand" looks distinctly like this one in all details of the plate and case except for size.

Among the old photographs of the concert instruments, one can see subtle and not-so-subtle variations. The one photograph that shows one identical (perhaps it IS this one--and there are telltale clues) is dated to 1898, though the piano pictured would have been produced sometime before that date.

There appears to have been one last evolution of the Chickering concert grand after this one that was produced in the usual small numbers from about 1918-1932. That series had a lighter plate design than this one (I think they were removing weight to boost sales), which is a full inch thick in some parts and about a half overall, which along with the unusually thick case and inner rim account for the enormity of it's extraordinary weight. (I hired a crew of movers who specialize in concert grand placement at music venues. They hadn't seen it when they agreed to move it for their usual price. After moving it, they told me I have to pay double next time . They said it was well over double the weight of the norm and they'd had to use twice as many men as usual, and even at that, they struggled with it.)

I like a little mystery, and piano, too, so piano detective is an occasional fun diversion whenever I find another Chickering resource, concert grand owner, or afficianado. (I research other interesting oddities, too). I've been going over worker lists and comparing names to signatures on the action and other parts of the case to see if there's a way to pinpoint this one precisely based on those details. In the end, though, the only part of the story that matters to me is that I have ended up with it and enjoy it every day even while it suffers my mutilations of Gottschalk .

The little stick is a solid brass hinged stick that folds in flush with the big ebony stick when you use the long stick. The long stick has rubber pads that rest on the plate struts and bear the weight when the short stick is used. So the angle of the short stick is as you see in the photograph.

(The other part of the Chickering story I want to sort out is how it came to be that "Chickering Bros." came into existence even while Chickering & Sons was still in business. I'm curious who slept with whose wife. :p And why is there one Chickering with the name and "Established 1852" cast in the plate, even while every other example shows the date "1823"--typo? )

Chick - Breathtaking!

I notice so many of the pianos are sitting on hardwood floors. Any observations about the acoustics or damage from casters? I'm considering removing my carpeting, but am a little nervous. This is the same room that contains our stereo system with monster Klipsch speakers. Thoughts?

Joyce: have you identified any deficiencies in the tone of your piano that you want to rectify by removing the carpet? If you are happy with how the piano sounds, why not leave it alone?
Jon

Tom, sorry I'm so slow to reply -- I don't know how I missed this post, but this is the first time I've actually read it.

To answer your question, all three legs are resting in casters and the bench, as you can see, is half on and half off the carpet. I haven't experienced any balance problems at all and even if I did, I think cutting a hole in your carpet is a pretty drastic measure! The weight of the piano pretty much ensures that it's going to smush down that carpet anyway.

Not much I can do about it except get rid of the carpet, which is in the works for sometime in the next year or so.

Thanks, Plays... no, I wasn't going to cut a hole in the carpet.
I was thinking I had to put a small piece of carpet under the caster cup that sits on the bare floor - to raise it up to the same level as the caster cup that's already on the carpet - to make the piano/keyboard level...

You make an excellent point, that the weight of the piano should crush down the carpet enough to make the issue irrelevant.

Chickgrand,

I just saw the picture of your piano ....... breathtaking ...... I love the rug too.

Hi all,

Just got back from a short vacation from Atlantic City and was browsing through my favorite thread, taking pleasure from all the wonderful pianos you guys have. The one thing that caught my eye mostly was how all the pianos and areas are meticulously clean, neat, orderly with hardly anything lying on or around them. This is wonderful ---- but --- I’m unable to keep it that way myself. God bless all you guys.

So I took a couple of shots without adding or subtracting any of the “stuff” that’s all over it at the present time. This is the way my Steinway looks virtually always --- sloppy. Of course the music and various things on top change, but it’s always cluttered, sometimes even more so. The main cover is also always on there and the keyboard is always open. I don’t think I had it closed in over 50 years.

The shots are similar to the ones I posted on my “Music Room” thread a short while ago. However this one is without me plastered all over it, and it shows better the music shelves I built just to the right and back of me, so I can reach for anything I want without getting up and wobbling away from the piano. There’s another cabinet to the left of the sitting position next to the window, where there are piles of miscellaneous music. It also shows my “home made” music rack light and my tapestry hanging over my keyboard. Hey --- I like it that way. My “sit up straight” sign is clipped to the music rack. Of course Beethoven is forever watching over me as well as my sculpture of Liszt (I don’t think I showed it in my last thread). One of my other sculptures of a wooden abstract sits on top. Also I love oriental rugs, so they are all over the place. I have a small audience under the piano rack listening to me, and a little skunk sitting on top of the light. It’s a private joke on how my playing sounds.

Speaking of Beethoven, his piano and room are worse than mine, but I’m working on it. I understand he also kept a potty under his piano. When I get to that point my wife will empty it over my head.


[img]http://publish.hometown.aol.com/genem825/myhomepage/music%20rm%20no.1%20aug%2004.jpg?mtbrand=AOL_US[/img]

[img]http://publish.hometown.aol.com/gen...%20no.%203%20aug%2004.jpg?mtbrand=AOL_US[/img]

[img]http://publish.hometown.aol.com/gen...oom%20no.2%20aug%2004.jpg?mtbrand=AOL_US[/img]

Thanks for viewing.

Zongora

Now Zongora, I distinctly remember you telling how you would dust the piano keys before playing. I remember thinking how I would welcome a key duster in my household.

My whole house is pretty cluttery and there is always music, folders, binders, paper clips, pencils, (I learned to not use pens), and a tape recorder, on around and below mine. I think you win tho.

Hey Zongora, it looks very comfortable and lived in. At least with the covering on the piano, you don't have to worry about dusting it.

I want to put shelves next to my bench as well. One of these days...

Zongora,

The only reason some of us have clean "uncluttered" music rooms is that we're just getting started. I'd give anything to have your roomful of wonderful art and that talent that went into creating it. Ever since you published your first picture of it (and your wonderful collection of historic photographs), I've thought that's my idea of a music room. Art is messy. And it's work that requires resources. You have those and so much to inspire you around you in your room. I hope someday my music room will look just like yours. But I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity or talent to collect so many wonderful memories.

Sorry Apple -- but I don't think it was me.

This is my ultimate goal.

[img]http://publish.hometown.aol.com/genem825/myhomepage/beethoven%20no.1.jpg?mtbrand=AOL_US[/img]

Zongora

Zongora,

I still think you have the coolest music room around ..... I wonder if Glenn Gould used a pillow too .....

Now if I could find me a more comfortable piano chair .... then maybe I'd practice more .

Zongora,

I still think you have the coolest music room around ..... I wonder if Glenn Gould used a pillow too .....

Now if I could find me a more comfortable piano chair .... then maybe I'd practice more .

Zongora - I went searching for the key dusting post and ran out of time.. What I did find with the search function and the word Zongora was a compilation of all the photos and posts you've shared of famous pianists. It's been a most enjoyable hour. I encourage anyone in mood for browsing to do so.

Chickgrand,

You are right! You're big Chickering looks just like my big Knabe...even the harp...and music rack. Amazing.

Would love to post the Knabe now,..but don't know how to do the photo transfer thing.

skyblanche

Hey,

Can anyone post a picture of my music room on the Forum for me...my computer skills only include e-mailing...not hyper-linking (I think that's what it's called)

Appreciate it.

skyblanche