Due to margin mechanics problems, part of Patricia Frederick's text was missing in today's blog on the Fritz piano, so here are the entire paragraphs which have relevance to the discussion. Patricia Frederick http://www.frederickcollection.org/ "What I particularly like about Viennese actions such as the Fritz, is that the single escapement gives such a direct sense of being in… Continue reading Patricia Frederick’s text is provided in full where it had some missing parts in the Fritz Blog.
Category: antique pianos
The Fritz Piano of Vienna: A Romantic Era Reborn
On a wind swept day in March, while I was shopping in a busy Northwest Fresno plaza, I spotted a curvaceous baby grand piano through the open door of the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop. Its sunbathed, feminine profile and polished wood exterior drew me to it with the force of a magnet. Decades before, I… Continue reading The Fritz Piano of Vienna: A Romantic Era Reborn
Pianos I own and those that I reluctantly let go
My Steinway, model "M" grand, 1917 is a permanent fixture in my living room which doubles as my piano studio. It was rebuilt to perfection in 1992 by Dale Erwin, Modesto. (http://www.erwinspiano.com) I cannot give anyone a higher recommendation than Dale. He views the piano as a singing instrument and voices it exquisitely. His skills… Continue reading Pianos I own and those that I reluctantly let go
More Photos from my Dream Piano Adventures
Connell York, Piano Technician: York examines a moth hole in a hammer felt: Terry Barrett, RPT, Registered Piano Technician is pictured below getting ready to tune the Aeolian table style piano. In the process, he discovered its true date of manufacture as April, 1936 (engraved into a key after he pulled the action) confirming York's… Continue reading More Photos from my Dream Piano Adventures
A High Stakes Piano Finding Adventure, or was it a Sopranos TV episode?
A woman named “Sharon Cooper," phoned me one Saturday morning about my helping her select a console size piano in a modest price range. She had heard about my piano finding activity from a friend. Inquisitive and intelligent, with an animated personality, she had an ardent curiosity about the whole process of finding a suitable… Continue reading A High Stakes Piano Finding Adventure, or was it a Sopranos TV episode?
A Player Piano Without a Name
"Alice," the owner of an unidentified player, is seen above. On a sultry Friday morning before a long Memorial Day weekend, I stumbled upon a Fresno Bee ad for a brand-less “piano,” sandwiched among “moving sale” items. The seller’s address traced to a working class neighborhood in south Fresno that probably wouldn’t house a pricey… Continue reading A Player Piano Without a Name
The Great Piano Auction
Photo of York, piano tuner, standing beside the Steinway auction piano Fresno Auction Company Public & Private Auctions Estate Liquidations Appraisals On an early Tuesday morning, in December, 2008, I spotted an eye-catching Fresno Bee Online ad for an estate auction that listed a “Steiney” (?) grand piano among an Allen theater harpsichord organ; rare,… Continue reading The Great Piano Auction
Funeral for a cracked plate (piano) Caveat Emptor!
The brief ceremony above was followed by preparation for interment. More funeral photos are added at this writing's conclusion. The plate, before it was laid to rest.... No one will believe this story, except those who trust their eyes to bear witness to a tragedy that befell a piano and its owner. The photos attached… Continue reading Funeral for a cracked plate (piano) Caveat Emptor!
