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Scriabin Etude in D# Minor Op. 8 | Performed by Robert Estrin
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Hazelton Bros. built over half a million pianos in New York between the 1850s and the 1950s. This piano has been well cared for and was restored not long ago. The original keytops are in stellar condition!
The piano has been restrung with new tuning pins and damper felts. It also has a new set of hammers, and the case has been refinished. The methodology and materials used in the manufacturing of this piano are incredibly similar to how Steinway & Sons and Mason & Hamlin produced pianos at that time. The piano features a wet sand casted plate instead of the quicker vacuum mold process used in mass-produced pianos today. This, along with the high-quality hardwoods (instead of the soft luan mahogany pervasive in Asian pianos) results in a rich, sustained tone with a warm quality rarely found in pianos today.
The piano has a fairly easy action and a rich tone that is even from top to bottom. When you sit down to play this piano, you appreciate the high-quality sound that is possible from hand-built pianos produced in the Golden Era of American piano manufacturing. As time goes on, there are fewer and fewer examples of the great American pianos from years ago. Today, there are only two companies manufacturing pianos in North America. When this piano was made, there were hundreds of companies producing pianos in the U.S.A., and Hazelton Bros. was among a handful of companies producing high-quality instruments to last generations.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about why you must practice perfectly three times in a row. This is really important for any of you who want to develop consistency in your piano playing. So often, when I'm working with students and they come to a passage they are having trouble with, they play it a few times with issues, then finally, they get it right, and then go on. If you played it and missed it about five or six times, and got it right only once, what are the odds you're going to get it right again? Only one in six.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The question today is: What was the peak year for piano sales in the United States? At the turn of the 20th century, before television or radio, the piano was the de facto home entertainment system for families in the United States. Not only that, but player pianos were incredibly popular.
This is a Japanese-made Kawai grand piano, which offers an ideal size for a living room or music room. It is slightly larger than most baby grands. So it has a rich, full sound. Yet the piano is only slightly longer than most baby grand pianos.
The question today is: how can you have a slur over a rest? A slur tells you to connect notes smoothly. A slur on a wind instrument means you don’t use the tongue to articulate the notes. It’s all done with the breath. On the piano, we kind of fake slurs. There’s no way to get the notes between the notes the way a singer can. A true slur is slurring those notes between the notes. On the piano, we overlap notes slightly to give the illusion of a slur. Rests tell you you have silence between notes. So how can you possibly have a slur over rests?
Special Thanks to Virtual Sheet Music
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Here is a Knabe baby grand made in the U.S.A. Knabe is one of the great American piano companies which had the distinction of being the official piano of the Metropolitan Opera, and was the choice of many professional musicians.
There are many design elements that produce a warm, rich sound that other pianos of this size lack. The quality of the solid spruce soundboard is at the heart of a great Knabe. More than that, it is supported by a hardwood rim, which helps produce a more sustained tone. The wet sand cast plate also avoids any metallic quality of sound sometimes present in lesser Asian production pianos.
Knabe (like Mason & Hamlin) has a wider tail, which allows for a larger soundboard area. So you get the tone of a larger piano with a smaller footprint in your home. This piano has not had much play and has been reconditioned to play on a high level with regulation, voicing, string adjustments, damper regulation, as well as tuning, which is very stable.
The piano has its original matching bench, which speaks volumes about the gentle care the piano has received in its life since benches don't last as long as pianos. If you appreciate the sound and quality of hand-built American pianos, this Knabe would be a great instrument for you.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about how Mozart broke the rules. Did Mozart really break the rules? What do I mean by that? It's a funny thing that we, in retrospect, analyze music from hundreds of years ago, and come up with the forms these great composers composed in.
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Steinway pianos produced before WWII are termed, “Golden Era” pianos. This is because the quality of workmanship was exceptional since there were hundreds of piano companies to compete with. The challenge is having a piano from this era that is in fine condition. Rebuilding a Steinway to a high level can be very expensive, and the quality can vary depending upon who does the work.
This piano has had the good fortune of having been rebuilt in 2002 by master piano rebuilder, John Foy. Even better than that, the piano has been lovingly cared for through the ages which is evident in the nearly perfect ivory keys and impeccable original soundboard. The piano was also refinished but not with the typical lacquer finish, but it is an open pore finish which is very presentable. The action work has been performed utilizing low mass repetitions. So the piano is very responsive. The tone is rich and warm.
Through most of the 20th century Steinway produced the model L in New York and the O in Germany even though they are the same size. Today, the L is no longer manufactured, and the model O is made in both New York and Hamburg.
Either way, at just under 6-feet, this is a great size Steinway for most homes. Here is one that is a gem that should last decades with good care.
PIANO MYSTERIES: THE STEINWAY MODEL C. livingpianos.com/piano-mysteries-the-steinway-model-c
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. Are there musical geniuses like Mozart alive today? In the world today with billions of people, there have got to be some people with tremendous talent. There are great players and child prodigies, but is there anybody at the level of artistry, creative beauty, and pure genius of Mozart?
lma Deutcher Improvisation: youtube.com/watch?v=gz5dRfc49SI&ab_channel=AlmaDeutscher
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Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. How much freedom is there in musical performance? If you listen to the same piece by different performers on the piano or any other instrument, you'll find dramatically different interpretations. How much do you have to be faithful to the score, and how much can you just take off and do what you want to do? The answer may surprise you!
livingpianos.com/pianos/steinway-sons-model-b-new-york
This Steinway Model B was manufactured in the New York factory in 1909 and rebuilt by Steinway in the New York factory in 1935. The action was rebuilt about 15 years ago. It has the original ivory keys in great condition. If you have ever had the opportunity to play several model B Steinways next to each other (new or used), you know that there is a substantial variance in the sound of each instrument. This piano has one of the biggest, fattest bass sounds of any Steinway B you are likely to encounter. But that’s only a small part of what makes this piano special.
The quality of the work on the instrument is exceptional. The action is smooth and fluid, with an evenness in touch and sound that is rare. The treble has a singing tone that is warm and rich. The finish is a high-gloss lacquer, which is also in very good condition.
When seeking out a great Steinway B, there are many things to look for. Many people appreciate the work of the New York factory prior to WWII. But finding an instrument from that period in great condition can be challenging. When work is performed, if it isn’t up to the standard of the original manufacturing, you can end up with inconsistencies in sound and performance. This is one of the very few Steinway B’s we have ever encountered that has this combination of quality of sound, touch, and appearance—a truly magnificent instrument!
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. How can you tell if a student is talented? You sometimes see kids who have difficult pieces they can play fast, and they have it all memorized. And then sometimes you hear somebody who just touches you, and you have a deep emotional connection.
Piano Techniques: How to Play Trills on the Piano? - Practicing Trills
youtu.be/wv4nN-Bc9YA
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. Today I will share some secrets to executing trills. When I was in music conservatory, I remember the really advanced students would spend an inordinate amount of time working on trills. And in fact, it's one aspect of my playing that I have developed further in the past year or so. I'm always discovering new things.
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Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. Today I'm talking about a piano mystery, the Steinway Model C. You may already be familiar with the Steinway Models B and D, but if not, I'm going to give you a quick rundown. Virtually all new Steinways sold in North America are made in New York. There's the Model S at 5' 1", the very popular Model M at 5' 7", then the Model L (now the O) at 5' 10 1/2". Then it skips all the way to the Model B at 6' 11", and then to the concert grand, which is just under nine feet. So there's a big gap there.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about what makes great music. There is so much to this subject. We could talk about inventiveness, melody, rhythm, or orchestration. There are countless aspects of music that, together, make music great. Take a composer like Mozart. Now, when Mozart was alive, what other great composers were around? Haydn was around, and Beethoven and Schubert were a little bit later. Were those the only composers? No, of course there were hundreds of composers. But what is it about Mozart and Beethoven? What is it about these great composers? And even in the 20th and 21st centuries, what is it that separates The Beatles from hundreds of other bands that were producing similar music?
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about drummers who play the piano. Why do drummers love to play the piano? I want to hear from all of you drummers out there who tune in to this video. Tell us why you love to play the piano.
This piano was manufactured by Steinway & Sons in their New York factory. Sometimes people buy pianos as furniture pieces. This is such a piece. The gorgeous woodwork is in phenomenal condition. Since the piano was barely played, the action parts are all in close to new condition.
The tone is warm and round which is something you don’t typcially find on Asian production pianos. The action has been regulated so the response is smooth and precise. It is also dead quiet. Pianos like this are rare since Steinway doesn’t make designer upright pianos anymore. As the years to on, there will be fewer and fewer pianos available like this.
If you want a top-tier Steinway and have limited space, and appreciate the artistry of cabinetry in addition to a fine playing instrument, this piano is a perfect choice for you!
The Mason & Hamlin model B is one of the only pianos to offer such a rich sound, as well as big, full bass for a baby grand. There are many reasons for this. First, the piano is 5-feet 4-inches long. Contrast that with a Steinway baby grand which is only 5-feet 1-inches in length. Also, it has a larger soundboard even for a piano of its size due to the wide tail.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about maintaining your piano in different environments. We have sold pianos to people all over the world, in all different environments. Just in California, you can be in the desert, in the mountains with snow, or on the beach. How can you possibly maintain pianos in all these different environments? Well, I'm going to give you some tips today to help you keep your piano in good condition, whatever environment you're in.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about how to get your kids to practice the piano. This is a really important subject because you want your kids to enjoy the piano. But if they never practice, how can you justify the lessons you're taking them to and spending money on? You feel really committed, and you want your kids to be committed. Sometimes it can really come to loggerheads. So I'm going to give you some tips today!
Here is a Golden Era Steinway art-case piano that has been completely restored to like new condition. This is a rare Victorian design with detailed, hand-carved woodwork. It features Steinway’s revered A2 scale design, which is still being produced today in New York and Hamburg, Germany.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about staccatos. Are staccatos accented? You see the little dots in your music, and you know to play short or detached, but does that mean you also articulate them with accents?
Mason & Hamlin has been building pianos in Massachusetts for over 100 years. They still produce a limited number of hand-crafted pianos in their U.S. factory. Many people seek out Mason & Hamlin pianos for their big, rich tone and exceptional build quality.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. Today I'm going to show you how to make memorization easier. Memorizing piano in music is one of the most difficult things you'll ever do mentally. It takes all of your concentration. I'm going to show you how to approach this so that you can make it easier and more effective!
Steinway & Sons was started in New York by German immigrants in the middle of the 19th century. This piano was built in the New York factory at a time when some of the best American pianos of all time were being produced. And Steinway was at the pinnacle of piano building.
This piano has just been rebuilt utilizing the best possible components for this specific vintage Steinway (since speciications change slightly over the years). It feature the original Steinway soundboard which has excellent crown for a rich sustained tone. It has been refinished to keep it in good shape for years to come with the proper environment.
We have put new a new pinblock, strings, tuning pins, damper felts, key bushines, front rail bushings, agraffes, backchecks, whippens (repetitions), new back action, and new German Abel hammers, shanks and flanges. The treble and bass bridges both have new bridge caps. The plate has been re-gilded, metal parts have been re-plated, and the entire case has been re-sprayed with multi-layers of the original type of lacquer finish which has been hand-rubbed for lustrous depth of apperance.
It takes vast experience to be able to restore a Steinway (or any other piano) to its original state. Knowing the correct parts to maintain the original geoometry is part of it. If you have ever played a rebuilt Steinway that is hard to play, it could be from rebuilders who chose the wrong parts or who didn’t have the experience to bring a Steinway back to its original glory.
If you appreciate the sound and quality of Steinways made during the Golden Era of American piano building, and are looking for one in new condition, this is a great find for you.
violinist.com/directory/bio.cfm?member=emusishare
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. Today I will be talking with William Fitzpatrick about what makes a great teacher. I've had the good fortune to study with great pianists John Ogden, Ruth Slenczynska, Constance Keene, and I started my piano studies with my father, Morton Estrin. I want to talk a little bit about our guest. William Fitzpatrick was the founder and first violinist of the New York String Quartet. He has a dual career in France and the United States. As a matter of fact, he was the director of chamber music at The American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, France. Long ago, he graduated from The Juilliard School, where he studied with the seminal teacher, Dorothy DeLay. Most recently, he held the esteemed Temianka Chair as professor of violin at Chapman University Conservatory of Music. He's now living in France.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about how to have a piano while traveling. Sometimes I go on vacation, and it's frustrating not having a piano. I finally have time to devote to the piano, but there is no piano to play! What kind of vacation is that? Maybe you feel the same way. You're busy all the time, and then when you finally have some free time, there's no piano. Not that you want to spend your whole vacation practicing the piano, but you certainly want a piano you can play. How can you achieve such a thing?
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about playing by ear. Will playing by ear hurt your classical playing? There are many teachers who tell their students they must not play by ear because it will mess up the precision of their classical playing. The only ounce of truth to this is if somebody is learning classical repertoire by ear and not studying the score. You're never going to be able to play Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, or Bach as intended if you do it all by ear.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. Today, I'm going to show you how to recharge your piano playing. Have you ever gotten a piece to a really high level and played it on a regular basis, but somehow it goes stale? It's just not quite there. It's not like there are trouble spots you can practice. The whole thing just doesn't have the spark that it once had. How can you get it back into shape? I'm going to show you today. There are some very basic techniques that are going to do the job for you.
Debussy - Clair De Lune - Performed by Robert Estrin, Pianist
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Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about why you need a practicing checklist. What's this all about? A lot of my students want to have a routine in their practice to do a certain number of things in a certain order on a daily basis. And while this is commendable in one sense, a routine can sometimes work against you because you want to take advantage of the discoveries in your practice. You might go off on a tangent and think you're spending too much time on something because you need to get to other things. So you might not take advantage of an exploration that could lead to an epiphany in your playing.
The Artist Series Model L Baldwin is one of the great American pianos of all time. Living Pianos has the distinction of having sold more Baldwin model L grand pianos than any other piano. On a personal note, Baldwin Model L’s have been my personal pianos more than any other instrument!
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about why you must know your primary chords. What are primary chords? Well, I'm going to break it down for you today. I'm going to show you something called diatonic chords first, because that's how you can discover what your primary chords are.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about playing pianissimo. How many different levels of soft playing are there on the piano? By the end of this video, I'm going to reveal the answer to you!
Here is a Yamaha manufactured in Japan which was sold brand new just a few months ago. It is in new condition inside and out. It is superior in craftsmanship to the Indonesian made Yamaha pianos, and is also a larger baby grand than the entry level Yamaha baby grands which are only 5-feet long. So the bass is more robust, and the larger soundboard produces a more refined sound.
The Yamaha GC1 is a sought after instrument because it combines superior craftsmanship, rich sound quality, and has Yamaha’s reputation for producing well-crafted pianos. It is a piano that is suitable for everything from casual playing at home, to rigorous use in teaching studios or practice rooms.
The design is classic with deluxe, sculpted music rack which adjusts both in distance, as well as viewing angle. The fall board is a slow-close design. It comes with the original matching bench.
If you appreciate the high quality of Yamaha pianos, and are looking for a deal on one that is virtually new, this is a great opportunity for you
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. Today's subject is about the five things piano and ping-pong have in common. There are so many things they have in common! One thing, and this isn't one of the five, is that they are both things that I particularly love and have been doing almost my whole life! I remember getting a ping-pong table when I was a kid. There's a crazy story about that. It was during the holidays, and I went with my good friend Marty to Sears, which was over a mile away. I thought I would surprise my family with a ping-pong table. We bought it, and then we tried to carry it home. I had to call my dad to pick us up, so it wasn't much of a surprise. But we grew up with a ping-pong table. And of course, we had lots of pianos in the house. These are two things that have been very close to me. To this day, I still play ping-pong on a very regular basis. And of course, piano is my life! So let's come up with the five things that these two activities have in common.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about why you must peak later in your phrases. What am I talking about? In most lyrical music, that is, music with melody, you have a line that has a rise and a fall. You may have noticed that oftentimes, when you are trying to make those decrescendos to have beautiful phrase endings, it's difficult to control it.
This is a New York made Steinway with furniture design inspired by Hepplewhite. This marvelous case design was only made during the 1930’s and then again for a short time in the 1980’s. Very few ever resurface from this era, simply because not many were made. This one was sent back to the Steinway factory by the original family for complete restoration in the 1990’s and has remained in the family until now. It still has the original, real keys. The piano exhibits a big, lush bass with beautiful bell like treble tones.
You get the best of all possible worlds: A Golden Era Steinway that has been lovingly cared for by the original owners, and recently rebuilt by Steinway in New York. The piano is an exquisite piece of furniture as well as a world-class instrument. If you appreciate the best Steinway has to offer in a limited edition, hand-crafted cabinet, with exotic wood, you could wait years to find anything close to what this piano offers.
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about how to solidify rhythms. I did a video a while back called What Is the Most Important Aspect of Music? I identified rhythm as the most important part. Of course, it's hard to say one aspect of music is the most important, but rhythm is an intrinsic part of music. What can you do to solidify rhythms in your music? There are many things you can do! I'm going to outline them for you today to help solidify your music.
There are drastically different tempos concert artists choose for the same piece. Here is a great example:
Rondo alla turca" from Mozart's Piano Sonata No 11 (Turkish March)
Glenn Gould -
youtube.com/watch?v=eTZ33EVK3Ug&t=5s&ab_channel=Zarathustra
Lang Lang
youtube.com/watch?v=0HhBr0t4VJ0&ab_channel=medici.tv
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. In today's video, I have a really interesting listening test for you! Can you hear the difference between Mozart and Beethoven? Many of you might think you can easily tell the difference between Mozart and Beethoven. Well, can you? Well, if you are already familiar with the works that I've chosen, you'll understand the significance of this question and the interesting listening test that I'm presenting for you.
Additional Information:
livingpianos.com/the-difference-between-mozart-and-beethoven-mozart-vs-beethoven
#classicalpiano #pianofacts
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about memory. How does memory work on the piano? People play whole programs—an hour and a half or more of music—all from memory. Their fingers know just where to go. How does that work? I received a question that addresses this from a viewer named Frank. Frank asks, "When professional pianists perform long, complicated pieces, say, a concerto or sonata, how much of that is from muscle memory versus actual explicit memory? That is, do their hands just know where to go? Or can they actually write out the scores of the works they perform?" This is a great question!
Supplemental Content: youtube.com/watch?v=4uFUiIvPjYY


