Pope's Piano Tuned

Pope’s piano tuned, even if he can’t play for now
Posted on July 28, 2009 by Cindy Wooden

Pope Benedict and his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, after a concert in the Sistine Chapel last January. (CNS/L'Osservatore Romano)

VATICAN CITY — The director of the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo told the Vatican newspaper that preparations are almost complete for the pope’s expected arrival tomorrow evening: bushes have been re-potted, trees have been trimmed, flowers have been planted, walls have been painted and — he said — a piano tuner has come and gone.

Severio Petrillo, director of the villa — which includes the papal residence as well as gardens and a working farm — said he knows the pope has to wear a cast for another 20 days or so. But the pope’s brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, is arriving, too, and he’s a musician. For years, he was the director of the famous Regensburg Boys’ Choir. And, besides, Petrillo said, piano playing could be part of the physical therapy the pope will do once the cast is off.

Petrillo also said that at Castel Gandolfo Saturday the pope would meet swimmers, divers, water polo players and other athletes participating in the July 17-Aug. 2 FINA World Championship in Rome. The pope’s weekly general audience Aug. 5 also will be held at the papal villa, rather than at the Vatican, he said.
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See, the Pope knows enough to keep his pianos in tune :-)

"See, the Pope knows enough to keep his pianos in tune :-)"

Or maybe he has received special guidance on that one.......

At a piano studio I tune for they have a 8x10 photo of the Pope playing on a spinet up in one room with arrows pointing out his poor posture, hunched back, overly flat hand, bench too high and far from the keys and his un-horizontal forearms...a poster child of what not to do at the piano. I chuckle when I see it because really, who would have the nerve to point this out to him in person if he was playing for them.

Here's a picture of the pontiff at the piano.



Looks right at home.

Too close to the radiator- looks like there is a candle on the lid too. Surprised he does not have a Grand Piano....

He could have a Fazioli, don't you think?

Humility, Gadzar. The Pope is a humble person. it seems.

Anson Everitt
piano technician

Misericordia! Surely the pope must have some informal wear he can don when playing the piano in his own apartment. I'm not expecting blue jeans, but maybe something like white jeans would be allowed.

I don't think the pontiff would play a Fazoli, he looks more like a Beckstein Man! gGermans usually like things made in the Fatherland, so I think "Der Beckstein hammerclavier"!

I think that is informal wear.

(He's not exactly my kind of Catholic but you gotta give him points for the piano and the cats.)