Would any of you care to post a link(s) to the best sounding piano(s) you've heard on the internet?

I think this could be fun and enjoyable.

I know some of you go for the interpretation more than the sound but let's just go for sound with this one. The sound from a piano you would just love to own. This assumes good touch, etc.

For those new to piano but with a strong interest this could serve, somewhat, as a guide to great piano sound.

Here's mine, may be more to follow.

http://www.diwupiano.com/

Di Wu's website. The music begins once you enter her site.

Expect many here are like me in that we will be hearing sounds we can't afford.

Edit: Here's another:

Ray Bryant, Blues no. 6 on YouTube. Big sound. No link, may be copyrighted.

Bech

This is a long shot because it's not necessarily on the web, I just remember being absolutely stunned by the recorded piano sound during a recital from Pollack Hall at McGill University in Montreal.

Here's mine:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3beRwyKnIo

George Shearing recorded his My Ship album using a Bösendorfer. His playing is top shelf and the piano sounded excellent.

I forgot to add, that Piano is a Hamburg Steinway D provided by Pro Piano, and prepared by Barbara Pease Renner.

Microphones: Sennheiser MKH-800, MKH-20, and MKH-50. On Stage Microphone Preamplifiers: Sonic Lens 20/20-4

This Steinway has the most amazing tone I've ever heard. I'm not crazy about how she played the first movement of this piece, but the second movement is perfection.

itsfreakingmeout,

Nice tone. I've watched her (Valentina Lisitsa) much more than any other pianist. Have all of her DVDs. Appears she mails them from out of her home--where she has 4 concert grands! She's a Bosendorfer artist and shown as such at the Bosendorfer web site. She uses an old Bosendorfer 275 made in 1928 on two of her DVDs. Perhaps all three but not sure.

For a display of tremendous technique take a look at her playing Liszt Totentanz on YouTube. The last part (around 13:50) of this is the most amazing. It's lasts about 15 minutes. Seen some YouTube versions of her playing only a portion of this piece. This is a wonderful video showing a great pianists working hard at her craft and showing it well. Nice camera angles.

Edit: Just watched the Totentanz performance again--about the 4th time--and notice she's playing a Steinway. Lots of great sound from that piano! Suppose it's a Hamburg Steinway since this recording was in Germany. Sounds great.

Bech

This is mine, some Chopin on Bösendorfer (life recording):

Dora Deliyska

schwammerl.

What a nice thread. Here's my contribution.

Good to find another nice Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 2 recording on the internet. Thank you.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWvJAXxiLuY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWHv_068tOI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaCq0RKtjEA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMGyj7JxpLo

EltonRach,

Oh.....couple there I really liked! Terence Koo and Stuart & Sons piano--great player, great piano sound! Elton John nice too. Bright but good.

I have to keep the Stuart & Sons piano in mind. It may be one of the best for the money.

Thanks. I keep a list of anything worth watching again (and again)whether music or otherwise.

Bech

ItsFreakingMeOut, great video, great piano. Thanks.

Di Wu sounded wonderful in the Saint- Saens on the home page. Do you know what piano she is playing? Her pictures and video showed her playing Steinway -- the first video to me looks like a NY D.

Bech, I found the Ray Bryant Blues No. 6 on You Tube. Great sounding piano powered by great talent. Am I correct that he's playing a Bosendorfer Imperial?

Kempf on beautifully voiced Steinway

plumpfingers,

The bass sure sounds like the powerful bass of the Bosendorfer but the highs seem bright for that piano. As you know, what mikes you use and how you use them and room acoustics can make so much difference it'd be hard to know what the piano was by it's sound. I'd guess Bosendorfer Imperial.

Don't know what piano for sure but know I'd like to give it a spin!

Bech

Sophial,

I'd guess Steinway. If I or you would go to the Steinway site there might be a list of Steinway artists. Believe there is.

I just took a look. There's a couple of pianists with last name of Wu but not Di Wu. Maybe she needs a little more of a "name" or experience before being on any piano manufacturer's artist list.

Bech

I agree. It seems a powerful and sweet Steinway... But from aprox min 6 (in the Saint Saens concert) the piano is terrible out of tune at the middle scale (specially the G4!!).

I can't post it, but a Fazioli F183 in London shop at Edgware road has the most wonderful sound I have experienced. Like a string instrument with wonderful purity and fine grain (if this means anything) with great touch. Go and try it if you get there!

This 1929 Chickering sounds pretty good to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ys-GiJUqPQ

And I like the sound of this Petrof
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzJCHxLWiio

Lugansky plays Brahms 118 #2 on a Hamburg Steinway D-wonderful sound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iF4Rn2b4T8

sophial,

Yes. Nice.

Let me add another one of his performances. He's rather new to me and I know for sure he's one of my favorites. I've mentioned it before but his hands move exceptionally well over the keyboard. So smooth, so in control.

Try this one, same audience/performance as yours but different piece. Steinway and I'll bet this is the typical--and very good--"Steinway Sound." Curious, how do you know it a Hamburg Steinway?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_l2mWn1GWE&feature=related

Bech

Russian Duo Kharitonova & Machlak

Select High Definition for slightly better sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuqLl_F4rCk&feature=player_embedded

I have another exceptional performance with sound that is so REAL--so intimate.

This one's not razzle dazzle technique but rather a beautiful slow piece. What, to me, is so outstanding is we have the grand old master, Horowitz, playing in what seems to me to be the nearest thing to being there I've ever experienced. It's as though I'm sitting next to the piano as he plays.

See if you agree.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS5LRRsNYZk&feature=related

and......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXBHF1iFoqc


Beautiful, real, intimate piano sound. About like being there.

Bech

The recording that plays when you go to this site:
http://www.davidandersenpianos.com/

I have no idea what piano is being played. The piece is Lullaby for Our Daughters played and composed by Mike Garson.

Volodos on a Hamburg Steinway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaFBVfwyoiY&feature=related

Couldn't agree more Bech. Fabulous sound and exquisite interpretation. Thanks for directing us to this one.

Bech,

In the videos from that performance, you can see the fallboard as well as the rounded cheeks typical of the Hamburg Steinway. I think there is a shot that shows the knob on the side of the case as well which is also typical of them.


Sophia

Yes, gorgeous -- that of course is Horowitz on a NY Steinway D. .... sublime!

Just have to say that the sound is divine! Excellent choice of a clip! Wow!

I've added another Horowitz performance to my previous post but occured to me "just put it here." Well...it's both places now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXBHF1iFoqc

The nuances, the tone. Real, intimate, like the previous performance. Lots of great piano sound.

Bech