Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Alan, tell us about your new Grotrian (title change)

Old title:
It's THURS in US, and was THURS for a long time in Australia

New title:
Alan, tell us about your new Grotrian

And we are all awaiting your piano delivery adventure, Alan!

(backto study piano)


So how's the new GROTRIAN 7'4" straight from the factory?

Sure, we understand your wanting to just play the darn thing, but you have an audience here on pins and needles wanting to hear about it and see it!

I am so envious!

LL

Hi

I've been neglectful.

Blame Clara, my 7'4" Grotrian Concert. Arrived yesterday, and kept me up late last night. She's just beautiful, and a delight to play. Not that she was Clara at the start - I waited till evening to name her - with a short list of possibilities (Genevieve, Nadia and Dame Nellie too). But after playing her for a while, I knew Clara was her name. Clara means "clear, bright and famous" - and she's the first 2 - not sure about the last. I don't think her fame will come during my relationship.

She's not loud - except when I want her to be, and yet it's not a distressingly "too loud". My mini poodle was quite happy to lie on his mat beside my stool while I played. But she's got the most superb pp and ppp. Better than mine, but she's up to wonderful gradation of tone.

Out of the box - she's in remarkable tune. Set a 443, so the technician told me, but she'll probably drop a little as she gets played in. And the voicing is superb. The only adjustments I may - in time - have made is the top octave which may be a little bright.

When I was considering ordering her, I asked the dealer if Grotrian could put a concert regulation on her - he contacted them, and they agreed. And delivered just that.

Last night, I couldn't help getting out old "flames" - music I played long ago and forgotten long ago, just to work out what I'll learn (again), and see what suited her best. And she's risen to each occasion - much better than I did. Hope Mozart didn't mind his Allegro Vivace more at an Andante Vivace - with hiccoughs. How the fingers ever played what they did back then, I don't know. The only thing she didn't like was my Debussy - and that was only because Clair was just TOO pained at being attempted. Let's see if my fingers can get back to their flexibility and speed of 30+ years ago. She's encouraging me to.

She arrived uneventfully yesterday, in all her black shiny glory. She looked a picture in the bright winter sunlight, being wheeled off the truck. I've got a flat street, flat block, slab on ground, so it was wheel the new one in, and out with the old (Schimmel 182).

Seeing her on her side from the underneath, she was beautiful - the fine laminated timbers of the rim underneath are finished off superbly, topped off with a clear coat, and the wood joins are perfect. Compared with the Schimmel where they'd painted the frame and bottom of the rim in mat black, she is a show piece, even from underneath.

After it was put in place, the technician undid the packing and I had a very short - 1 minute play - start of Paderewski Minuet. Then, I had to stop - as he was installing the DamppChaser underneath. Seemingly for ever. But I could admire the other side. The iron frame in a subtle gold, the almost white soundboard, the glimmer of the lights on the strings. But most of all, I was taken by the colour of the inner rim. I don't know what timber it is - like the rich burled rosewood on my mother's old piano, but probably isn't. That inner rim is an encouragement to play from memory, so I can just watch it.

I'm still working on how to get photos onto PianoWorld - but they'll be here within a couple of days.

I'm not sure if you can see them on my FaceBook page - http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4101413250517.283131.1138511400&type=3&l=bbd5e02225 might work for you.

cheers, Alan

Clara is just stunning!

Congratulations, oh CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

(BTW - A=443 would be very common for a european piano. It hasn't dropped even a cent during its transport! Very, very good.)

And her tuning was consistent at half a dozen notes he tried across the whole keyboard, with the slightest variation top & lowest octave.

Fantastic!

Clara is just begging to be played. She's beautiful.

None of this lying on the floor looking at her underside!!!

May you have many years of enjoyment.

LL

Beautiful pictures Alan!

Clara will serve you for many years to come. Enjoy!

With the tuning, the technician warned me to expect it to maybe shift a bit in the next few weeks as it acclimatises.

That is totally normal. Also expect up to 4 tunings the first year as the strings are still a bit elastic and need to stretch a bit.

Cheers!

Is this because the piano is new, or because it has just been moved to a new home?

The Facebook pix worked fine for me. Loved the piano. (Loved the dog.)

The piano left Braunschweig, Germany 2 weeks ago, flew (I understand on a plane) to Australia, and is now acclimatising to my home. It has a DamppChaser installed now. The temperature here is appreciably higher than at Braunschweig, it's winter now here, but the relative humidity is probably a little lower.

So, the piano will take time to get used to what to expect. Also, the new strings will take time to achieve an equilibrium.

It is good practise to tune a piano more regularly in its early life; that way it stands a good chance of greater stability.

Many of us are not 'in tune' with conditions in Australia.

Could you share your temps and relative humidity summer/winter?

Are you still playing night and day? (oh wait...didn't mean the song!)

beautiful instrument. the one i once played was, in a word, orchestral.

Hi btsp

Georgeous piano! I am envious you've already have,your piano in place. I've ordered my Sauter Delta, but it will not be here until sometime in September.

I see people are naming their pianos, so I guess I should start thinking of a name. After all if 'she' is going to be my mistress, I should at least name her.

allthumbs

PS - Good on you for returning to piano after all these years. I did the same in 1994 after a 20 year absence and I am loving it.

Greetings Alan and Clara,

Again Alan, Congratulations on the new love in your life. I need to talk to you about something she doesn't need to hear, she'll start developing ill humor.

In private? Good.

Ya know, fine females require lots of maintenance, especially the very refined ones. They always need to feel good about themselves. I don't know why, it just is. I feel ackward asking about your living situation, however, it is important to consider your new significant other. Because she is descendant of royalty, she will require perfection of her environment at all times. The little gift of the Dampp-Chaser system is perfect for her as a start, but merely a bauble. Will she be residing in the surround of a full humidity control system? La Grande Damme should expect it. So, I shall now take my leave with the following parting;

Do ya gotta full HVAC system in yer house?
If ya dont, ya shoodd kensider it!

With my regards,
I am,

I'm just outside Brisbane in the centre of the east coast of Australia (north to south), and about 10 miles inland. The climate is quite temperate.

No HVAC really. There is a front and back door open = V. Heating is by putting another cardigan on (though the A/C has a heating mode which I rarely use), and there is an AirConditioner which goes on when I'm hot. I always put it on "Dehumid" setting, as when it gets hot enough to need the A/C, the humidity is always up too. I turn the overhead fans on low to circulate it through the living area. And I've got a small efficient A/C in the bedroom, and sometimes I'll go in there in the middle of the day - but the piano won't fit.

Winter is generally pleasant (for someone who prefers the cool). This morning was one of our coolest at 37(F), but inside it was 57. Humidity read at 60% on the digital readout inside - not sure how accurate that is, though. It will get to an average winter 70 in the middle of the day - the Weather Bureau Website says it's 31% humidity, but my indicator is reading 45% and 61 degrees inside. That humidity is a bit lower than normal for winter.

Summer seems to go on a cycle of hot to reasonable and back again - maybe 7-10 days in the cycle. The minimum temps 60-70 - with the very rare night 75-80.
Daytime temps range from 75-100, with the vast majority 89-90. Humidity tends to be around 50-60, except when we get a hot north-easterly when humidity would be 80% and temp around 90. Days like that are when the A/C goes on, and it pours water out the drain outside.

Very few homes around here have fireplaces or heaters other than Reverse cycle A/C. I'd guess maybe 1/3 of new homes have airconditioners installed, but often only one room.

As for humidity control systems, I haven't heard of any homes with it installed. Are they like a giant DamppChaser ?

Many vast areas of the U.S. and Canada have four distinct seasons. The RH fluctuates dramatically with the seasonal shifts. Pianos don't care for that much. Neither do people or furniture.

The majority of the single family houses use a forced air furnace which can get the air very dry in the winter. Often, or even most often, there is a full house air conditioner which is combined with the furnace unit and uses the same fan. To this can be added a humidifyer which works in conjunction with either function.

The standard term is HVAC - Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning. The modern units are considerably smaller than Clara and are tucked in the basement or a mechanical closet. The units keep the interior climate stable through the seasons.

Congratulations on the new Grotrian!
The dealer is a fairly good technician and should be able to properly service your piano.

I bought my Grotrian from the same dealer 2 years ago and the tuning and regulation work he did when the piano first arrived was fine.


Enjoy your time with Clara!

Jibbers, thanks - I've heard there are a few Cabinet owners in my area. It's good to hear that the service is good. That was the biggest problem with my old piano, and my main concern with a Grotrian was how well it would perform. I had the dealer request the factory for a concert regulation (unlike the fairly ordinary Charis in the showroom), and they delivered.

We're enjoying the time.

Alan, your young Clara is a beauty.

(Seeing your FB pics, I wondered about the question how many layers of wood build the rim... , more than 30..?..)

Most probably you will know this: her grand-grand-grandmother (or so) was once owned by famous concert pianist Clara Schumann, née Wieck (famous piano teacher) and wife of composer Robert Schumann. Clara Schumann's last piano was a Grotrian-Steinweg grand. This concert grand is now in the stock of the Brunswick City Museum. The museum also contains the many historical instruments once bought and owned by Theodor(e) Steinweg/Steinway.

Actually this museum is closed for renovation but is said to re-open in late summer or autumn. I will visit this museum and when seeing the Grotrian concert grand of Clara Schumann I might think about some pianos in Australia. ;-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Schumann

I wish you years no decennies of fun, pleasure and life enrichment with your beautiful Clara.