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What a shame Pleyel aren't producing any more! Or are they?

They are not, Joe.

They have plan to re-produce, the new manager confirm to me himself. But it won't be the same production like it was. It will be chinese-french Pleyel. Quel dommage!

Pleyel history is risky ... I have one, grand 174 cms, made in the late 70s by Schimmel!!(and sounds like that).

French mentality

I love the 20's Pleyel inside Pianoteq

I will be in Paris for a week this October. Is there anywhere I can find a modern French Pleyel grand? I don't suppose I can find one in a showroom anymore as Pleyel has ceased operation, hasn't it? Thanks.

You can visit the new Pleyel showroom at this address:
Viaduc des Arts, 93-95 Avenue Daumesnil 75012 PARIS
There're some beautiful designed but not well prepped artcase grands, and a restored full concert grand from 1930s. There're 2 uprights P124 and P131 too, sound and look wonderful
After this, if you like, you can come to my house and play my beautiful P190

Just a few words about Pleyel pianos and their history.

It is not odd for for a french piano to sound dark and soft (round), as they were much softer-sounding and sweet than today's pianos.

Debussy et al played on pianos that had a soft and dark sound, with little attack, so to say Debussy's music was bright is way off.. the composition style of Debussy needs a softer french sound for the sound effects to come through as they were composed..

Pleyel is perhaps most famous for Chopin and in the lifetime of Chopin, Pleyels had an even darker and rounder sound with a relatively weak ( lack of sustain) treble by today's standards..

The idea was to never sacrifice sweetness of tone for power.


Modern Pleyels should be therefore evaluated simply on the sound and not because of their 'heritage' in my opinion, since they sound little like the real Pleyel factory pianos, which basically didn't survive the world wars

All modern pianos should be, not only Pleyel

There's a little recording I made on my Pleyel P190:

https://soundcloud.com/nam-anh-tran-3/ravel-sonatine-menuet-on-pleyel-p190

I'd love to hear your recording but Soundcloud tells me something went wrong with it. Did you make it private or delete it?

I think it shouldn't make any difference WHERE a piano is produced or by whom.
If a brand decides to relocate to the other side of a town/city/state/country/world they SHOULD BE relocating their whole design/development/build process and produce the same product to the same quality levels.
Same argument if they contract out the build, it is still their design and specs.
Same argument for just about any product.

Salut Trandinhnsmsnh! Merci beaucoup!
I will certainly go check out le Viaduc des Arts.
Do I really have an invitation from you to play your P190?

Of course you really have my invitation to visit my P190
You won't find this kind of Pleyel grand in showroom anymore. They have some brand new grands in stock, but not this model, as I know.

Thanks very much for your invitation Trandinhnamanh! I will PM you. looking forward to playing your P190!

Soundcloud "can't find that track"!

Regards,