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THIS NOTE IS A COPY OF THE ONE THAT I HAVE POSTED ON THE MAIN FORUM
Hello and greetings.
I have signed on so that I might personally convey my welcome to all of you who are planning to visit “Piano Row” and Faust Harrison Pianos on October 18. We look forward to your visit and will do our best to make your time with us enjoyable and worthwhile. Michael Harrison and Marina Andreou will be at the store to greet you. If possible, Sara and/or I will be there as well.
On Friday evening, October 17 at 7:00 PM, our concert series will feature Indrek Laul and friends. Dr. Laul (President of the Laul Estonia Piano Company) and other pianists will most likely perform on an Estonia model 190. We would love to be able to have one of our Estonia concert grands at the store for the performance but, because of space limitations, this will probably not be possible. Dr. Laul will also make a brief presentation about the history and the future of his company and his pianos. You are all invited to join us, but please let us know if you are planning to attend. Sometimes, space does become an issue. Details will appear shortly on our web site: www.faustharrisonpianos.com.
I would also like to tell all of you how much I have enjoyed being a “read-only” visitor here the past few months. The discussions are interesting; they are also often informative and enlightening. The spirit of this forum is always great – as is so much of the writing. I look forward to more of the same. And thank you, Frank, for making this forum possible.
Irving Faust
Irving Faust Harrison Pianos We sell new Bechsteins, Yamahas, Mason & Hamlins, Brodmanns and W. Hoffmanns, and rebuilt vintage Steinways. All rebuilding is done in our own factory.www.faustharrisonpianos.com
I just remembered. There is a fabulous, moderately priced Thai restaurant in the Theater District. The staff is incredibly gracious, the food is the best Thai food I've ever eaten, and the ambience is lovely. Can I remember the name of it? Well, no. But I'll track down the friend who took me there, and get the name, hours, etc.
I have signed on so that I might personally convey my welcome to all of you who are planning to visit “Piano Row” and Faust Harrison Pianos on October 18. We look forward to your visit and will do our best to make your time with us enjoyable and worthwhile.
Irving, thank you and welcome to Piano World! It is great to have you here, and we, too, are very much looking forward to our visit to Faust Harrison Pianos.
I'm sure you and I have crossed paths at some time. It will be nice to see you again. I've been up to your Irvington showroom, and Michael's an old friend.
Lucy wrote:
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There is a fabulous, moderately priced Thai restaurant in the Theater District. The staff is incredibly gracious, the food is the best Thai food I've ever eaten, and the ambience is lovely.
Could this be the Thai place someone else mentioned in an earlier post in this thread?
Also, I have an audio-engineer friend who lives in the Theater District and is something of a gourmand. I'll bend his ear and try to get some restaurant suggestions out of him.
My friend who took me to the excellent Thai restaurant just called and reminded me that the name of the place is Siam Inn. It is near Piano Row at 51st and 8th. She said that she has seen large parties held at this restaurant, and that they haven't appeared rushed by the staff. Entrees are in the $12 to $17 range. I'll call the restaurant to find answers to specific questions that anyone might have.
i love thai food, myself. thanks for looking into that, lucy.
i would hope that if anyone planning to join us doesn't like or can't eat thai food, or any other kind of food, that they would speak up. there are enough great choices in that neighborhood that we shouldn't have trouble satisfying everyone.
thank you for the welcome, irving, and we hope you'll share your expertise on the forums. many other dealer-members have been highly valued resources for the piano novices here.
i'm very interested in attending the concert with dr. laul on friday night. please put me down on the guest list. perhaps if other forum members also want to attend, we can meet at that concert as an appetizer for the riches to follow on saturday.
as we get closer to the actual day, we might want to discuss how we'll organize our visits so that everyone gets to play for the group who would like to, so that we all get time to explore the pianos for sale, and so that the beginners in our group won't become too intimidated to play because of the professional talent in our midst.
a couple of ideas on this--perhaps for our first half hour at a store, we can all wander freely and try out the pianos.
then for the second half hour, only one person plays at a time, on a piano they've chosen during the first half hour, and the rest of us listen.
since it can be intimidating to play for a group anyway, let alone a semi-public performance for people you've met for the first time, and since some of our members are just beginners, and others are professional pianists, i'd like to also propose that we have people play for the group in reverse order of seniority.
that is, those who have been playing the least amount of time play first, so as not to be forced to follow someone who is much better and more experienced than they are.
and since there is a rotating cast of characters, perhaps when it comes time to play for the group, we'll ask that anyone who has played for a year or less and wants to play come forward first. then two years, three, etc.
i'm suggesting this because of my own feelings of nervousness and tendency to be intimidated if someone much better than i plays first, and also because i know there are others among us who have been studying even less time than i have.
I am trying to free up October 17th which I booked after thinking that our carousing (and edification) would take only one night--the 18th. If I can work it out, I'd love to join you at Faust-Harrison.
Welcome to Piano World, Irving. Sorry that I won't be able to attend Dr. Laul's recitatl on 10/17. Hope that you have a fun audience!
I appreciate pique's concern for the performance apprehension that those of us who are less experienced may feel. I don't play very well, yet, but am not easily intimidated (my playing is what it is) so it doesn't matter when I play. I'm just soooo looking forward to meeting all of you and learning from your experiences. Can hardly wait!
As for restaurants, as long as I can get there with minimal walking/stair climbing, I'm pretty much open to whatever the group craves.
Welcome back. Good ideas for the playing. I haven't played in front of anyone for more than 15 yrs., but I remember what it's like to be nervous. I'm sure everyone will be encouraging and positive to each other.
Interesting that Irving says Dr. Laul is now scheduled for Oct. 17. Earlier (see my earlier post in this thread)I was told a jazz pianist was playing there on the 17th, as part of their "Piansts for the New Millennium" series.
The Thai place certainly sounds good to me; no problems there. Of course, if someone hears of another really good place, we should all consider it.
Pique wrote:
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we might want to discuss how we'll organize our visits . . . . so that the beginners in our group won't become too intimidated to play because of the professional talent in our midst.
How about having a free and extensive wine tasting at 12 noon that day, for the "professional talent" only?
Just kidding. Seriously, I like Pique's idea, and welcome others.
yeah, encouraging and positive is what we performance babies need. everyone be nice, now!
lucy, does that thai restaurant take reservations for large groups? we need a head count....
me lucy bernard decibel101 david burton realplayer phlebas linda in pa rich d. frank b. (?)
ok, i suffer from mentalpause... who did i miss?
anyone bringing a date or other friends? lucy, is your husband and daughter coming? david, are you bringing a friend, too? rich, is chris coming with you?
also, do they serve wine? i'm going to need some after playing for all of you.... (NOT before )
wouldn't hurt to get our reservation in early....
and what have we decided on the concert on the 18th? how many want to go to the beaux arts trio? how many would prefer to have a later dinner and more time at the piano stores?
the above answers may determine what time our dinner reservation should be for, and what restaurant locations will work.
could those who organized the piano shop schedule post it here again? i know we begin at 1 pm at a&c piano craft...
Re: the anxiety of playing for others. I suspect we will be our own worst judge when all is said and done. I hope I speak for more than myself by saying that I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing what everyone's been working on and how they've been working at it. These will not be "performances" I hope!! (Frank, where's the scared graemlin?)
"Hunger for growth will come to you in the form of a problem." -- unknown
Originally posted by Bernard: Re: the anxiety of playing for others. I suspect we will be our own worst judge when all is said and done. I hope I speak for more than myself by saying that I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing what everyone's been working on and how they've been working at it. These will not be "performances" I hope!! (Frank, where's the scared graemlin?)
My Keyboards: Estonia L-190, Roland RD88, Yamaha P-80, Bilhorn Telescope Organ c 1880, Antique Pump Organ, 1850 concertina, 3 other digital pianos ------------------------- My original piece on BandCamp: https://frankbaxtermrpianoworld.bandcamp.com/releases
Me banging out some tunes in the Estonia piano booth at the NAMM show...
I got in touch with my bon-vivant Manhattan friend, who recommends the following close to Piano Row:
"We like the Italian place called Terra on 8th Ave (55-56). Also Bangkok Cuisine, across from us, 8th Ave (52-53)."
And, a bit further afield (around 9th Ave.):
"We like: Ariana Afgan Kebab Afgan Kebab House Kiran (Indian) Eatery (yup food) Pietrosante (It.) Pam's Real Thai (best in Manhattan we think) Lakruwana (Sri Lanka, very quiet and strange, but good)"
i've been to a few of those places. the afghani places are tops. however, you can't make reservations or have a table for twenty at most of those places. they are closets, and would be uncomfortable for a group our size.
i know that you can make reservations for bello's (italian, 56th and 9th) and that it is a quiet enough atmosphere to talk comfortably.
and the thai place on 8th avenue around 56th/55th street is also quiet and i think takes reservations.
could your friend also tell us which of those restaurants could handle reservations for a large group and would be serene enough an environment for witticisms to be heard across the table? (noise being something of a fetish in manhattan eateries, i've noticed).
I'd also suggest Kennedy's on 57th. Very nice and can accomodate a large crowd. (An old hang out of mine.)
And pique, can't promise, but I will try to make it. I have a lot of things going on in my life in the next couple of months, (e.g. we're selling our place in FL and moving the whole kit and kaboodle back to NY (LI, NJ, CT, NYC bigger apt. who knows?)
OK, so it looks like this thing is really coming together. Count me in on the following:
The concert at Faust Harrison at 7 pm on Friday, October 17th.
A&C Pianos at 1 pm on Saturday, October 18th. Klavierhaus (a wonderful place) at 4-4:30 to 5:30 pm on Saturday, October 18th.
The times for Faust Harrison and Beethoven's seem up in the air at the moment. Can anyone be tapped to make arrangements?
I take it we aren't going to bother with P---- P---- which is a bit unfortunate because many of us are basing our suspicions on one story that we don't even know is true. It just goes to show you how ruinous rumors can be. The last time I was in there they had some nice Prambergers and other things you've all heard about but many have never seen or played. They also had a lot of nice rebuilt Golden Age Steinways. Is it just me or do I sense that the rebuilt Golden Age Steinway may be a little too common? The truth is that most are quite wonderful and only give promise of becoming more so over time.
Liked pique's suggestions about letting the younger and least experienced players play first. This is commonly what's done in school concerts so that younger less experienced players feel less intimidated. It's a good idea.
As for restaurants, I am open for anything, please include reservations for two for me as I am going to bring a guest who will hopefully join us for one or two of the piano row stores too.
I am undecided about the Met Museum concert yet, surely the best thing that evening. Will let you know.
Originally posted by David Burton: The times for Faust Harrison and Beethoven's seem up in the air at the moment.
David,
The last I heard about this, your visit to Faust Harrison was going to be at 3 PM, but this no longer seems possible. If you want to change the time to 3:30, that's fine with us. But please confirm - either by phone or right here. I look forward to meeting you.
Regarding the October 17th (7:00 PM) concert, the program has not yet been fully set but in addition to Indrek Laul, we will be hearing Sara Faust, Terry Waldo and Eubie Blake. Several pianos will be used including a new Estonia and a new Mason & Hamlin. We’re hoping to be treated to at least some piano four-hand wizardry in which Sara is accompanied by none other than - herself. Terry and Eubie will play the two-piano piece that brought down the house at Jazz at Lincoln Center and most recently at Queens Theatre in the Park. In case you’re wondering what’s going on here, this concert is made possible through the magic of PianoDisc. If you can make it, this concert is not to be missed. But please be sure to call the showroom soon to have Michael hold a place for you. Space is very limited.
Complete details will appear on our web site as soon as they are available.
(I am also posting this concert update on the main Forum)
Irving
Irving Faust Harrison Pianos We sell new Bechsteins, Yamahas, Mason & Hamlins, Brodmanns and W. Hoffmanns, and rebuilt vintage Steinways. All rebuilding is done in our own factory.www.faustharrisonpianos.com
Glad you will be able to make it down from upstate.
Actually we have confirmed the times, and they are as follows: A&C - 1:00 Beethoven - 2:00 Faust Harrison - 3:00 Klavier Haus - between 4 and 4:30.
Because of the heated nature of the exchanges - both on and offline - between folks in PW and the other dealer you mentioned, it would have to be very uncomfortable for both parties if we included them as part of our dealer crawl. I'm sure we would be treated in the most obsequeous manner possible, but we wouldn't ultimately learn much. That's just my opinion. However, I would be interested to hear any reports by people who come into town, and individually visit said dealer.