Steinway

I'm now a proud owner of a Steinway grand piano. M and I went out and bought a Steinway model M on Friday. It's a beauty; the notes sing. The high register is melodic and round; the low register is full, powerful and strong. Not having lived with a piano for the past 11 years means I'm completely out of practice - yet this piano covers a hundred faults. Who cares about a weak pinky and the occasional slip-up when the notes produce such an enchanting and mesmerizing sound?

We bought the piano from Sherman Clay. They had a Steinway event this weekend and we happened to drop by Friday evening just before the event. I played on about 20 Steinways that evening. What a treat! It's really amazing how much sound difference there is even between Steinways - and it's hard to compare them unless the two pianos are side-by-side. The one we bought was definitely superior than the model L's and model O's in the room, even though the model L's and the model O's are larger pianos. Even M can tell the difference. Each Steinway is handmade so each possesses individual characteristics. Apparently to M, this one was "born a genius."

I still need to get it tuned, but I'm supposed to let it sit for 4-6 weeks to acclimate. I feel guilty for playing so poorly yet able to own this piano. It's like if the piano were a guy, he would not want to date me. Except I bought him...

Uh... I'll resist the temptation to take this analogy any farther.