Chopin and Beethoven on an 1851 Chickering Square Grand Piano

This lovely Chickering rosewood square grand was built about 160 years ago in Boston, only one year before company founder Jonas Chickering died, and two years before a fire destroyed the original Chickering factory. This is one of the very first pianos ever built with a full-perimeter cast iron stringplate, which Chickering was the first company to adopt, and it is an early example of the transition from early wood-frame pianos to more modern designs. It is straight strung and built much lighter than modern pianos, with the largest bass hammer somewhat smaller than the smallest treble hammer on a modern grand. Also, the soundboard is very light & resonant, at about one-third the thickness of a modern design. The action is very light and quick, with a very different feel than on newer pianos. To demonstrate the sound of the instrument, I play a Chopin prelude in C minor, Op. 28 No 20, and the first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight sonata while showing a few pictures of the pianos restoration. I am definitely not a professional performer, being self-taught with only 6 months of lessons as a child, and the video and audio recording are also not professional.

Square grands were the standard piano in 1851 for homes and smaller spaces. Modern piano rebuilders and technician today often claim that 19th century squares were inferior, oddball, transitional or space saving designs that were never serious instruments. This view does not fit the history, where the most respected builders like Chickering and Steinway acquired their sterling reputations building almost exclusively squares, along with only a few grands for the concert stage and the most wealthy homes. It is true that few rebuilders today know how to restore squares properly, and that very few people have had the chance to hear or play one that functions properly. I restored this instrument in 2008, and was able to make this recording after tuning it for its current owner, where it is located in a Virginia country estate. You can see more photos of its restoration at www.historicpianos.com.