Orion Weiss & Edvard Grieg meet Chickering, "Scale-105B", Full Concert Grand Piano

PIANIST, ORION WEISS & COMPOSER, EDVARD GRIEG MEET CHICKERING CONCERT GRAND PIANO: “Scale-105-B”, Style “U”, Serial #78410, Case #3369, 8’10”, 1,150 lbs., Mahogany Casing, Full Concert Grand with Harmonic Bar/Capo D'Astro Bar in top two treble sections; "Swiss Action". Shipped to Chickering & Sons, New York City on February 18, 1890. (134 Scale-105B Concert Pianos were made which had both the "Edwin Brown Action" or "Swiss Action" available). Many thanks to Greg Bennett from the Chickering Foundation for knowledge, much devoted work and for a wealth of so much important historical information.

Piano is in entirely original condition, including hammers, strings, ivory keyboard, action. parts, soundboard, pinblocks and case finish.

This recording also marks the 200th anniversary of the Chickering Piano, 1823 - 2023 and was entirely made possible through the most generous gift of from The Musicians Emergency Fund (MEF) now known as MAF - The Musicians Advocacy Fund. This recording is dedicated to the memory of Marie Ashdown who was MEF's executive director for 41 years. https://musiciansadvocacyfund.org/

Music: Edvard Grieg, Lyric Pieces:

Arietta (Op. 12, No. 1)
Elves’ Dance (Op. 12, No. 4)
Berceuse (op. 38. no.1)
Kanon (op. 38 no. 8)
Butterfly (op. 43 no. 1)
Lonely traveler (Op. 43. no. 2)
Little Bird (Op. 43. no. 4)
To Spring (Op. 43 no. 6)
Melody (Op. 47, No. 3)
Norwegian Dance (Op. 47, No. 4)
March of the Trolls (Op. 54, No. 3)
Nocturne (Op. 54, No. 4)
Scherzo (Op. 54, No. 5)
Bell Ringing (Op. 54, No. 6)
Secret (op. 57. No. 4)
Homesickness Op. 57. no. 6)
Brooklet (Op. 62, No. 4)
Wedding Day at Troldhaugen (Op. 65, No. 6)
Evening in the Mountains (Op. 68, No. 4)
Once Upon a Time (Op. 71, No 1)
Remembrances (Op. 71, No. 7)

The piano heard in this recording is a Chickering "Full" Concert Grand
“Scale-105B”, “Style-U”, Serial #78410, Case #3369. It measures 8’9.25” in length, weighing 1,150 pounds and has a Mahogany Case, with Straight Molding. It incorporates their then newly-developed "Harmonic Bar" (Capo D'Astro Bar) in the top two treble sections. Chickering's "Swiss Action" option, aka the Erard action system was employed, with brass capstans and brass action flanges.

Incredibly, this piano remains 100% original, from strings to action parts and case finish. This piano was shipped from the Boston Chickering & Sons factory to Chickering & Sons, New York City on February 18, 1890.

This instrument is part of a growing collection of Chickering Concert grand scales curated by Tali Mahanor. To learn more about these American cultural artifacts, please visit www.chickeringconcertgrands.org

Recorded in Mohegan Lake at The Still Rock Inn
www.stillrockbythelake.com

Video by David Bailen, Sound By Silas Brown