I used to collect CDs while hanging out with some audiophile friends. I spotted this one today and thought it might be interesting to those who are curious about how pianos sounded a century ago. The performances were initially captured on rolls, which were then played on a painstakingly restored 1923 Steinway reproducing piano (model DR). The recording was done in a small early 20th century chapel featuring a beaux arts design, using possibly the best technology available in the 90s when the CD was made.

Here are some fun facts mentioned by DW Fostle, Executive Producer of the CD.

Back in the day, a good reproducing piano could easily cost as much as dozens of cars.

Pianos from a century ago may be considered timbrally mellow by today’s standards. “The bass is powerful but not clangorous or stringy, and while the high treble glistens, it never pings or twangs.”

Starting about 1930s, pianists, including Rubinstein and Horowitz, led the trend for harder hammers to achieve the projection of sound with greater strength.

The Steinway family didn’t like this trend for what they considered bright, harsh piano tone, although they slowly made adjustment to the contemporary taste.

Cool. Is any of this CD on YouTube or similar?

11 days later

It's absolutely correct that pianos made before the Second World War had a much more mellow sound than new instruments do. The trend probably started a little later than the 1930s, but it peaked in the 1970s when some Hamburgs were coming out sounding like shattered glass.

My Blüthner here has Abel Natural Felt hammers. These hammers follow as similar a recipe for the felt as possible, and they are probably as close as we can get to the 1890-1930 tone. It's not a hugely projecting sound, but it is a very subtle sound, capable of great nuance. It's not quiet in the room, but it wouldn't cut above a modern symphony orchestra. If a piano like this was used for concertos, even if it was a 9-foot, the rest of the orchestra would need to be aware so that they could adjust accordingly.

If you consider that even Prokofiev had a piano with this type of hammer on it, it changes how we think about his music. Sure, he may have preferred a bright tone, but he didn't live to hear that sound. A new Yamaha, Estonia, Steinway, whatever is a beautiful piano for sure, but it is very different to a piano of 100 years ago. I prefer the old-style sound because I find it much easier to layer the tone. I don't actually like a bright sound all that much. There are certain situations where it is appropriate and I think some pianists sound great on bright instruments.

    Joseph-Fleetwood Hauntingly beautiful! Your piano sounds wonderful, which probably as much or more to do with the player than the instrument itself. Thanks for sharing!

      Joseph-Fleetwood I don't actually like a bright sound all that much.

      Me neither. My Yamaha is too bright for my taste even with the lid closed and in desperation I sometimes use una corda all the way through.

      Joseph-Fleetwood There are certain situations where it is appropriate and I think some pianists sound great on bright instruments.

      Maybe it has something to do with the rise of jazz and rock and roll? That kind of music sounds great on a bright piano. Classical not so much IMHO.

      Great playing BTW. 👍

          Yeah, different pianos for different genres, playing styles etc for sure.

          @Joseph-Fleetwood 's recording above is utterly perfect for the piece he selected, combined with his mastery and style of play. That 1895 Bluthner sounds sublime.

          If I were to play it, it would not work at all, as I am incapable of playing at the level, and I don't play that genre.

          For the stuff I do (mostly contemporary, improvisational), it'd be this type of piano (random example): modern Yamaha (see the piano sections-- 00:26, 1:05, 1:29, 2:07 time stamps). The clarity, and moments of piercing and sharpness accentuate, and provide that oomph vibe.

          So there's a time and place for all the wonderful pianos in the history of this marvelous instrument we call piano.

          13 days later

          Correct. I think that kind of jazz might work on my Blüthner but really it probably wouldn't cut through the mix. All the other instruments would have to match it. In this day and age for that music, a new Yamaha is perfect and it sounds beautiful too.

          I recently attended a concert where Chopin was played on this 1843 Pleyel. The entire experience was very different - not better or worse - from when one hears Chopin on a modern piano. The pianist also seemed to play in a somewhat different way which I cannot put in words. My teacher suggested that it could be related to the lesser sustain in historical pianos.

          Here are a couple performances on this same piano (not by the same pianist in the concert I went)

          2 months later

          It's absolutely correct that pianos
          made before the Second World War
          had a much more mellow sound than
          new instruments do. The trend
          probably started a little later than the
          1930s, but it peaked in the 1970s
          when some Hamburgs were coming
          out sounding like shattered glass.

          Almost forty years ago, I owned a Chickering 33b 8'4" grand with Brown action and straight-strung plate from the early 1870's, and also have owned uprights from 1912 and 1914, as well as a Chickering Bros. Acoustigrand from 1905. There already was a shift in tonal style from the 1870's to the early 20th century.

          The straight-strung piano had less power in the bass, but a remarkably evenly voiced scale, and a very sonorous, non-percussive tone. The Acoustigrand of 1905 was a 6 foot grand, but had more power than the 8'4" straight-strung instrument.

          I sometimes wish I still had that Chickering 33b, but I don't have a place for it anyway. The tone was still good-- I imagine it had been rebuilt at least once. But the action parts were brittle and non-standard. This meant that a rebuild would have been highly customized and prohibitively expensive. I sold it to an antique piano restorer.

            sweelinck Intriguing! I do wonder if the changes in piano tones were also associated with or even influenced how pianists play the instrument in the modern day.

              My takeaway has been that the development of the iron plate and other developments enabled pianos to provide greater tonal sustain, and more ability to play with a singing tone. But as pianos continued to exhibit greater power, tone tended to become somewhat more percussive, requiring greater technical attention to being able to play with a singing tone.

              I agree with the sentiments expressed here in that I also prefer a less bright tone. I was lucky enough to find a Yamaha C2 that is decidedly less bright than is typical (but with overall good sustain), and I have never regretted purchasing it.

              Maybe it has something to do with the rise of jazz and rock and roll? That kind of music sounds great on a bright piano.

              My impression is that Yamaha's are the piano of choice for many jazz musicians today. In the 1950's and 1960's, top classical pianists generally were Steinway artists, but many top jazz pianists were Baldwin artists. Baldwins of that era had a warmer tone than a Steinway if anything, but close. Baldwin's of that era had a robust bass.

              Anyone can tell which brand of piano that Art Tatum was playing here? From the shape of the side, it looks like a Steinway to me. The tone is kind of mellow.

              It is difficult to gauge from a recording because equalization may be applied in the mastering process after the recording has been cut.

              Vintage piano rolls that are remastered to vinyl or digital also may be modified. Piano rolls also could be (and sometimes were) modified physically to correct defects in the playing that was recorded.