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Friday, February 13, 2009

An old piano is an object of beauty


Our piano tuner was in the neighbourhood yesterday.  Since I had to remove every picture, vase, music book, earbud set, metronome, guitar pick, and stray magazine off of the piano, I figured it was a good time to clean the old thing up and make it shine.  
 

It is now 100 years old.  The internal workings are pretty good; it tunes up well and has that big echoing sound that only an old upright can give.  The exterior is pretty beat up though.  A few decades in a church basement will do that.  I'm choosing to call it "character" and think of all the kids who plunked out "Jesus Loves Me" in those chaotic minutes between church and sunday school.  Someday I'll tell you all about this piano becoming part of our home.


I love this.  If I had my way I'd live in a house full of furniture that looks like it could get up and scurry away on evil looking clawed feet.

The details are so special... I don't think you can find this anymore.  New pianos don't look like this, and it'll take another century before they sound like this.  I wish you could hear it.



I don't play piano but my kids do.  They couldn't keep their hands off it last night.  Not only does it look beautiful after being oiled and polished, but it sounded beautiful too.  I don't have to play it to love and appreciate it.  

9 comments:

Unknown said...

That is gorgeous! Thanks for the beauty moment. :)

CindyDianne said...

Absolutely beautiful. It's enough to make wish I had stuck to those dang piano lessons!

Biddie said...

Even though I don't play, I have always wanted a piano. Of course, I would want one that is just like yours.

The Preacherman said...

My Grandad once played piano for The Glenn Miller Orchestra during the war.

He had his own dance band and Miller's pianist caught the flu so my grandad was bussed down from the north and stood in.

I have a pic of my Grandad sitting at the piano with Glenn Miller by his side somewhere.

Must dig it out.

Anonymous said...

Wow, beautiful...awesome piano tuner too.
(say that real fast...piano tuner too, piano tuner too...)

terry said...

i'm sorry, did you say something? i stopped listening after that first pic...

JKB said...

mmmm that first picture is a thing of beauty, all right. :)

Adrienne said...

Realised it's been a while since I've visited! But what an amazing post to visit on. That piano is just gorgeous! I am quite jealous that you have such a thing in your possession! (hope you are doing well, btw, surviving this winter we're having and all that . . .)

marsh to the fore said...

Beautiful, Heidi. Truly a joy to look at. We have a beautiful old piano too. Makes me feel bad knowing it's innards--unlike the ones in your piano--need some special attention, all of which is beyond our capability at this point to deal with. Unless we just do it, and forget the expense. Maybe we will. It has a lot of history--dating as it does to my family home in Minnesota. Good for you for taking such care of your wonderful old piano.