Forte-Piano collections in England

A visit to England with FortePiano Masterclasses. Students of Bart van Oort playing and experiencing piano collections at Finchcocks Musical Museum, the Cobbe collection at Hatchlands and the Linda Nicholson collection in London. Filmed and edited by Daniël Brüggen

[@vigokovacic3488]

Great players and outstanding instruments! Bravo!

[@melupiano7118]

It is so sad the Finchcocks Museum does not exist anymore.

[@jamessenior2314]

Yes it's a terrible shame. I went twice in the last few years and they put on wonderful demonstrations and were very happy for people to try the instruments. I really hoped that this sort of thing would be saved for the nation and was very sad to see the contents up for auction.

[@leonardog4529]

Excuse me, I just saw the video and already noticed your comment. Was this entire collection split or bought complete by some institution? What a sad thing.

[@gadrian58]

In fact Finchcocks does still exist the Nichols family bought it and they still continue its musical heritage. But on modern instruments, you can now stay there and enjoy a musical course at the same time. However, 14 of the core historical instruments have been retained and are now situated in nearby Tunbridge Wells were they also continue to provide both concerts and tuition. If music be the food of love, play on!

[@austinpowers343]

@@gadrian58 When I saw the above comment I was so worried for a second that all of the artifacts and items were lost and dispersed separately or something like that. I'm so happy they're still together and somewhere people can appreciate them! Thank you for your comment :)

[@shamsam4]

Fantastic!

[@hhoward14]

What a magnificent video...

[@turidemarcodeeustachijs3926]

Una dimensione di bellezza incommensurabile. Grazie!

[@984francis]

Extraordinary!

[@user-no6ol4sf5l]

The composers were composing with this kind of tone.👍🎹

[@JohnCasteel1333]

I think the radio is so under appreciated today that people completely forget that in Beethoven's time even the rich couldn't listen to music at all without someone or themselves ACTUALLY PLAYING it... I mean it is almost impossible to imagine for most people. Most people could not even stay a week without power, needless to say a month in the countryside without music!!!

[@fatimeeliyeva5069]

Fovorite♡♥

[@hhoward14]

I realise now that it is not a duet, but a Beethoven piece arranged for four hands. I really would like to know more. Many thanks.

[@davidtraveller]

It's the Symphony No. 1

[@joelrigal4622]

and just a transcription of it. They were many during the nineteenth century before record invention, amateurs were used to play piano duets and especially transcription of symphonic works.

[@musicfromthefrederickcolle1433]

Assembling an orchestra is expensive! Often, a composer would publish a four-hand keyboard edition of a symphony, and if enough people played it and heard it, there might be enough demand to publish the orchestral version and get an orchestra together to play it!

[@hhoward14]

Can someone kindly tell me the the name of the piece being played duet at the end. Very many thanks...

[@gergislak6475]

That's Schubert - Fantasia in F minor

[@hhoward14]

Thank you very much indeed. I am listening to Murray Perahia, and Radu Lupu's 1984 recording as I type this now. A happier and wiser man, thanks to you... Best regards from the Isle of skye.

[@88_AC]

Do these keyboards have keys that are narrower than those on modern pianos?

[@musicpianist3190]

What's that piece at 22:32

[@davidtraveller]

It's the finale of the "Waldstein" sonata (C Major op 53)

[@filipbobrowski]

What’s that piece at 24:30?

[@dundomaroje6633]

Schubert fantasy for 4 hands in f minor.

[@man7889]

anyone know piece a 4:29 ?

[@RodCorkin]

arrangement of Beethoven's first symphony

[@man7889]

Rod Corkin thanks so much!

[@Alix777.]

no one plays Haydn :(

[@TAbend]

Of course they do! At least two of them

[@izaacmasters2668]

We do here in Western Australia on Stein and Walter pianos!

[@bricology]

It's painful at about 13:00 to hear the cacophony of multiple forte-pianos being played at the same time in the same space. How can a person playing one possibly get an appreciation for the subtleties of each instrument when they're all playing at once?!

[@geraldparker8125]

One can see these two keyboard players using photocopied music. Have they checked to be certain that it is out-of-copyright?

[@geraldparker8125]

It's the duo at the start of the video to whom I refer

[@syxalite]

Since 1800?? Indeed the copyright didn't drop at all. No way that after 50 years it did.

[@izaacmasters2668]

You really need a fortepiano technician and tuner.