Steinway D-274 Selection with Leif Ove Andsnes

International pianists, institution representatives and Steinway dealers from all over the world are welcomed in the selection hall of the Hamburg Steinway factory almost daily. They have the opportunity to play several pianos from each model to select their desired instrument. This process is always thrilling, exciting and very special.

[@jeffreymiller4814]

I have a Steinway B since 2006 at my church. It makes me one lucky piano player. I picked it out because it talked back to me just like Leif explained here. There are about 8 other Steinway B pianos in my area. They’re all different. My sweet baby is still my first love.

[@Rockwell21]

*walks up, sits down, plays twinkle twinkle little star* "i'll take it!"

[@pianosenzanima1]

ikr

[@MetaView7]

LOL

[@MetaView7]

@J.G. R. Are you saying I am a prodigy? Thank you.

[@scottishpride7511]

...a few years ago a friend of mine went to Hamburg, Germany to look at how the Steinways were made. He wanted a Model D, in wood grain. Never had he played a piano before, but, was going to learn. Looking at the pianos back home, he sat down and very softly struck notes on each piano in the showroom, not liking any of them. They told him there was one, that had come in from over seas, but, was smaller than he was looking for. Taking him back, he sat down, and this one came alive to him. Thus, his reason for going to Germany. That man had a Model D made in traditional Mahogany, from Hamburg, Germany. He made a room just for it, and gets up and plays two hours every morning, from 4-6 am. Few people ever see it. But, nothing else matters when he plays. Now, as he travels he plays all kinds of pianos made by those that place them out there for the general public. People are amazed at his playing. Yet, in private, that one model D is alive, and talks to him, and takes him on wonderful adventures. HIS wife sets and listens for hours as he plays, and calls it one of the best things she ever did for her husband. Me, my wife and I are looking at a model D. I to will have it made in Hamburg, Germany. There is something about a Steinway made in Germany that stands alone from all others. And trust me, when i get it home, Steinway will be there to make it come alive, for that is what they do. Once in a lifetime, man comes together to create something out of the ordinary, Steinway does such that. Sit down to one, and it takes you away to far off places, to be able to dream, and for many, to play something that ascends into the Halls of Heaven, to thank GOD our Father for all HE has done. Living the Dream ScottishxPride Texas.

[@pianosenzanima1]

Amen, brother!

[@chanelw9408]

I don’t know if you know how very right you are. Thank you!

[@Guidussify]

I am really impressed that someone who never played a piano would begin by buying a Steinway model D. I guess if you have the resources, then go for it.

[@Kougeru]

I love these kind of videos.

[@thetruth-xu6rs]

puts me to sleep

[@user-gf5rm8qt4w]

Делайте перевод

[@67Dragonball]

I visited the Steinway Hall in London recently. After months of wanting to experience a Steinway D-274 myself I was blown away during my visit. I can get at what this guy is on about. There were about six or seven D-274's lined up together along with the smaller models in a back room which I went to, and each one seemed to bring a whole new tone and identity to the pieces I played on each one. Of course, I don't play pieces identically every time, but the iconic resonance that Steinway & Sons that is always mentioned in promotional videos and such seem to be sort of non-existant to me. The D-274's which I am so grateful I got the chance to play made me truly realise that while they are all made using the same high quality measurements and materials under that one year construction time, piano's can all portray their own identity and make you hear and feel new meaning to pieces you are so use to commonly playing on digital pianos in schools and such. A newfound appreciation for Steinway & Sons developed for me that day, and I am glad I can relate to a renowed pianist such as Leif :)

[@Zdrange03]

"but the iconic resonance seems to be non-existant to me". Confused... it seems to contradict the point of your comment? 🤔

[@educapro]

Ahhh...the Steinway. Especially the Model B, responsive, very clean, brilliant with just the right warmth without being to too warm. I was impressed with the Model B, from the Steinway Company that I played in Dallas off of I-75. Wow.

[@davidbee8178]

Fascinating how a fantastic musician goes about choosing a fantastic piano!

[@EstrayOne]

and by absolute pure coincidence it's the one that's smack dab in the middle of all the grands standing shoulder to shoulder in a small room...

[@EmdrGreg]

You know, I LOVE Steinway, I REALLY love piano in general, and Andsnes is one of my all-time favorites. But, with a lot of good-hearted cheer, I would almost put money on this: If after the selection the pianos were re-arranged and he was asked to choose again, he would almost certainly choose a different piano.

[@benedictdsilva3954]

Beautiful.... A good resonant bass warm tenor and clear treble ..... Not thin or tubby or harsh... I call it and tell my students the ' blue sound'...

[@hannahblind]

one day I will have a steinway

[@philosophicallyspeaking6463]

Where a piano is situated within the room is as critical to how it sounds in the room as is the player's physical 'receipt' of the sound (not to be confused with their psychological 'perception' of it) relative to 'their' own placement in the soundstage, which is as much generated by the room (as it is obligated by it) as it is the piano. Ask a recording engineer, or seek out the sound of familiar instruments playing in anechoic chamber. The distance to and from the walls, floors and ceilings (boundaries) are of crucial significance (only a room with a sufficiently high ceiling, like a concert hall, is able to act sufficiently as it were an open space) because those surfaces variably reflect and absorb 'sound, reinforcing some frequencies and absorbing others relative to that distance. Inches make a difference. Its physics!

[@Patrick_B687-3]

Its like other stringed instruments. Play ten of the best ever made, and one will stand out above the others. To various people. Someone equally talented and knowledgeable might choose the one he didn't like, and both artists would be correct. It is subjective.

[@Ahldor]

2:46 that is just silly. Those notes are just tapping my spine in the right way. I am sure this is exactly what piano sound the movie makes in Hollywood would like to have in their movies. It is like the piano tells a story of its own. It certainly points out a direction for us.

[@SpaghettiKillah]

The mere placement of a piano by a few meters in the room changes the acoustics COMPLETELY. Try moving your speakers in the livingroom and see how much the sound changes !! Some frequencies get a +3db BOOST just by shifting the sound source (speaker or piano) inside the room. That's what they're hearing here...differences in room acoustics not in pianos. I can't believe educated people like them haven't figure this out yet. The differences in pianos are a magnitude tinier than the differences heard because of room acoustics. For a real fair evaluation each piano should be tested IN THE SAME POSITION inside the room, or at least facing each other in the middle of the room.

[@ff516]

SpaghettiKillah, I am totally with you. as we say here in Italy, yours are "parole sante" = holy words!

[@samothchipmah2407]

Of course he knows that, he is a professional and he knows how to select the right one because he did it already 1000x. What people not seem to know is that every piano is different intonated by hand. There are no two equal pianos. And that has nothing to do with the position. Of course the position changes the accoustic but you still can hear how the hammers are intonated and how the tone developes . Thats what counts here.

[@user-zy8tl4to8t]

Каждый инструмент индивидуален, и это хорошо.

[@studentjohn35]

There was an occasion when two well-intentioned music professors went to Hamburg to pick out a D274 for their university, and ended up picking the worst, most problem prone concert grand ever (out of more that a dozen other examples. all superb instruments) because their choice had "character". 8 years later Weissenberg tried it out and said it was no good.

[@robertvasi]

Precisely, I want my piano to be neutral, I want my soul to be reflect in its sound, nothing more.

[@PianoUniverse]

Love leif Rach 3...

[@edwardferdon2161]

+PianoUniverse he is also i think the best to play grieg first piano concerto.

[@51Dss]

but will it be the same after it is disassembled, crated and moved then uncrated reassembled and tuned and adjusted in its new location? If the differences are so subjective and subtle in the showroom how can you know those subtle characteristics will not change in transportation and new set up.

[@JoeLinux2000]

A lot has to do with the room it's in.

[@the_daily_ping]

Andsnes is a total pro. He’s played enough concerts and on enough concert pianos to be able to foresee which sound will work for him. He a really nice guy too.

[@vangmx]

Well, if you're paying over $50,000-100,000 for a grand piano, I guess it's ok to be picky. Haha. For me, I'm no concert pianist but I'd still go for any of the Steinway pianos that this guy said which lacked "soul" or "personality". :P

[@OriginalPuro]

It's not just OK to be picky at his level, it's required.

[@oysteinsoreide4323]

Meng Xiong The pianos are rather in the $300.000-$400.000 range

[@vangmx]

I highly doubt these models(very likely the Model D) are from $300-400k range. New Steinway Model D pianos are expensive but not THAT expensive. Checking online, the MSRP starts around at 150k USD. A used Model D can be bought around 100k or less. www.quora.com/How-much-does-a-Steinway-Concert-Grand-newly-manufactured-Model-D-cost

[@donkgated8074]

@@vangmx That's the price of NY Steinway D. Hamburg Steinways like in this video are more expensive, over $200k.

[@vangmx]

@@donkgated8074 Yes, the Hamburg Steinways are definitely priced a lot higher than the NY made counterparts. Of course, many people who have played both will comment choosing over the Hamburg models. Nonetheless, my point is that for someone like me (and perhaps most pianists) who are not a professionals, we'd go for any Steinway. :)

[@mikhaelamores5559]

I want a steinway for free

[@chrisaxell5897]

+Mikhael Amores Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Snapchat and subscribe to me on youtube and you have a chanse to join my lottery. The winner wins a Steinway and sons piano, theire pick!

[@thetruth-xu6rs]

It's a joke...as a employee.. they give you 15% discount and even with that special " discount" the employees can't even come close in touching the price

[@dustoff85]

Another Millennial... they all want something for nothing. Go back into your mothers basement with Donkey Kong U AH

[@keithcitizen4855]

Good luck son, nice gee up line though.

[@potatis97]

@@dustoff85 If you are born 85 then you are in the Millennial group.

[@louisshambarger2230]

My mother taught music. She said you should select the size of the piano to fit the room. Her piano was a Hallet & Davis. Her Granddaughter, my niece has had it restored. It is in her home now. I don’t know how old it is. Her dad bought it for her in 1920 - 1930?

[@nathanwilliam3208]

3:49 Victor Sullivan from Uncharted

[@Beyondabsence]

I love the Steinway signature sound and I own a 1945 M. But have always wondered why the great majority of the most reputable classical pianists choose Steinway. Is it aggressive marketing, or simply the fact that some of the best Steinways are indeed superior in ways that even the artist might not be able to describe.. Bosendorfer, Shigeru Kawai, Bechstein, Fazioli, Yamaha, Schimmel, so many others...

[@theswissmusic]

If I only could also set a label with one word "selected" - I would be the happiest man on this planet..... ;-). Auch wenn ich nicht perfekt spiele - so höre ich, dass Steinway unschlagbar im Klang ist - ein Klang wie eine Rose.....

[@cheryls8460]

What is the price range for a Steinway?

[@nicholasfox9371]

How much is the price of a Stienway and Sons piano in $ and Indian currency respectively... I own a Yamaha Grand Piano and i just wanted to know the price of that beautiful piano

[@9sbth]

+Nicholas Fox $189K for a 9'. 12,592,125 rupee.

[@aqilmaulana740]

I Lovd piano since I heard sound of steinway & sons piano

[@ratjejumbo]

what is the piece he is playing on 1:40 or is it just improvisation?

[@joaolibanomonteiro2285]

It's a Grieg Piece. Lyric Pieces Book IX, Op.68 - 5. At the cradle. Check here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j17Re62Apr6Yb8k

[@ratjejumbo]

@@joaolibanomonteiro2285 I'm grateful. Thanks.

[@terrymusenliu5343]

What song did he play?

[@kunoknollenbuddler2167]

Ich wäre so dermaßen aufgeschmissen ... ach herrjeh.

[@booksmusic5595]

What piece is he playing?

[@vetlenr8828]

+Books & Music A lyrical piece by Grieg.

[@colinmurphy2214]

Books & Music piece @ 0:40 is Beethoven's 4th concerto

[@ScaramouchedaVinci]

It also depends on the right voicing. It is often very different and often not very good. Many piano makers don't learn that voicing at all. You build an instrument for 80,000 euros and then the voicing is the decisive factor and it is only good instead of very good. I have observed very often. And the pianist or buyer thinks it's the instrument.

[@johnbanach3875]

How is that done? The voicing.

[@ScaramouchedaVinci]

@@johnbanach3875 @ Thats voicing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6XOho1_nZ6oeMk

[@johnbanach3875]

And I found this. www.pianolifesaver.com/english/blog/so_what_is_voicing

[@user-rt5he6qr1d]

Friends, if no one likes some Steinway, then I am ready to take this freak to my house for free at the end of the year. I'll take it out at my own expense.

[@HOLLBIE]

3:56 Richter is not impressed...

[@Torebordalpiano]

Very nice comment

[@ilovegongsmygongsongs2094]

They should have recorded this with Binaural Mikes

[@axleylefennec]

Keppy

[@Ithilion]

Isn't this selection falsified by the fact that the pianos are all scattered in different parts of the room (acoustics and such)? PS: i don't even play piano, ended up here by wandering through KZbin.

[@oysteinsoreide4323]

Ithilion Because the room is very large and even. The room effect will be almost equal for all pianos.

[@winterheat]

customer: can you take my two Ferraris out in the parking lot and give me the piano? owner: hm... ok...

[@minjielin6136]

what's song in 3:33 min

[@gtimny]

Edvard Grieg - Lyric Pieces, Op. 68, No. 5

[@DrDLL99]

"Lack a soul, a tone.." yeah whatev

[@juliaharding7564]

Stupid

[@KoMar551]

Lol at these guys in the back listing to the "piano has projection" bullshit shaking their heads beining like just cut the crap, pick one and give us the 💶💶💶💶💶

[@cristiangately2478]

this men is much betteter that lang lang

[@wotan10950]

I’m just a lowly amateur, but when I decided to buy a grand piano, I couldn’t afford a Steinway. A technician friend knew what sound I wanted, so he chose five pianos in his studio that I could audition. I disliked three of them immediately. The fourth one was very nice, but he told me to try the old Sohmer next to it. I said, it looks a little beaten up, doesn’t it? But he said to just try it. I sat down and couldn’t believe it. The piano just sang to me. I said, you don’t even have to play it, just press the right notes and it plays itself!

[@noreaction1]

Why is there such a difference between the same make and model?

[@colinmurphy2214]

noreaction All the work is done by hand and use highly variable organic materials, thus it varies slightly. These slight variances are what give it "personality"

[@2000daffa]

Did it reach her?

[@stephen3715]

Damn dude...I didn't plan on getting hit by the feels train coming here. Thanks.

[@TheDhDario]

YOU! NO! Not now ! :/

[@consciousanimusic9293]

Nooooooo

[@Hannah-ts8pu]

P

[@mollies13]

Now i see what how why select different.... Some song are not perfect. Example i have casio keyboard vs yamaha and some song i play arent quite there. classic music canon d sound more alive on my casio but on my yamaha anime to radio music sound better on yamaha.

[@tonyspade3447]

Rather get a cfx Yamaha

[@mariosmarios9143]

So he played all the pianos and when he had an obsession I think with one he bought it...I mean they are all the same!!!

[@krisptea]

Actually every Steinway & Sons piano are vastly different from each other in voicing and tone.

[@samothchipmah2407]

Every one is different. This is mostly handmade with nature products like wood and felt where for example the hammers are made from and every instrument is different intonated in many many ways. The differnece can be so huge that not only professionals hear it.

[@mariosmarios9143]

@@samothchipmah2407 I understand now....

[@Gearsandco]

this guy thinks like me this is the first time that i see a person which understand me

[@pianosenzanima1]

what if they send him another piano for the concert...he wouldn't have a clue LOL

[@samothchipmah2407]

says the clueless.

[@albertpeckham8708]

I think that a piano that doesn't growl and snarl, is not worth owning.

[@DrDLL99]

I bet if you switch those pianos around he'd have picked a different one and different comments for each piano

[@DrDLL99]

@J.G. R. and you do?

[@DrDLL99]

@J.G. R. None of that makes him an expert in the physicality of piano itself. You can be the world's greatest pianist and not know a thing about how the thing works (although not likely). And it shows in the video. None of his "critiques" about the pianos were grounded in reality and completely lacked merit. He's just getting paid to give peace of mind and generate press.

[@DrDLL99]

@J.G. R. Never wanted to talk to you in the first place

[@juliaharding7564]

@@DrDLL99 You are talking nonsense 👎

[@knutholt3486]

The pianist is Norwegian, and like most Norwegians he goes straight to an American producnt of whatever one is to buy instead of considering other marks, Boesendorfer, and surely others. I am Norwegian myself, and I think this bias is regretful. But I cannot argue against his choise between those pianos he tried there in that room, though. The place he visited may be in Hamburg, but still this is a company with the politically correct American association for a Norwegian to choose.

[@Hervinbalfour]

It must also be pointed out that he is a Steinway artist and is under contract to only play a Steinway in exchange for a free piano to use for performances while on tour. Hence the reason Steinway is a household name. I personally now prefer a Bosendorfer and a Steingraeber Phoenix.

[@jpeyton62]

@@Hervinbalfour Played a friend's Bosendorfer which was a bit more expensive than my B and much preferred my Steinway. The next year, he sold his Bosendorfer and bought a Steinway as well.

[@albertpeckham8708]

Excuse me but none have the "cojones" to be a real Steinway.

[@9sbth]

Whatever.

[@Ivan11989]

Выпендрежник. Пришел пыль в глаза бросать, типа он может из одинаковых моделей выбрать. Пфф

[@goodman1127]

This guy must be stupid saying Steinway grand pianos have no soul and personality choosing one. Another artists will choose another Steinways and each of them will be admiring each item because every Steinway will be sold

[@donkgated8074]

When your name is Leif Ove Andsnes, you have every right to choose a piano as he pleases.

[@donkgated8074]

@@zcrosshairsymbol Because his name is Leif Ove Andsnes, he can do things only very few professional pianists can only dream of. If you can't appreciate that and think Mr Andsnes can't be picky about the piano he chooses, I think Lady Gaga's music will be more to your liking.

[@martinevensen406]

Andsnes kix ass on the piano!

[@carlhopkinson]

Sounds like Greig....ugh...depressing.

[@briannumme9337]

Carl Hopkinson of course it’s depressing...he’s Scandinavian!

[@miscellanyman263]

This is so silly. He can surely afford to have his own instrument and travel with it, as Horowitz did. Why rely on an instrument that is unfamiliar to your very own touch?

[@biltztom2685]

I am sure that all the pianos are perfectly identical.

[@CarlosSandovalBerlin]

At least in this video or this cut, so many factors nor considered by the pianist: hammer-shanks intonation, damper performance, higher keys consistency, una-corda pedal consistency at all ranges... in all higher region-choirs: every solo string testing: (left center and right) for sound transparency, cleanness... and other many factors.... but no: he plays a "nice" bunch of notes, and then he decides which one is the "soul" of the piano he likes: This s just blah blah, snobbishness an a clear signal of piano-tech ignorance. IT IS OBVIOUS EACH INSTRUMENT IS DIFFERENT, you are not buying an IKEA's bed. The best concert grand should comply with both acoustic character and technical perfection.

[@haraldbjthunem4059]

What an incredible arrogance from Carlos S - pretending to know more about playing piano than LOA. ( LOA is second to none) This is very clear and easy to understand . LOA is having a concert in NY. He is invited by Steinway to choose instrument for the evening. So he does.