Chopin's own grand piano discovered in Surrey country house
Musicians have always sought to replicate the divine sounds that Frédéric Chopin made on the piano at the height of his powers. Now they have a chance to do exactly that, after the discovery of the composer’s own grand piano, which he brought to England in 1848 for the last great concert tour of his life.
Chopin’s French-made piano disappeared into obscurity after his death, but more than 150 years later it has been tracked down to an English country house.
Two decades ago Alec Cobbe, a collector of antique keyboard instruments, purchased the Pleyel piano for just £2,000. However, it was not until this year that the instrument was revealed to be Chopin’s own beloved instrument, after a remarkable piece of detective work by Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger, one of the foremost Chopin scholars.
Read entire article at Times (of London)
Chopin’s French-made piano disappeared into obscurity after his death, but more than 150 years later it has been tracked down to an English country house.
Two decades ago Alec Cobbe, a collector of antique keyboard instruments, purchased the Pleyel piano for just £2,000. However, it was not until this year that the instrument was revealed to be Chopin’s own beloved instrument, after a remarkable piece of detective work by Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger, one of the foremost Chopin scholars.