Paul McNulty fortepianos. Part 1/4 (C.Graf, 1819)

V.Sofronitsky piano, S.Istomin cello, fortepiano by Paul McNulty after Conrad Graf, (1782 - 1851), who held from 1824 the title of "Imperial Royal Court Fortepiano
Maker" (" k. k. Hofpiano und Claviermacher").C.Graf was born in Riedlingen (Wurttemberg) and came to
Vienna in 1799 as a joiner. He became a piano builder and opened his own workshop in 1804.
By 1820 his instruments were considered "the greatest and most renowned in Vienna and
throughout the empire." Graf not only supplied instruments to all the apartments of the imperial
court but also provided a pianoforte for Ludwig van Beethoven in 1825. Chopin, Robert and Clara
Schumann, Liszt, Mendelssohn and Brahms held Graf pianos in the highest esteem.

The McNulty instrument is a copy of Graf opus 318 (.1819) from Castle Kozel near Pilzn, Czech
Republic. In this period the pianos of Graf still retained the thin soundboard and light hammers
of the Viennese classical era, with somewhat thicker strings. The fuller tone is nonetheless clear and
projecting, which, coupled with the various expression tops, provides a convincing Schubertian
palette. These pedal effects are: moderator, double moderator, sustaining and una corda.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• V.Sofronitsky
• Viviana
• Sofronitzki
• fortepiano
• piano
• Sergei
• Istomin
• violoncello
• Conrad
• Graf
• romantic
• pianoforte
• hammerklavier
• Franz
• Schubert
• Felix
• Mendelssohn
• Paul
• McNulty

[tunglour]

So clear...

[KV4671]

Pleyel and Erard along the way

Chopin ? Lizst ?

Don't they deserve a voice

[KV4671]

carry on to pleyel and ...