Let’s talk about these instruments, Viennese and French, and what they require. There are three types of mechanism we will be examining – Erard double escapement, English and Viennese single escapement. These types have their rules, and we can list each one in the sequence of work for concert preparation. My voicing and tuning methods will be demonstrated, also technical aspects of fortepiano care – Keys need attention, and in so doing, removing the keyboard demands caution. Extreme dryness does more than crack the soundboard, and there are details to be examined to resuscitate a poorly kept instrument.
Paul McNulty is a maker of world-famous fortepianos known for their best performance quality. He became interested in instrument building after studying music at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and graduated in piano technology from North Bennet Street Industrial School in Boston, where he earned guild qualification as a tuning examiner.
Paul McNulty made more than 300 fortepianos. His copies of Silbermann, Stein, Walter, Hofmann, Fritz and Graf are used for concerts and recordings in most prestigious concert halls and opera houses, owned by prominent players and leading music institutions, such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Paul Badura-Skoda, Malcolm Bilson, Ronald Brautigam, Warsaw Chopin Institute, Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Paris Opera and Glyndebourne Festival as well as Cornell, Oberlin, Stanford, Harvard, etc.
Paul McNulty was first in modern times to build Pleyel 1830, Boisselot 1846, Streicher 1868 and Chopin’s Warsaw piano, 1826 Buchholtz. Paul McNulty’s current efforts are restoring antique French pianos for the Warsaw Chopin Institute.
The training is paid extra. The participation is only possible once a website application is completed and a 100 EUR/500 PLN advance is settled. The training will be held in English along with an interpretation to Polish. Sign up: tickets.pianocongress.org
Training: 2 September (Friday), 9 AM to 12 PM, The Fryderyk Chopin Institute