BlüthnerModel 190

Blüthner Model 190 — a grand from Leipzig, 190 cm long, black high gloss, shellac polish.

An instrument for the advanced player who wants a grand action and a full bass at home, and for the larger room where a grand is not wedged in but has a place of its own.

Blüthner has been building in Leipzig since the middle of the nineteenth century, and the house is known for its aliquot stringing: in the treble a fourth string, never struck, resonates with the other three. 190 cm falls in the middle of the grand range — far more bass string than any upright, still a long way short of a concert grand. A grand action repeats faster than any upright action, so trills and repeated notes come more readily off the hand. Two pedals: the right holds the note, the left shifts the action and makes the tone quieter and softer. There is no sostenuto pedal — worth knowing beforehand if your repertoire asks for one.

Shellac is a hand polish and wants treating as one: no water, no alcohol, no hot cups, only a soft dry cloth.

At 146 cm wide and 190 cm long the grand needs about 3.5 m² with the stool, and more is better, so that you can walk round it. Not by the radiator, not in the sun: swings in humidity put it out of tune. It weighs 330 kg, and it is moved by piano movers and nobody else: they take off the legs and the lyre and carry it on edge on the board. If you play in the evening and have neighbours, an acoustic grand can have a Silent System fitted, and you play on through headphones.