Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. I have a really interesting show for you today. We’re going to be comparing a vintage Steinway concert grand to a much newer Steinway concert grand and listening to the difference. We’ll hear two excerpts of Chopin on these two instruments. Many people have very strong opinions about older versus newer Steinways, and today is a chance for you to listen and decide for yourself.
A Modern Steinway Concert Grand
First up, we have a 2004 Steinway concert grand. It’s all original and barely used. You’ll hear a performance of Chopin’s F-sharp Nocturne on this piano. Take a moment to listen and notice the tone. The piano is dialed in and a pleasure to play, with a clean, responsive sound.
A Vintage Steinway Concert Grand
Next, we turn to a vintage Steinway concert grand from 1916. It has been carefully rebuilt and retains its original soundboard, so the comparison is fair. Here, you’ll hear Chopin’s B-flat minor Nocturne. Listen to the tone and see which piano resonates with you more.
What Makes Each Steinway Unique
No two Steinway concert grands are exactly the same. Each is hand-built, and the woods used throughout the piano are unique because no two trees are alike. Beyond that, every piano benefits from the fine craftsmanship of its makers. Still, there is a general distinction between older and newer Steinways that you can often hear.
Join the Conversation
I’m curious if you can hear the difference between these two pianos. Let’s get a conversation going in the comments here at LivingPianos.com. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Again, I’m Robert Estrin, and thanks so much for joining me!
New vs. Vintage Steinway: What They Don’t Tell You
2 thoughts on “Vintage vs New Concert Grand Steinway: Can You Hear the Difference?”
Thank you for posting this. Those of us who grew up in the world of well restored “golden age” Steinways recognise the sound of the 1916 instrument immediately. Clear, touching, affectionate. Much harder, in some ways, to control, and much less amenable to digital recording, to say nothig of getting likes on you tube played on laptops. I would wager that most people would hear more similarity betwee the 1916 and a superbly voiced Fazioli that the two Steinways. To piano students who have never heard Horowitz live or experienced Pollini just a few years back, well, to try to say there is one sound better or one worse is absurd. The differece, however, between the level of intensity of emotion on the older pianos versus newer, that is indipustable. Missing a note or two on the 2004 with enough pedal, it is all a blur. The difference is so deep and so wide that only threats of lawsuits can make anyone say they are both from the same company. When the secrets of what happened after the war are published, we might know. In the meantime, we are told only Steinway can make a old Steinway new. The aesthetic is too different, so why pretend? This is not marque specific, however. A similar, if less dramatic, tonal difference seems to beset the crafting of most marques of pianos in general. There are many explanations, yet for those of us who remember, merely sadness.
You bring up a lot of good points. Interestingly, Steinway no longer rebuilds pianos in their New York factory. They have a company in Idaho doing their rebuilding.