I visited the M. Steinert & Sons piano showroom today to play one of Steinway & Sons "Living Legends" pianos. The particular Steinway "Living Legend" piano I played today has been graced by the hands of folks like Bruce Hornsby, Lang Lang, and Diana Krall.
This particular piano is a nine-foot Steinway D. The piano had a responsive touch so that while it would respond to a feather's touch, I felt there would have been room to get a good deal of volume out of it if I were to play more aggressively. For my approach to the piano, that responsive touch was a great asset because it really opens up the dynamic possibilities. Some pianos have a really stiff action: This piano didn't, and it meant my playing could be more fluid.
It was an honor to play that piano, particularly because Bruce Hornsby has long been one of my piano heroes.
Many thanks to Liz Diamond, Elizabeth Wallace, and Vivian Handis at M. Steinert & Sons Pianos, and to Steinway & Sons.
