THE 5 BROWNS AND ART PIANO CASE STEINWAYS take center stage 7:30 p.m. Sept. 1 at Florida State University in Tallahassee. This is going to be a most unusual concert and for those compelled, you may want to make the drive to attend this concert.
The art case pianos come from the collection of Tallahassee entrepreneur and museum owner DeVoe Moore. Here’s the descriptions (provided by FSU’s press release) of the works of art:
Alma Tadema art case Steinway
The Alma Tadema Steinway (replica): Commissioned in 1884, the highly acclaimed artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema designed an instrument so creative and finely crafted; it is considered the “grandest grand piano of all time.” True to the original, this magnificent re-creation captures the glorious elegance of the Victorian Era and introduced the new Legendary Collection honoring the history of the Steinway Art Case piano. Adorned with 2,200 inlay of mother-of-pearl, the piano features an exquisitely hand-carved case, top lid and legs. Above the keyboard is an elaborate rendering of Sir Edward J. Poynter’s classic oil painting, “The Wandering Minstrels.”
White House art case Steinway
The 1903 White House Steinway (replica): One of the most famous and ornate instruments created by Steinway & Sons, the first White House piano (serial no. 100,000) is the third instrument to be reproduced as part of the Legendary Collection — one-of-a-kind re-creations of the most historically significant Steinway pianos. The original is housed at the Smithsonian Institution.
Chihuly Olympia 2 art case Steinway
The Chihuly Steinway – Olympia (from the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics): The Chihuly art case piano by Steinway & Sons, a one-of-a-kind design created by master American glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. The Olympia Model D piano was originally unveiled by Steinway during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The piano’s striking design features winter images, bright Promethean colors representative of the Olympic spirit, a clear glass piano desk and a translucent glass top, the first ever designed for a Steinway piano.
Peace Piano art case Steinway
The Steinway Peace Piano: Created for UNICEF in 2004 and patterned after a historic Steinway concert grand piano that was first exhibited at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. The original piano was designed by Walter Dorwin Teague, the renowned art deco designer from the early 20th century, and after being restored at the Steinway & Sons New York factory it was sent to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it still resides. It is the second instrument produced as part of Steinway & Sons’ Legendary Collection.
500,000th Steinway
The 500,000th Steinway: Created by Wendell Castle in 1987, this piano debuted at Carnegie Hall in 1988 to celebrate Steinway’s 135th anniversary. The piano is decorated with signatures of the living Steinway Artists at the time the piano was built, executed in exotic wood veneers. Steinway Artists Van Cliburn, Vladimir Horowitz and Roger Williams are among the 800 signatures on the piano.
Tickets are FREE, but must be reserved. They become available Wednesday, Aug. 3 by visiting tickets.fsu.edu or by calling 850-644-6500. To read a separate post about these pianos and see the photos, click here.
