The sounds of the famous French pianos of Pleyel and Erard were described by the legendary pianist-composers Franz Liszt and Frederick Chopin, in a practical sense, for specific circumstantial reasons.
Chopin was fond of Pleyel pianos because of their silvery and somewhat veiled sonority and their easy truth. Chopin himself once said, that when he was in a bad mood he played Erard instruments because of their ready-made sound. But when I am in good spirits and strong enough to find the sounds I want I use Pleyel pianos. 307
A number of contemporary accounts testify to the link between the Pleyel sound and Chopin’s compositions and style of playing. Chopin loved Pleyel grand pianos and played on them in 1841, 1842 and 1848 concerts. Chopin expressed his reasons for preferring Pleyel pianos, explaining that he had more control over the sound than the Erard, whose beautiful tone required less effort, making things too easy.308 Erard [pianos] preferred by Franz Liszt, were less delicate and were deemed better for large halls. Arthur Rubenstein observed in 1904 that the tone of Erards could be tinny compared to the warmer Pleyels and Bechsteins. 309
Whilst discussing the contrasts and likenesses of Ravel and Debussy, Arbie Orenste in comments on the sound of Erard and Bechstein pianos:
Ravel appreciated the rather thin, dry tone of the Erard piano, whereas Debussy preferred the Bechstein, with its thicker, deep sonority. 310
Moving to more recent descriptions of piano tone, jazz pianist composer Chick Corea describes the sound of the Mark Allen piano:
The piano, from the lowest note on the keyboard to the highest, is very clear and sonorous, as opposed to the muddy bass and mechanical, clinky top of most pianos- even the good brands. The low register, if played caressingly, sounds like an organ. The upper sounds like the bells of St Mary’s. 311
307Ates Orga, Chopin his life and times,(Midas Books, 1976), 113.
308Gerard Carter, The Authentic Chopin and Liszt piano tradition, (N.S.W. :Wensleydale Press,2008), 30.
309Charles Timbrell, “PLEYEL, ICANCE-JOSEPH,” in 9 Palmieri, 296.
310Arbie Ornstein, Ravel Man and Musician, (New York: Columbia Universtiy Press, 1975),126.
311Len Lyons, The Great Jazz Pianists, (New York: Da Capo Paperback , 1989), 267.
