Dear George,
Thank you for the kind words, I hope you have a very nice Easter too!

And you never cease to amaze and delight me! That information about Bosendorfer pianos is very interesting. Even more interesting is that Feurich piano. I have not heard of it before. Is it a costly piano? Like in the range of Steinways/Bosendorfers/Faziolis? And you know I am going to Paris in September, so I will certainly be on the lookout for Feurich pianos!

On a sort of different note, I just watched a movie tonight titled, "Midnight in Paris". Have you seen it? It's charming and right up my alley - about romance and time travel in Paris.


(I also wish everybody else here a Happy Easter )

Dear Monica, I hope you'll encounter a Feurich on your epic trip. In the 1990s, Feurich was priced like a Grotrian or an August Förster, more expensive than Schimmel, but ~ 30% less than Steinway.

Thank you for the movie suggestion! I love movies that take place in old cities like Rome or Paris - past or present. It adds so much culture and fascination to any plot. I have not seen Midnight In Paris. I am always ordering movies, so I'll have to add it to my list. Isn't there another Woody Allen movie that takes place in Paris too, I can't remember. I bet there are 50 movies, but the one's I remember seeing are Paris Je T'Aime, Amelie, Da Vinci Code, La Vie En Rose, Ronin, Rush Hour 3 (briefly), and Bourne Identity. And the latest one I bought was Hugo - a totally different twist for Martin Scorsese. I am sure your anxious for your trip, but, you know what? I heard that the best movie about Paris is yet to be released... In 5 months, it is you that will be starring in your own movie by walking along magical streets, hearing amazing stories, and discovering the fine institutions of Paris. You'll be limited only by one's imagination. Indeed, you will also go back in time with your own adventures and discoveries to last you a lifetime...

BTW, I just received a bunch of "music" movies last week: Paganini's Daemon, Pianomania, Khachaturian, and Mozart's Sister. I saw Mozart's Sister a few days ago. It's mostly a true story of Nannerl, W. A. Mozart's older sister, and how she challenges the social order with her own ambition of becoming a female composer in the 1770s. It chronicles the family's visit to the court of France. I didn't know much about her story, but I liked the movie as it was different from anything that I have seen. The movie is in French, with English subtitles and contains charming period cinematography.

George

I hope you like it. I like it so much that I want to watch it again. It's showing on Starz On-Demand right now if you have cable...?

I know I have seen several movies filmed in Paris, too, but all I can think of right now is "Moulin Rouge" and "Les Miserables".


That makes me laugh a little bit because just two nights ago, I was having trouble sleeping and turned on the tv around 3:00 in the morning and randomly started watching the Home Shopping Network. They were selling an HD camcorder and next thing you know, I bought one! lol

I didn't know there was a movie about Khachaturian. And please let me know if you like "Pianomania". I've been meaning to watch Mozart's Sister too, so now I'll get that one also.

OK Monica, it's done! I ordered Midnight in Paris, along with Un Coeur en Hiver (A Heart in Winter); Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring (which I've seen, but it's nice to have in the library); and Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol - I am a guy after all. I am curious about A Heart in Winter because I heard the violinist plays on a Vuillaume, and I'd like to compare its tone with mine. You know some of the best romantic movies I've seen have been Masterpiece Classics on PBS. Don't laugh, the British acting is superb - on a much higher standard than Hollywood to the point that it defies gender stereotypes about film genre. Some of Jane Austin's and Charles Dickens' novels which have been made to movies are all exceptional productions!

Ooh yes, I forgot about Les Mis! You mentioned the movie Moulin Rouge... Never mind the movie, I strongly urge you book the show AND dinner combo at the Moulin Rouge as soon as you arrive! It's not what you think, believe me, you'll have such a fun time. The dinner is decent and the show is an unbelieveable spectacle! Remember to order a bottle of wine too (no single glasses here ). Check the weather for a cloudy/rainy night, then pre-book as the shows can sell out.

The film on Khachaturian is a documentary, not a movie I think. I haven't opened Pianomania either, but I'll let you know about each one in a different thread.

It looks like you're on your way with your new HD camcorder. Street Lights! HD Camera! Action Paris!.......

George, I didn’t know you play violin too!! Wow!!

Yes, I will do the show and dinner at the Moulin Rouge – with a bottle (or two!) of wine (oh my gosh, I can’t wait – I get so excited when I think about all this... )

And speaking of movies, I think you must be clairvoyant or something because I am right now today watching a movie (while I commute on the train) called “Becoming Jane”. Also, last Sunday I finished watching Masterpiece theater’s “Great Expectations”. Isn't that amazing?

Is it not funny: I lived three years in Paris and I never went closer to the Moulin Rouge than Sacre Coeur, even though I did contemplate renting a flat on Montmartre. That goes also for the Follies Bergère. I did tour the Opéra, however (the do offer guided tours, but not down the undereground where allegedly the phantom lived), and attended many concerts of the Paris Symphony Orchestra and was on the island that was painted both my Monet and Renoir (Le Moulin de la Galette - a very nice walk, though I very much doubt I would be able to find my way there again). I also visited the district where Edith Piaf was born and lived for a time (in my cousin's flat - she is an American) near the Elysée Palace and around the corner from where Poulenc was born. Also the small museums were no tourist goes I visited: the Nissim de Camondo and the Musée de la Vie Romantique - at the latter I attended a concert in the garden. I worked in one of he few areas to have escaped almost uncathed from the "modernising" fury of Napolen III and his sidekick Hausmann: The Marais, where the Picasso museum will certainly turn any hater of Picasso into an enthusiast.

As for films, no one has mentioned An American in Paris. By the way, did anyone know that Gene Kelly had broken his ankle in 1949? This did not stop him from becoming famous in the 1950s as a vigorous dancer.

Actually Monica, I began the violin and piano around the same time. It kept me off the streets.

Two bottles of wine?! That's the spirit!

OMG, I couldn't turn the TV off last Sunday until 11pm - Great Expectations was indeed another winner! Downton Abbey was great too, even though one couldn't savor the ending just a tad longer. I haven't seen Becoming Jane, but sounds similar to Jane Austin Regrets that was bundled in a BBC boxed set with Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion. There are also two wonderful Pride and Prejudice films, one with Keira Knightly and Mathew MacFayden. But the other one with Colin Firth (BBC) is longer and goes deeper into the character and plot. I've always appreciated that Charles Dickens is one of the greatest authors, but the BBC is rendering these beautiful novels with such artistry that even a muscle head can appreciate them. Leave it to Dickens to tell a great story, albeit a romantic one - My favorite film adaptation is Little Dorrit that aired last year. It's like "watching" Brahms' Op. 117/2 and Schubert's Gretchen am spinnrade. I bought 2 sets - I am leaving the other one as a gift - it's that magnificent! Too bad, they didn't release it on Blu-ray. Such films look fantastic and so detailed on Blu-ray with all the castles, art, architecture, etc. Have you noticed that these films are not popcorn caliber films... They are best savored with a glass of wine and cheese.

@Richard - Oh yes, I forgot about "An American in Paris". And no, I didn’t know that about Gene Kelly. Wow!

Regarding the Opera - Do they let you go underground where the "Phantom" lived? That would be very neat! I plan on seeing the Catacombs when I’m there. The Musée de la Vie Romantique is also on my list of places visit too because of the Chopin/Sand connection:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e ... Romantique

@George - Ohhh, you’re making me hungry!!

I was also hooked on Downton Abbey. Can’t wait for the next season! "Sense and Sensibility" and "Emma" are another of my favorites. But my most favorite is "Pride and Prejudice". I have also seen both versions and I always like Colin Firth, but I really loved the version with Keira Knightly and can watch it over and over… I like the music in it too and bought the piano book. Lovely pieces – I someday want to record a couple of them, although I don’t know what I’d do with them afterwards...

I somehow missed the film "Little Dorrit". I’ll definitely look it up now, though….Thanks for the tip!

That's easy. With your new HD camcorder, you can use it for the soundtrack when you video Mr. Darcy's "Pemberley" home when touring through Derbyshire in the English countryside. Perhaps on your next trip?...

I am doing something similar soon with a local project. I've set aside time in July to take 1080p footage and merge it with recorded improvisations inspired from Cape Cod and the Islands. I can't wait to see the sunsets over Hyannisport and Nantucket. I photograph these places every year, but I'd like to do it in HD this time!

That sounds like a real fun project, George! Your own photographs/video AND your own music....that's so neat!! Maybe I can do something similar with all the Chopin sites I plan on photographing when I'm in Paris, but it won't be as cool as your project because it won't be MY own music. I wonder what I could use as piano background music for the Rome leg of my trip. For some reason, I'm drawing a blank...

Anyway, I hope I can one day see YOUR video!

Thanks, Monica. I'll let you know when it's completed.

Regarding one's "own music:" Music is an extension of one's soul, whether one is creating through composing or recreating through performance. I think recordings reflect YOUR music inside either way.

How many legs are you growing for this trip? Well, I guess 2 legs are enough - I forgot about Rome. That's a lot because it's so far from Paris. As for soundtracks, anything from Scarlatti or Clementi might not have strong bearing to the national character of Italian/Roman music. I think transcriptions from famous arias (Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti), tarantellas, Italian folk songs, film scores, are all fair game for a soundtrack. It might just come down to finding a good piano arrangement. Good Luck!

Maybe three legs(I'm a tripod...haha), because I'm also going to Venice. But that's only for two days. Then another five days in Rome. Scarlatti and Clementi for background music - of course - I should have thought of that! (duh to me).

But guess what, George? Today I played a Feurich piano! My piano group had a get together down in the city, and on the ground floor of the building where we meet is a piano store. I know the owner and so I went in to talk with him and the first piano that caught my eye was a Feurich. And it has four pedals! My friend demonstrated how the sustain pedal actually sustains harmonics when applied and in varying degrees depending on how far the pedal is depressed. Anyway, it was a beautiful piano - I didn't play it very much because I didn't have a lot of time and wanted to play the gigantic Fazioli too (it had four pedals too) (what's with these four-pedal pianos? I've never heard of them before until today...). Anyway, in a couple months I'll be back in his store and will make more time to play the Feurich. Isn't that a neat coincidence?

I was initially going to suggest Mendelssohn’s Venetian Boat Song yesterday, but I didn’t know that Venice was also in your itinerary until now. Wow! There is so much to see, do, tell, hear, and buy in Venice… Its allure can be enjoyed at all hours. I had a relative who was the Abbot of San Lazzaro, an island monastery in the lagoon of Venice. It's the same one that Lord Byron stayed at in his adventures. Venice was/is a magical place to visit. With its 400 canals and before GPS, I got lost in the city once, and the only thing that guided me back was the direction and sound of a particular church bell. Good thing I love bells and can discern sound, otherwise it would have been a long night on someone’s steps.

I don’t know if the surprise is in the charm, or the charm is in the surprise?... Perhaps the stars were in perfect alignment yesterday for you to discover a Feurich?... Regardless, I can’t think of a better venue on a Saturday afternoon than visiting a charming Piano Shoppe On The Left Bank of L. Michigan. You're so lucky to share quality time with a nice “Piano Group." Pianists here in NE are different and I'll leave it at that. Were these 9ft pianos? Are they for sale? Are there any Hamburg Steinways in your area too? If I were ever to get another piano, I would consider a 9'er and call it day, a year, or a lifetime.

From what I've played on, if a piano has good sustain, dynamics, and balance, you really don’t need a 4th pedal. It’s supposed to enhance clarity, dynamics, and sustain at the fringe ranges of the piano by a mechanism that links to the agraffe bridge. Nonetheless, its a curious discovery. Life is full of wonderful surprises - I certainly hope you will go back to your friend's shoppe and continue where you left off by playing those pianos some more. Please keep me informed of your experiences...

That's a nice story. I'm glad you found your way back. I will try to look for the San Lazzaro monastery. I don't know where anything is in Venice; I'm staying at a hotel on St. Marks Square, that's all I know...




Have you read that book, "The Piano Shoppe on the Left Bank"? I bet you have. It's a charming book, isn't it?
Yes, the pianos in my friend's shop are 9-footers. I don't know about Hamburg Steinways for sale in my area, but I can ask my friend next time I am in his store. Regarding the four-pedal pianos - I think they are pretty neat, but honestly I don't really need another pedal. Maybe if I had nothing to do all day, I'd sit at that kind of piano and experiment.

One little note about the HD video camera I just bought: I'm returning it! I learned a good lesson: "Don't turn on a shopping television station in the middle of night and right away purchase whatever they happen to be selling at the time." I don't know what I was thinking....
Oh well, now I am back to looking for another camera. It's okay, though, I have some time so I don't have to rush.

Want a good guide? DK Eyewitness Travel Guides are fantastic for European destinations. Buy one for each region you visit:
http://www.amazon.com/DK-Eyewitness-Tra ... -1-catcorr

Here's the one for Rome:
http://www.amazon.com/DK-Eyewitness-Tra ... -1-catcorr

By staying in the Piazza itself you'll be situated in a great central location for everything, even the pigeons. When the time comes, let me know and I can give you more info and deals about the city and the surrounding Veneto. To get to the island of San Lazzaro, you'll have to take Vaporetto #20. From the Piazza, take a left at the Columns of San Marco and walk by the Doge's Palace, go over 2 bridges along the Riva degli Schiavone (quayside promenade), until you get to San Zaccaria (central vaporetto station). It's located right in front of the Vittorio Emanuele II statue (king mounted on a horse). So many things to see...
I am sure you'll see all the major sites, but if you're thinking of buying fine Murano glass, I suggest Vecchia Murano Glass Factory - very close - walk along Calle Larga San Marco, the street behind St. Mark's Basilica, and it's the building as soon as you go over the bridge. You'll need a reference or appointment to get in, but if you're interested, I'll PM you the name of the guy to ask for at the door.

Sorry to hear about your HD camcorder. If you want a very good consumer HD camcorder, the Panasonic TM700 and TM900 have excellent sharpness, color, white balance, and are a good value. I might buy one for my mom since she still uses her Sony DV Hi8. Don't rush because there's going to be a glut of HD models due to be released. Just give yourself 1 month to get really comfy with the new unit before the trip.

Yes, I was alluding to the charming book see that Chicago is also on the left bank of the Lake. I think you should write your own book about such piano adventures. I think I'd like to meet your friend with the 9'er pianos. Bad timing, Zoinks, I am buying a new car!

Good Luck!