STEINWAY TO HEAVEN

In November 2022 we celebrated the arrival of a new Model B Steinway Grand Piano with a inaugural concert in the Beldam Hall featuring both staff and pupils from Repton and Repton Prep. February saw Celebration Concert 2 – a Duet Recital.

Catherine Milledge has worked as a professor in both Cardiff University and the Royal Welsh College of Music, and a number of pianists from Repton and Repton Prep were lucky enough to benefit from her teaching expertise at first hand in an afternoon Masterclass. The evening’s concert provided an unrepeatable opportunity to hear the School’s two Steinways together, before the older Model C instrument was relocated to Pears School and replaced in the Beldam Hall by our new Model B - so this was a momentous and magical occasion, with two top instruments and players to match.

The first half was a series of classical duets between Catherine Milledge and Mr Owens, including Rondo in A Major by Schubert, and a duet arranged from the usual quatrain Danse Macabre by Saëns. This was just wonderful playing. Ms Milledge and Mr Owens captured the character of the pieces exquisitely and created a depth of feeling that captivated the audience. Seeing the two Steinways together was a truly fantastic sight. It almost felt a bit melancholy knowing it would be the last time they were played together.

The second half showcased school talent. Performers from Repton Prep blew the audience away with a beautiful duet of Zum Gali Gali, a traditional Israeli piece, rhythmically played by Betsy W and Callista R. This was followed with a duet from Prep pupils Darcy P and Pheonix Z of Puccini’s O Mio Babbino Caroas Mr Owens rightly said, instantly recognisable from the first note. It was beautifully played and was a lovely duet that captured the operatic nature of the piece. Next were Martha and Sophie H, performing MacDowell’s To a Wild Rose – a soft piece played with lyricism and sensitivity.

Catherine Milledge then duetted with senior pupils. She and Christina M collaborated beautifully on Debussy’s En Bateau, a complex piece that had dynamic and sudden twists as well as conjuring up a tranquil atmosphere. This was followed by Faure’s Berceuse, performed with Louis A – another calming and magical piece. The night finished with Chopin’s Rondo in C Major performed by the professionals –dramatic, majestic, and a great flourish on which to end the night.

It was a perfect concert full of wonderful playing and uplifting repertoire, and it was a fantastic last hurrah for the Steinways to be played together.

Scarlet B (11A)

As a ‘Steinway School’, pianists also had the amazing opportunity to perform at the Steinway Hall – their UK headquarters – in London.

This trip was an incredible experience. Steinways are the most famous pianos in the music world, widely regarded as the very best. Each instrument is manufactured to the very highest standard and every has a different personality – no two are the same. Some play better as a solo instrument and others as an ensemble instrument, and Steinway and Sons help to propel the piano in its desired path. Many of the world’s most accomplished pianists have owned a Steinway, including Sergei Rachmaninoff and Lang Lang.

On arrival we were warmly greeted by Keith Glazebrook, Steinway Technician and Program Manager, to begin our tour. Firstly, we learnt about the history of the company’s founder Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, aka Henry Steinway. His love of music had first developed as a young army bugler and his first creation was a harp-like instrument called a lyre, which ultimately became the logo for Steinway and Sons. Mr Glazebrook showed us a Spyrio piano. This is an incredible machine: the pianist plays their piece and then the piano plays it back to them, so you can hear your own playing exactly as you performed it and watch the keys moving.

Then we were able to see something of the manufacturing process. Every piano is built with the finest materials and the optimum size and structure to ensure that they produce the very best sound. The pianos are made of spruce wood that has been dried naturally for two years, the strings are pulled carbon, and construction for a single instrument takes a year. Despite the incredible quality, the company are always striving to improve their instruments, but, amazingly, the only thing that Steinway and Sons have been able to improve upon since Henry Steinway’s first pianos in the 19th century were stops on the wheels. We also had the opportunity to see some brand-new pianos and play one of them. Unfortunately, being the only non-pianist in the group, I decided to play Mary had a Little Lamb!

Iyo K, Louis A and Christina A were then fortunate enough to have a masterclass with Charles Owen, a Professor of Piano at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in Londonan extraordinary opportunity for three of our top pianists at Repton.

The final part of our tour was the concert. The hall was actually fairly small - big enough to fit around 25 people – but despite this, nerves weren’t any less performing in such a distinguished location. First was Christina, who played Scarletti and Brahms, then Rocco E-W with a piece by Axel Jorgensen. Following that, Iyo played all three movements of the Piano Sonata in C by Mozart and La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin by Debussy. After a short break, I sang two songs by Wolf and Lehar and then, to conclude, Louis played Ballard No.1 in G minor Op. 23 by Chopin, and Lemuel M rounded the concert off with three songs by Schumann, Finzi and the magnificent Erlkönig by Schubert. We were all excited to perform in such a sophisticated venue and the place where so many famous professional pianists come to choose their own instruments.

It was an amazing privilege not just to get to play on a range of Steinway pianos and to perform in this important venue, but also to learn about the history and manufacture of these world-famous instruments –two of which we are so lucky to have at school. Our warmest thanks to Mr Walker and Mr Owens for organising an extremely memorable day.

Emma M (10A)