I help passionate adult classical pianists realize their musical dreams through artistic intuition, actionable, specific feedback and transformative practice strategies.
What historic pianos taught me about Mozart
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Hi there, I came across a fun article this week about seven musical-instrument museums around the world. If you love traveling—or just daydreaming about it—you might enjoy exploring it. These places are full of instruments that shaped the sound world composers actually wrote for. Reading it reminded me of the first time I played a historic instrument myself. Not one in a museum, but an original piano from the period. And honestly? It was enlightening. So many textures in Mozart and Schubert that feel tricky on a modern piano—especially keeping the accompaniment soft enough—are absolutely natural on the instruments of their time. What feels like a delicate balancing act on a Steinway is simply… how the instrument works on its own. For years I felt confused trying to play “loud” in these composers while also keeping the left hand whisper-soft. But after playing historic pianos, it suddenly clicked: I don’t need to fight the modern instrument. I just need to imitate the sound of the older ones. Understanding how these pianos responded—how their tone projected, how their registers blended—completely clarified why Mozart, Schubert, and even Bach wrote certain textures the way they did. And even if you never get to play an original instrument yourself, it’s still fun and inspiring to see them up close. They make the music feel more human, more tangible, more connected to real hands and real rooms. If you're traveling anywhere near these museums, it’s worth adding them to your list. P.S. If you're a member, bring questions about this to our next monthly Q&A! All my best, Rebecca |
Rebecca Bogart
I help passionate adult classical pianists realize their musical dreams through artistic intuition, actionable, specific feedback and transformative practice strategies.
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