Alexei Lubimov on McNulty fortepiano Walter with Black Keyboard & Knee Lever

Alexei Lubimov performed on McNulty fortepiano Walter! Renowned pianist, fortepianist, and harpsichordist, Lubimov, playing the McNulty fortepiano, presents the Walter piano with reversed colors on the keyboard (white keys are black and black keys are white) during his Masterclass-traveling. Walter’s fortepianos are a benchmark in piano making and an emblem of the Viennese Classical period. It was also Mozart’s favorite instrument. The piano used in this recording is a concert-quality replica crafted by modern fortepiano builder Paul McNulty. Please subscribe to our RUclips cannel for more fortepiano videos!
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The English translation of the text in the video:
“Walter - this is a copy of a Viennese historical instrument made by the famous master Paul McNulty,” Lubimov presents to the student audience.
Anton Walter was Mozart's favorite master, and Mozart played on his instrument for the last ten years of his life in Vienna. This instrument is, of course, still a descendant of the harpsichord, inheriting its lightness, transparency, and elegance. It excels in expressing contrasts and mirrors the emotional range of the Enlightenment and early Romanticism. This is what makes it perfect for the music of Mozart and Haydn.
“I’d like to explain right away that the Walter has 3 pedals: the usual one, the right pedal, which raises the damper; the una-corda; and the moderator.”
Rehearsing on the Walter took the longer time, as the keys of this instrument are black. There is a legend that this was done to particularly emphasize the whiteness of ladies’ fingers.
This became a significant challenge for a pianist losing his eyesight, but Lubimov was very eager to introduce the audience to this rare instrument. And from this struggle with the color black, he emerged victorious.
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PAUL McNULTY developed an interest in instrument building after attending the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. Following his studies in piano technology in Boston, he obtained guild qualification as a tuning examiner. Paul McNulty has built more than 300 fortepianos after Silbermann, Stein, Walter, Hofmann, Fritz, Buchholtz, Graf, Pleyel and Streicher.
Paul McNulty's fortepianos are cherished by renowned musicians and prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Warsaw Chopin Festival, Competition & Institute (Graf 1819, Pleyel 1830 & Chopin’s "Warsaw piano" Buchholtz), Klassik Stiftung Weimar (copy of Liszt's personal 1846 Boisselot piano), Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music in London, Paris Conservatoire, Trossingen Hochschule fur Musik, Koeln, Augsburg and Hannover Hochschule, Paris Sorbonne, Stanford, Cornel & Harvard University, Oberlin College, Basel Musik Hochschule, Schola Cantorum Musik-Akademie Basel, Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien, Turino Conservatorium, Vicenza Conservatory, Bolzano Conservatorio, Amsterdam and Den Haague Conservatory, Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität Linz, Glyndebourne Festival in the UK, Opera National de Paris, Royal Danish Opera Copenhagen, and many numerous others.
McNulty's fortepianos have been embraced by many musicians, including Prof.Paul Badura-Skoda, Alice and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Prof.Malcolm Bilson, Katia & Marielle Labèque, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Ronald Brautigam, Robert Levin, Vladimir Feltsman, Vojtech Spurny, Trevor Pinnock, John Irving, Trudelies Leonhardt, Giorgio Tabacco, Jen-yen Chen, Geoffrey Lancaster, and Neal Peres da Costa and others also in the younger generation.
Enter the captivating world of historical keyboard instruments, where each note carries the captivating essence of bygone eras. Experience the rich sounds from pianos crafted by master makers such as Anton Walter, Johann Andreas Stein, Conrad Graf, Gottfried Silbermann, Pleyel, Streicher, and Boisselot. These exquisite tones, distinct from modern pianos, invite you into the realms of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and Liszt. Whether considering a purchase or rental, McNulty fortepianos offer concert-quality instruments, a fascinating journey into musical history, and a chance to savor the timeless charm of these pianos.
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