Incredible sounding piano. The Hamburg D certainly is one of the very best. I hate to say it but they are better sounding than any modern New York D. I really liked that old NY D you played one time as well but this one appears to be easier to play. You have some great choices. Good luck!
A shame. I heard an outstanding NY Steinway at a jazz club a few weeks ago. Sweet and almost ethereal in ballads, sharp and percussive in up-tempo tunes. Tons of color and complexity. It was a B. Definitely not new, probably Golden Age. I tried to look at it after the set but the stand was blocking the serial number. Practically all of the D's I hear at New York City concerts by renowned pianists (Steinway artists or Steinways at venues) are played on the Hamburg. It's the better instrument by far. And I noticed outside of the USA, it's well represented in jazz.
Yep . . . THIS is the ONE James : ))) I'm going to go out on a limb here without knowing your studio's budget allocation for a grand piano and just GUESS that the three finalists for your studio are the Shigeru Kawai EX, the Fazioli 278 and, ladies and the gentlemen, the winner is . . . the Hamburg Steinway D! HAHA! All kidding aside, this is a GRAND piano - no ifs ands for buts my fav so far. If I could afford this beauty, I'd spring for it in a heartbeat.
Hi James - thanks for replying! Mmmm . . . two out of three . . . that ain't bad : ))) You also seemed to like the Bluthner 1 a lot. I did too. But the Hamburg D has a LOT going for it not the least of which is its obvious excellent tonal and playability characteristics; like its undeniable cachet and authority of place on stage or in studio as well as its steady hold of its value over time. A real winner in ALL categories. To be truthful I wasn't an "all in" Steinway fan at first but that view was somewhat obscured by the company's New York efforts which, in some unfortunate ways, dilut1e the brand's reputation to a degree. That's a shame . . . there is no proper excuse for that in this day and age, really. You'd think hat the company could at the very least share Q C internally, no ???!!! Keep up the good playing and good work James! (Hope your wish to spend a little more time practicing has come true now that High School is finished : )
David Bee, I love to read your responses to the pianos James presents. This is a well-rounded piano, I think it'll work for many styles of music and that's a Steinway strength. It resonates true and has great balance. But for me, this is the Steinway sound I hear when I go to concerts in NYC. I'm lucky enough to hear proper Hamburgs properly voiced and prepared. So, this instrument gets my respect. But I'd go with the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX or the Bosendorfer VC, actually, the Bosendorfer as my first choice. I may want to play with the Bluthner as well. I'm still a CFX fan, especially for percussive music (but voiced how I like it). And I really still like the Sauters, B a bit more than A. It's just fun to hear all these pianos, but I'm sure James is having the fun playing them! I'd probably love the Hamburg Steinway more if I weren't as used to it as much as I am, however.
This performance carries more emotion than the first few I've heard in this playlist - but they will not play in chronological order - and this is the eighth piano. Was it the piano, or were your emotions being influenced by the piano? Thanks James.
Wonderful piano for sure. We came ever so close to purchasing this piano. The interesting thing about this performance was that it came at the end of a very long trip looking for the best piano for my studio, and I was so tired I could almost not play Chopin at all. If it were not for the fact that the piano played so wonderfully I could never been able to play such a difficult piece.
I'm not surprised that you nearly bought it; it's so much better than the piano-shaped object called a 'Steinway L' in your Part 32 video. Thanks James, it's very much appreciated.
Your playing makes me feel uplifted!
Holy shit. What a sound. Great playing also :)
Thank you for this lovely performance. As tired as you were the piano lifted you up. Please keep posting your videos.
Magnificent instrument and wonderful playing. Finally a piano that lives up to the Steinway name.
I loved this piano!!!
Incredible sounding piano. The Hamburg D certainly is one of the very best. I hate to say it but they are better sounding than any modern New York D. I really liked that old NY D you played one time as well but this one appears to be easier to play. You have some great choices. Good luck!
When any company makes a piano that performs at this level, they have reached a status that can only be considered world class.
I never played an Hamburg Steinway D, but I know this is the very best piano created by the man on the Earth.
Wow. That's truly remarkable.
Well played James. I'm sure my little desktop speakers do not do this justice.
Love it!
Bravo!
Tell me more about that awesome flight jacket!
Gives one wings ....
Very clear and even with a powerful and rich bass. Do you feel it is better than the NY Steinway D pianos that you have played?
The New York Steinways really do not compare with the Hamburg Steinways. The New York Steinways are no longer the piano they once were.
A shame. I heard an outstanding NY Steinway at a jazz club a few weeks ago. Sweet and almost ethereal in ballads, sharp and percussive in up-tempo tunes. Tons of color and complexity. It was a B. Definitely not new, probably Golden Age. I tried to look at it after the set but the stand was blocking the serial number. Practically all of the D's I hear at New York City concerts by renowned pianists (Steinway artists or Steinways at venues) are played on the Hamburg. It's the better instrument by far. And I noticed outside of the USA, it's well represented in jazz.
I know this is the greatest historical piano!
Yep . . . THIS is the ONE James : ))) I'm going to go out on a limb here without knowing your studio's budget allocation for a grand piano and just GUESS that the three finalists for your studio are the Shigeru Kawai EX, the Fazioli 278 and, ladies and the gentlemen, the winner is . . . the Hamburg Steinway D! HAHA! All kidding aside, this is a GRAND piano - no ifs ands for buts my fav so far. If I could afford this beauty, I'd spring for it in a heartbeat.
Hi James - thanks for replying! Mmmm . . . two out of three . . . that ain't bad : ))) You also seemed to like the Bluthner 1 a lot. I did too. But the Hamburg D has a LOT going for it not the least of which is its obvious excellent tonal and playability characteristics; like its undeniable cachet and authority of place on stage or in studio as well as its steady hold of its value over time. A real winner in ALL categories. To be truthful I wasn't an "all in" Steinway fan at first but that view was somewhat obscured by the company's New York efforts which, in some unfortunate ways, dilut1e the brand's reputation to a degree. That's a shame . . . there is no proper excuse for that in this day and age, really. You'd think hat the company could at the very least share Q C internally, no ???!!! Keep up the good playing and good work James! (Hope your wish to spend a little more time practicing has come true now that High School is finished : )
I will finish high school in December.
My guess for the other finalist is the Bosendorfer 280VC.
David Bee, I love to read your responses to the pianos James presents. This is a well-rounded piano, I think it'll work for many styles of music and that's a Steinway strength. It resonates true and has great balance. But for me, this is the Steinway sound I hear when I go to concerts in NYC. I'm lucky enough to hear proper Hamburgs properly voiced and prepared. So, this instrument gets my respect.
But I'd go with the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX or the Bosendorfer VC, actually, the Bosendorfer as my first choice. I may want to play with the Bluthner as well. I'm still a CFX fan, especially for percussive music (but voiced how I like it). And I really still like the Sauters, B a bit more than A. It's just fun to hear all these pianos, but I'm sure James is having the fun playing them! I'd probably love the Hamburg Steinway more if I weren't as used to it as much as I am, however.
This performance carries more emotion than the first few I've heard in this playlist - but they will not play in chronological order - and this is the eighth piano. Was it the piano, or were your emotions being influenced by the piano?
Thanks James.
Wonderful piano for sure.
We came ever so close to purchasing this piano.
The interesting thing about this performance was that it came at the end of a very long trip looking for the best piano for my studio, and I was so tired I could almost not play Chopin at all. If it were not for the fact that the piano played so wonderfully I could never been able to play such a difficult piece.
I'm not surprised that you nearly bought it; it's so much better than the piano-shaped object called a 'Steinway L' in your Part 32 video. Thanks James, it's very much appreciated.
James is 10,000 times better at playing than me.
and thank also to a certain Chopin, eh :)