Pianos in Budapest

Budapest is rich with music and music history. While there recently, I was treated to several intimate concerts and visits to Bartok House and Museum of Music History. Bartok moved to this house to escape the noise of the city. Today the house is still in a relatively calm area compared to the main city, but many houses have sprung up since Bartok's time. The house I visited has undergone extensive renovations to open up the interior to have a small concert room. A staircase was also added as an external addition to the house to accommodate tourists.

The path to the house. (Click or tap the image to see a larger version. You can then click the right arrow next to the image and view each photo in this post like a slide show.)

Bartok greets his visitors.

In the Bartok House recital space with Csaba Király, pianist, and Dr László Gombos of the Music History Museum. Dr. Gombos is here to provide commentary.

The Music History Museum. It seems that most buildings in Europe are almost too tall to capture!

The museum has a large recital hall on the second floor. The ground floor has the instruments. The space is rather crowded for taking photos, so many of these are at odd angles. There were many more pianos than what you see here. They also had a good collection of stringed instruments. Our time in the museum was limited..

The Erard.

Bosendorfer with a curved keyboard. Two photos to show it really is curved!

Pianoforte.

Caspar Lorenz upright piano. I liked the wooden scroll work.

An ornate Bosendorfer.

Beethoven keeps watch on the pianos.

The only piano they let us touch.

There was a piano designed to play standing up, specifically for conductors although it might help pianists with back problems! It was in a corner and I was able only to get an image of the sign.