The Piano I Am Saving My Money For by Theresa Rauh

When the elaborate case of this Steinway piano was displayed in London in 1885, the press called it “splendid”, “remarkable” and “superb”. The piano I am talking about is not a normal piano, which I have to admit is also already really pretty, but no, this piano is more a piece of art than anything else and it seems to be too special to actually play on it. Art and music are connected in one piece. The space around the piano seems to be captivated by its beauty. It has lavish materials and decorative flourishes. On the sides there are fine, difficult carvings, covered with different colors of wood. On the front of the piano, above the keyboards, there is a beautiful image of a roman scene, woman and men standing in a temple, and even the names of Apollo and the Muses are inlaid on the lid. On the top of it there are five circles, with Greek letters, describing five arts theatre, painting, architecture, dance and carving. This is another thing I really like it brings everything together in some way. All these arts are so different, but it shows, that they are connected and similar in some way, it seems to carry a message of everything belonging together somehow, maybe this message goes even beyond arts… ? The piano’s story is pretty long, so many people before us saw it’s beauty and could enjoy it’s probably incredible sound (if it sounds like it looks like…), it was placed in many different places until it finally came to the museum. At one time it was used in Broadway shows, at another it stood in the lobby and people were not only using it as an instrument and piece, they were sitting, leaning and drinking on it… I would have loved to hear the sound of it, the sound of the beautiful, old wooden mallets hitting the strings of this piece of art.  I would have loved to see the keyboards moving. But for that unfortunately I will probably have to wait until I am invited to play, or until I become incredibly rich and can make the museum agree on selling it to me…

But as long as I haven’t reached these goals I will definitely keep the memory of this astonishing piece of art.