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Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037

Harry Connick Jr. (Actor), Pierre-Laurent Aimard (Actor), Ben Niles (Director) Rated:
NR
Format: DVD
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 205 ratings
IMDb7.9/10.0
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Genre Special Interests
Format Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC
Contributor Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Lang Lang, Ben Niles, Helene Grimaud, Hank Jones, Harry Connick Jr.
Language English
Number Of Discs 1
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Product Description

The most thoroughly handcrafted instruments in the world, Steinway pianos are as unique and full of personality as the world-class musicians who play them. However, in this age of mass production, their makers are a dying breed: skilled cabinet-makers, gifted tuners, thorough hand-crafters.NOTE BY NOTE follows the creation of the Steinway concert grand, #L1037, from forest floor to concert hall. Each piano's journey is complex, spanning 12 months, 12,000 parts, 450 craftsmen, and countless hours of fine-tuned labor. Filmed in key Steinway locations - the factory, Steinway's reserved "Bank," and the rooms of private auditions - NOTE BY NOTE is a loving celebration not just of craftsmanship, but of a dying breed of person who is deeply connected to working by hand. In the end, this is an ode to the most unexpected of unsung heroes. It reminds us how extraordinary the dialog can be between an artist and an instrument crafted out of human hands but borne of the materials of nature.

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.4 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 5215676
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Ben Niles
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 21 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ September 15, 2009
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Harry Connick Jr., Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Helene Grimaud, Hank Jones, Lang Lang
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Docurama
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001P8M9FK
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 205 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
205 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

C. Gollnick
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful story about how Steinway pianos are made
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2014
Verified Purchase
Some reviewers have given negative reviews of this video because in this 80-minute video they did not learn how to make their own piano. This is not a "how to make a Steinway Piano" video; this is a a video about how Steinway pianos are made. That difference should be clear. As this video points out, it takes perhaps a thousand man-hours of labor to make a Steinway. Many of the skills involved take years of apprenticeship and experience to master. Do not expect to learn those skills and techniques in an 80-minute video. What you will learn from this video is a sense of the quality and craftsmanship that go into a Steinway.

This video is mostly a series of interviews, of short vignettes, with many of the craftsmen at Steinway and many of the pianists who play Steinway pianos.

There's a wonderful short interview with a man whose job it is to install the cast-iron plate into the piano. He tells of how he once got to go to a concert at Carnegie Hall. After the concert, he said, "That is MY piano." Of course, he didn't mean that he owned the piano; it doubtlessly belonged to the hall or the artist or maybe to Steinway. He went on to assert that he helped build that piano. How could he tell without examining the instrument? "I know the sound of MY pianos," he explained. He used the word "my" in the sense not of ownership but in the sense that a parent may use it to refer to a child who has long-since grown up, left home, and made a success for himself, "That's my son." Clearly, he saw the piano as almost a child of his. And, as any parent would be, he was so proud to see his child on stage at Carnegie Hall.

I was delighted to watch this video and get such a tour inside of such an amazing factory. I really felt that I got a sense of the feeling, the energy of the place and of the people who make that energy happen.

If you're interested in Steinway, if you're interested in pianos, if you're interested in music... or if you're interested in factories and would like to see one extreme example of a very successful one, I'm sure that you will also find this a five-star pick.

If, on the other hand, you want to try and make your own piano?... not so much. Oh, and, ah... good luck with that.

One of the people interviewed in this video is Franz Mohr, now-retired former Chief Concert Technician for Steinway. You may also enjoy his book, My Life With the Great Pianists, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0801057108/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9 people found this helpful
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R. Whitney
5.0 out of 5 stars magnificent documentary
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2011
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This documentary chronicles the manufacture of a single Steinway grand piano. Of course it isn't, and does not pretend to be, a comprehensive technical manual on the materials and techniques required to produce a complex musical instrument costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rather, it is an overview of several of the processes involved in the extremely time-consuming manufacture, adjustment, tuning and testing of the instrument. The people who work at the Steinway plant are racially and nationally diverse, and what they do there, year after year, decade after decade, is so obviously a labor of love. They are patient, perfectionistic craftsmen and women. Steinway makes 2,000 pianos a year to the 100 per day made by other companies. The techniques at Steinway haven't changed much in the last century. And the old-world philosophy produces instruments that musicians of the highest caliber love to play. Steinway still tunes their pianos aurally as opposed to electronically. It's a multistep process requiring multiple tuners, and it requires hours to accomplish. That kind of devotion to quality applies to every aspect of piano creation at this company. And finally, when the piano is rolled into the concert hall, that quality is audible, and the perfectionism can be heard.

Steinway went through a period some years ago where an old-fashioned woolen-felt bearing (one required for every key) was replaced by a Teflon bearing. That caused squeaking when the note was struck. Fortunately they saw the error of the ways and returned to the traditional material.

This documentary should appeal to almost everyone, children included. It's about art, and craft, and care--and, really about the creation of art through its physical tools, i.e., its instruments; and through the soul of the artist. Turn the phone off before you start it; you won't want to be interrupted.
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J. Spradling
5.0 out of 5 stars A Timeless Icon of Modern Culture
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2009
Verified Purchase
The Steinway company is the only piano manufacturer to be responsible for virtually every important innovation in the history of the instrument, to continue to build their instruments by hand, and to command a lion's share of concert houses in the world. Their instruments are capable of being passed down through generations of family, and then rebuilt, to continue their incredible lifespan. With all due respect to the few other well-known pianos, some venerable, there is no other instrument maker in history to challenge the above statement.

Considering economics, and the natural tendency to find cheaper and faster ways to produce pianos, it is not surprising that today's Steinway finds itself a relatively high-priced and outnumbered item on the floor of even Steinway stores, who have scrambled to display their own lesser-priced brands, as well as the competition's instruments. "Note by Note" is a relatively non-technical, layman's appraisal of the building of a model D Concert Grand, and it is narrated by classical and jazz Steinway artists. However, the greatest appeal, in my opinion, is revealed in how this piano continues to be sought after by families, students, and elder statesmen of varying nationalities. This video is a clear and enjoyable indication of what goes into the making of a superb instrument, and a strong reminder of how much our culture needs icons of surpassing excellence and timeless value, unthreatened by modern demands of greater volume and lower price. Its statement to this effect is enjoyable to non-musicians as well as those who play the piano.
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matt996
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in Canada on January 22, 2020
Verified Purchase
Very nicely produced documentary.
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A.A. van Hoek
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 30, 2014
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Interesting
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Thomas Schroeder
5.0 out of 5 stars Fast schon... ach was, ganz sicher ein "Muss" für Klavierfans!
Reviewed in Germany on September 7, 2010
Verified Purchase
Der Film zeigt die Produktion eines amerikanischen Steinway L-Konzertflügels. Wirklich?

Nein. Aus dem Film kann niemand lernen wie ein Flügel gebaut wird. Denn auch wenn der Film diese sehr lockere Rahmenhandlung hat - in groben Zügen und sehr stimmungsvollen Bildern Ausschnitte aus der Produktionsgeschichte des Steinway L1037 - geht es doch um etwas ganz anderes: Um ganz besondere Menschen!

Der Film zeigt Menschen, die eine Begeisterung für ein einzigartiges Produkt teilen, Arbeiter, die bei Steinway & Sons arbeiten, die über ihr Leben und ihre Beziehung zu den Instrumenten sprechen. Er zeigt berühmte Pianistinnen und Pianisten, die in den besten Konzerthäusern der Welt auf einem Steinway spielen und von ihrer Liebe zu diesen Instrumenten erzählen, Jazz-Musiker, die sich aus einer Vielzahl von Steinway-Flügeln genau den einen aussuchen, der ihre Seele berührt, Familien, für die der Kauf eines Steinway-Flügels einer der Höhepunkte in ihrem Leben ist. Und er zeigt ganz normale Menschen, die sich an der Handwerkskunst und der Einzigartigkeit dieser wunderschönen Instrumente erfreuen können, die beim Anblick und beim Klang dieser Instrument glänzende Augen bekommen - Klaviermenschen eben.

Wer nun eine trockene Fernsehdoku mit langatmigen Interviews erwartet, wird enttäuscht. Die Erzählungen und Kommentare sind locker, humorvoll, manchmal auch bewegend und sie untermalen mit einer geradezu wundervollen Leichtigkeit die Bilder aus dem Leben dieser Menschen, ihren Alltag bei Steinway, ihre Arbeit an dem wundervollen "Concert Grand". Keine trockenen Interviews in einem Studio, sondern eine lebendige Dokumentation, mit lässig-präzisen Schnitten, ohne Langeweile aber mit Sinn für kleine aber feine Details und vor allem viel Gespür für die Stimmung und Atmosphäre, die "Klaviermenschen" mit Flügeln im Allgemeinen und Steinways im Besonderen verbinden.

Wenn Lang Lang mit fast kindlicher Begeisterung über die Freude und Möglichkeiten des Flügelspielens erzählt und dies mit vielen Beispielen gleich eindrucksvoll belegt, oder wenn Hélène Grimaud mit bewegter Stimme von ihren Klaviererlebnisse berichtet und beinahe seelig-verzückt in die Tasten greift, berühren einen diese Momente als wäre man hautnah dabei. Und man kann nur zu gut die Stimmungslage der amerikanischen Steinway-Konzerttechniker nachempfinden (und ihre Professionalität bewundern), wenn sich der begnadete Pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard auf der Suche nach dem perfekten Klang als veritable Nervensäge entpuppt.

Fazit: Ein "Must have" für alle Klavierfans!

PS: Ein kleines "Schmankerl" am Rande: Der anstrengende Monsieur "Ich-suche-ein-Klangmonster" Aimard entscheidet sich im Film für sein Konzert in der Carnegie Hall zumindest für die Kamera für einen amerikanischen L-Concert Grand. Interessanterweise sitzt er aber dann im Konzertsaal an dessen "deutschem Bruder", einem brillant-donnernden D-Flügel aus dem Hamburger Steinway-Werk :-)

01.08.2011 NACHTRAG AUS GEGEBENEM ANLASS (und eine ernst gemeinte Warnung von einem echten Fan!):

Nachdem meine "Note by Note"-DVD, die ich in der Originalversion seinerzeit direkt von Steinway bekommen hatte, vor einer Woche leider von meinem BluRay-Player getötet wurde (ja, sowas gibt's wenn ein Laufwerk stirbt...), erhielt ich gestern von Amazon die derzeitige offizielle OmU-Version von "Note by Note".

Doch die böse Überraschung war die INDISKUTABLE BILDQUALITÄT! Kompressionsartefakte an allen "Ecken und Kanten", meist ein unscharfes Bild etc. etc. Ok, angesehen habe ich es auf einen nagelneuen 60"-Plasma, da fällt so etwas vielleicht mehr auf als auf einem Laptop-Bildschirmchen. Aber dennoch, eine Woche davor lief eben (bis zu ihrem Tod) die Originalfassung mit einem selbst in Zeiten der BluRay für DVD-Verhältnisse wirklich scharfem Bild, flimmerfrei, mit sauberen Übergängen und mit nur einem ganz leichten Überstrahlen bei extremen Kontrasten (z. B. dunkle Werkstatt mit Fenstern, hinter denen die Sonne scheint).

Ich stehe dazu dass der Film für "Klaviermenschen" ein absolutes Muss ist. Aber was aktuell verkauft wird, ist optisch leider ein deutlicher Rückschritt gegenüber der Originalversion... (der Ton ist nach wie vor sehr gut, ohne so eine peinliche Panne wie bei der aktuellen "Der Herr der Ringe"-BluRay-Langfassung :-)
20 people found this helpful
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Jupiter
5.0 out of 5 stars よい作品でした。　を有難うございました。　
Reviewed in Japan on November 23, 2013
Verified Purchase
興味があり、購入しました。　購入してよかったです。　有難うございました。
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Note by Note for German Market
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2013
Verified Purchase
Clearly this product is intended for the German market, as packaging & labeling is all printed in German, and the DVD has German subtitles. None of that was evident from the product description in Amazon. Unfortunately, I'm unable to return or get a refund, as it was sent as a gift to a UK address and I live in the USA. "Oh well" I guess! I'm very familiar with the actual content, as I have my own copy here in US, and it's a wonderful insight into the people whose great skill, care & character go into building & giving life to these wonderful beasts of sound. And just watch those pianists testing out & selecting their instruments--including the incredible genius, Lang Lang.
2 people found this helpful
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