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Piano technician to the greats, Ulrich Gerhartz is in conversation about pianos with Sir András Schiff.

Ulrich Gerhartz is talking pianos with some of the greatest pianists of our age. Ulrich is Director of Concert and Artist Services at Steinway and Sons in London. For the last 30 years he’s been piano technician to the stars of the piano world. When they sit down at a keyboard, it's his job to ensure that these top musicians have the best instrument possible set up for their particular taste and touch.

Great pianists take Ulrich on tour; into recording studios; and to the world’s finest concert halls. Tuning is a small part of what he does as he spends hours preparing each piano to suit each performer.

Here Ulrich is in conversation with his friend, the Hungarian-born British pianist Sir András Schiff. They discuss memories of touring in South America; choosing a piano for playing Bach in the Albert Hall; and what it is that makes a piano happy.

Music played
D. Scarlatti: Sonata in B flat major, K545
Schubert: Piano Sonata in A minor D845, 4th mvt
Smetana: 4 Polkas from the 1850s - No 1 in F minor
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor Op.111, 1st mvt
Schumann: The Geistervariationen, or Theme and Variations in E-flat major for piano (excerpts)
Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3 in E major, 3rd mvt
J S Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 No 2 in C minor, BWV.847

Producer: Rosie Boulton
A Must Try Softer Production