MAKERS

A PIANO WORTH WAITING FOR A Fazioli takes two to three years from start to fi nish to produce – so is it worth the wait? Erica Worth takes a trip to the Fazioli factory in Italy to see for herself

h, how I love chance to visit the factory in the town like a combination of crazy scientist and Italy – that of Sacile, some 45 minutes outside of arty designer with his l oppy hair and land of pasta, Venice, is intriguing. Give me Versace casual attire. red wine, and Chianti, any day. But an Italian Paolo’s story began next door, inside opera, designer piano? Let’s see. what was the furniture factory once fashion and On a hot spring day, along with owned by his father. ‘My family gave Oholiday a group of piano technicians, piano me one little space where I could start destinations. teachers, performers and journalists, this “adventure”,’ he says with af ection. h e country has produced some I am standing outside the impressive ‘My parents were sceptical. It was not legendary pianists of course – think factory, noticing how the Fazioli logo easy to think of a project like this at the Michelangeli and Pollini – and, I hasten glimmers brightly in the sun (more time. h e history of piano makers, as to add, our issue 77 cover star Federico about that logo later), when we are we know, is very old and there’s lots of Colli, from the new generation. But joined by Paolo Fazioli. Even though tradition. We had none of this.’ when it comes to piano makers, Italy Paolo (as I will call him, so as not to But Paolo was driven – he thought has been rather low-key. Until now. confuse with his eponymous piano the sector was ‘sleeping’, as he puts it. Over the past 30 plus years, Fazioli make) will be entertaining us for ‘Everyone was saying that the piano has been making its way into the the next couple of hours showing us has reached this level, and nothing piano scene and has become the piano round the factory, his eager eyes will be should be changed. h is is stupid. of choice for such pianists as Angela watching every workman like a hawk I demonstrated from the beginning Hewitt, Louis Lortie and our cover – a friendly hawk, though. He has a that it’s possible to do much more. artist Daniil Trifonov. I’ve tried only a relaxed charm about him, the Italian We’ve made a big contribution to the

couple of Faziolis over the years, so the equivalent of ‘je ne sais quoi’. He looks development of piano industry. h ey the lid © Fazioli 75 sanding except page Worth, © Erica All photos

74• Pianist 79 discovered they were sleeping, and they wrapped around the gig and press. hen Photos, this page, combining traditional methods and reacted!’, he chuckles mischievously. it’s a process of waiting two years before clockwise from left: technology; and to constantly improve ‘For the vitality of the sector, our using a rim. here’s a lot of waiting so it Pianist Editor Erica the quality by using the results coming presence was important. We gave some seems, but Paolo says that ‘if you want Worth and Paolo from scientiic research. For this last beneit to everyone. We made everyone quality you must wait’. here’s an array of Fazioli in front of the point, he says, ‘I felt that there wasn’t improve. I think history will say that diferent-sized rims. Since the prototype rims; Paolo explains enough research. I felt makers were about us. And the fact that the piano days, there are now six grand models: 156 the gig and press just looking at business and proit etc. was played by Brahms and so on is not (the ‘Picolo’), 183, 212 (which Paolo says process; sanding the I thought I can come into this market important to me. It’s the instrument is the most popular, at 7ft), 228, 278 (the lids using a special with new things.’ itself. I am sure today, for example, if concert grand) and the enormous 308 (at machine We go into the polyester room, Liszt were here, he’d love my pianos!’ over 10ft). Why such a beast? ‘he length where six layers of polyester and resin he Fazioli piano company was of string inluences the sound of tone. are coated on to the surface of the oicially launched in 1981 and its irst When longer, the sound is more “pure”. I piano’s rim. More material is used than prototype, the Model 183, was shown wanted more clarity in the sound.’ necessary, and then it’s a matter of in Milan that same year. Although sanding it down, though it’s a wait of 15 the 183 was sold, ‘I bought it back; I Lasting logo days before it can be sanded to polish. wanted it!’ Paolo says. I can’t help but ask about the striking he sanding starts with a course grade, Fazioli was a small team back then, Fazioli logo we irst saw at the factory and then moves to an ever-iner one each consisting of Professor Pietro Righini, entrance and which appears on every time. he inal sanding process reminds an expert in musical acoustics, and instrument. ‘he logo was made at me a bit of a carwash machine: A big Lino Tiveron, an expert in piano the beginning and it was the biggest polisher goes all the way around the rim, construction. Today, the bespoke investment I made,’ Paolo explains. with small hand polishers for the edge 6,000-square metre factory houses 45 ‘Giulio Confalonieri designed it, and it bits. ‘Our company designed this,’ Paolo staf – a lot of space per workman. he cost a fortune! He was top level – like says proudly. Everything is done by hand factory has produced 2,300 pianos to Philippe Starck. I thought, “I will spend unless the machine does it better, that’s date. ‘We make 130 pianos each year,’ this money today and I am spending it for the ethos of Fazioli. Paolo says, ‘But we’d like to make 150. life.” Back then, it was judged a little odd. Paolo stops by a tray of hinges and We need bigger space, though.’ But now, after all these years, it’s fantastic. takes one out, telling us that they’re not To me, the factory looks vast, and as I Everyone likes it and remembers it. made of the usual brass, but are 18ct- walk into the entrance, I am overwhelmed Confalonieri said he was inspired by the gold plated. hey are gleaming brightly. by the natural light and beautiful name Fazioli, and by studying the Golden We walk into another room where a proportions. Very tasteful. Oh, and it’s Section system for the letters. It’s very happy-looking man called Michele is designed in the shape of a piano! Trust harmonious, nothing is wrong.’ doing the veneering. Anything with a an Italian to be so design conscious. Just like that logo, there’s something particular wood veneer is made to order We start of where the inner and about Fazioli that is so balanced. Paolo (inside every standard Fazioli it’s the outer rims are made. hey comprise explains the elements of the Fazioli wood of the burr of poplar). I mention layers of Canadian maple wood, with philosophy: to produce grands only; how driven the workmen seem. ‘here mahogany for the outer rim. I’m not to imitate any other existing pianos; are some people who have been working told the rim remains for four days to individually handcraft each piano here for 30 years,’ Paolo replies. ‘We ▲

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prefer to start with young people who spruce. Paolo holds the wood up close Photos, this page, from importance, they are completely sure don’t have experience. We teach them. for us to see. here’s such an even grain left: Delicate work is about the quality of steel, copper and hey are very proud and loyal. hey you can make out all the layers in it – required on the bridge; the whole procedure. I’m given that come to the concerts. Some who didn’t just like a ine layer cake. soundboard wood showing particular bass string to take home with know music, now know a lot. hey hen we are shown how the wrest the fine layers; steel frames me (an honour indeed – I am now the became much more connected. here plank, or pin-block, is itted perfectly proud owner of a Fazioli bass string!). are three departments they can work in: to the iron frame. Paolo tells us how Now into the spacious action soundboard, polyester and action. hey important it is to get it itted correctly, department, where we watch a stay within their department, but they and that each wrest plank belongs craftsman meticulously check the are able to move around within it.’ speciically to an iron frame. We move Renner hammers (Paolo checks them I peer at the wooden framework of into the iron frame room, where again too). What they are doing here the underneath of the piano and observe an employee named Danny shows is testing the hammer langes to make that there are no screws in the joints. us a board on the wall with a list of sure the resistance is just right. If Everything is natural wood, with dovetail speciications that need to be ticked of anything isn’t just perfect, it’s put aside. joints made with laser precision. his in order for the frame to pass through At the next piano, Paolo demonstrates allows for no gaps and for the piano to to the next stage. ‘Last month we threw the weighting of the keys, which is done breathe naturally, says Paolo, who adds away 35 frames,’ he says, ‘and sold them with lead weights, and again we see that once the wooden frame is ready, it for scrap iron. It was too expensive to how complex and precise this process has to wait between four to ive months return them.’ has to be. he whole regulation process to be used. More waiting. is a few days work – duplex scaling is Now to the soundboard, the very core Coming together one day’s work; tuning and voicing two of the piano. We enter a room that has From seeing the piano’s body come and a half. precisely 26 per cent humidity – the together, we move into the stringing Along one side of the room is a row ‘Soundboard Curing Room’ – in which area. It takes a day and a half to string of three rooms with closed doors. he a soundboard is preserved for three years a Fazioli, using Röslau wires. A piano irst is for the initial voicing. he middle before use (goodness, now that’s really string is made with a steel core wrapped room is the ‘playing in’ room, where a a long wait). After curing, a craftsman with wire. he lower down the piano, machine literally bashes all the keys of cuts the bridge. It’s a dangerous job and the thicker the wire (copper wire is used the piano, going up and down – thick our particular craftsman got so nervous for the bass string). We watch a bass chords, very loud! his room is where with us watching him that he had to string being made. It’s just fantastic to everything gets ‘shaken’ into place (it stop and wait until we’d gone! he witness the wire whizzing its way around certainly shook me up!). he third room soundboard spruce comes from the Val the core, rapidly from one end to the is the inal voicing room. di Fiemme’s forest in the eastern Italian other. Fazioli makes the copper wires he piano is ready to go now, but alps, the same forest from which the used for the bass strings themselves. By not before Paolo tries it. He tells us that violin makers of the Cremona school doing this, they can decide the exact he tries out every single piano before it (including Stradivari) sourced their length and thickness – and, of equal leaves the factory. He is a perfectionist,

76• Pianist 79 as underscored by yet another set pianist to play on it, and Paolo has been Photos, this page, Today, in the UK, you’ll sometimes of Fazioli precepts that are aimed at fortunate in those who play his pianos. counter-clockwise from ind a Fazioli gracing the stage at such attaining as good a sound as possible Nikita Magalof was one of the irst. top left: Making the venues as the Wigmore Hall and the on the pianos: clarity of sound (so He performed on a Fazioli in Sacile’s strings; working on the Southbank. here are four concert that you can’t hear ‘noises’ within it); own Teatro Zancanaro in 1981. Paolo veneer; Paolo checks the grand 278s on tap in the UK, housed evenness (the timbre has to be the same, recounts, ‘I convinced him to come hammer flanges; Paolo at Jaques Samuel Pianos in London, no matter what register one is playing to Sacile. Just days before the concert, demonstrates weighting Fazioli’s exclusive UK dealer. hey were in); duration of the sound (the sound when he discovered it was a tiny city, he of the keys; Fazioli handpicked by Louis Lortie, Trifonov, to remain as long as possible); more refused to come – the mayor was upset! Concert Hall Boris Giltburg and Hewitt. Recent dynamic spectrum (from big fortissimos hen he accepted, and he played the pianists who have opted to play on a to tiny ppps) and sound selectivity concert in December 1981.’ Fazioli include Federico Colli, Francesco (being able to hear diferent voices in Others followed: with Aldo Ciccolini Piemontesi and John Lill. polyphonic compositions). ‘his is in 1984 at Teatro Alla Scala, Milan; his issue’s cover artist, Daniil what we are trying all the time to then Argerich, Brendel and Ashkenazy Trifonov, will be playing his favourite perfect,’ Paolo explains. in 1988. ‘And then we come to the Fazioli at his Royal Festival Hall recital At the end of our tour, we are treated most recent, Angela Hewitt,’ Paolo says on 30 September. For him, no doubt, it to a recital by Australian pianist John proudly. ‘She is our greatest fan today. was worth the wait. n Granger Fisher in the Fazioli Concert ‘his is the right way, that the younger Hall. he 198-seat hall, which was generation are coming to us. he old Jaques Samuel Pianos (www.jspianos.com) built to ensure the inest acoustics, was generation spends their whole life with is the exclusive Fazioli dealer in the UK. opened in April 2005. one piano. Pollini, Schif, Sokolov, Lupu To ind a Fazioli dealer around the world At the end of the day, a piano is only – they are not interested in changing. It and for further information about the worth its weight in gold if there’s a doesn’t make sense for them.’ make, go to www.fazioli.com

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