0:00:13 > 0:00:16PIANO PLAYS
0:00:32 > 0:00:37It takes over a year to lovingly hand-craft a Steinway grand piano
0:00:37 > 0:00:39here in Hamburg, Germany.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41It's a hard job to learn and a lot of teaching,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45a lot of explaining again and again over years.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51A concert grand piano is nurtured and tended to throughout its long life.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03Each person has their own skills and areas that they're good at
0:01:03 > 0:01:07and it's the combination of all of these that gives us the end product.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15The relationship between instrument and maker doesn't end
0:01:15 > 0:01:17when the piano leaves the factory.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20In the London workshop, they are carefully restored
0:01:20 > 0:01:23and maintained with just the same attention to detail...
0:01:33 > 0:01:36..everyone working with the same objective...
0:01:38 > 0:01:41..to build an instrument that stands the test of time.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56The life of a concert piano begins here
0:01:56 > 0:01:58at Steinway & Sons' Hamburg factory.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08There are over 300 artisans,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11hand-building around 1,200 pianos each year.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Steinway is an instrument with an international pedigree,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34which began when piano maker Heinrich Steinweg
0:02:34 > 0:02:38moved from Germany to New York in 1850.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Steinweg Americanised his name and formed a new company,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Steinway & Sons.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55At a time when a piano was the most desirable object to have in the home,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58there was fierce competition to make the best piano.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Pioneering techniques like rim bending
0:03:15 > 0:03:18were products of America's industrial age.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23Steinway combined this with his European design experience
0:03:23 > 0:03:25to form his grand piano's signature shape.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31The techniques are unchanged today.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35After bending layers of aged maplewood into a single piece,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38the piano rim is then held in place
0:03:38 > 0:03:41while the glue sets over a six-hour period.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Most of the craftsmen and women in Hamburg
0:04:13 > 0:04:15specialise in a single discipline.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Gunther Schmitt has been with Steinway since 1981,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38almost all of his time spent in the damper department.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42I was very young when I started
0:04:42 > 0:04:45and my plan was to work five years here.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46After one, I make my master
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and, you see, now I'm here.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55The damper team spend up to 16 hours on each piano.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Every single damper comes up when you press a key
0:05:00 > 0:05:04and this is very important to play like an artist with the pedal,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06with feeling in your feet.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Operated by the foot pedals,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12the dampers control the piano's resonance.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16For me, this is a very important part of the piano.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20It's a hard job to learn and a lot of teaching,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23a lot of explaining, again and again over years.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32The intimate knowledge gained over decades at the Hamburg factory
0:05:32 > 0:05:35is often passed on through generations of artisans.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43Many of the piano makers stay with the company their entire working lives.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55For over 140 years, Steinway has had a prominent presence in the UK.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03The old workshop is home to some of the music industry's
0:06:03 > 0:06:05most respected craftsmen.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08As well as looking after the concert grands,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10they lovingly restore vintage Steinways,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12giving them a new lease of life.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15This is just like the piano in the photo, isn't it?
0:06:26 > 0:06:29It takes six years to train in all the different departments
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and become a fully qualified piano technician.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37There you go.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51I trained as a classical pianist at the Royal Welsh Conservatoire
0:06:51 > 0:06:55but I was looking for something that meant I wasn't...
0:06:55 > 0:06:57The piano wasn't the main focus.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01You know, sat at a piano but... Do you know what I mean?
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Playing-wise, I didn't want
0:07:03 > 0:07:06playing the piano to be a main focus any more.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09But I still love the instrument.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18This is just littering the frame,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22so on its own, it will take probably around about
0:07:22 > 0:07:24three hours or something like that.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26It depends on the complexity.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28If you get an old Style A, which is around 1800s,
0:07:28 > 0:07:33late 1800s, they have a lot of writing on the frame
0:07:33 > 0:07:35and they have an extra bar that goes across with writing on
0:07:35 > 0:07:38and it's all down here as well,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40so that takes a little bit extra.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50The iconic iron frame forms the spine of this huge instrument.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Back in the Hamburg factory,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00it is covered over twice with Polyfilla and sanded down
0:08:00 > 0:08:02to give a smooth finish
0:08:02 > 0:08:04ready for the decorative bronzing to be applied.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49In their quest for the best piano design,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53the Steinway family were both innovators and opportunists.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Steinway drew on his European experience as a piano maker
0:08:57 > 0:08:59and the inventions of some of his rivals
0:08:59 > 0:09:03to redefine the sound of the most popular instrument in the world.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08By raising the sound board bridges to different levels,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11cross-stringing onto a single-piece cast iron frame
0:09:11 > 0:09:13became a Steinway signature.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24This combination of European innovations
0:09:24 > 0:09:27with the power of Steinway's cast iron frames
0:09:27 > 0:09:30was the secret to their early success
0:09:30 > 0:09:33and an important stage in the development of the modern piano.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15London's Steinway Hall received its first Royal Warrant in 1890.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Originally awarded by Queen Victoria,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19it has retained it ever since.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Ulrich Gerhartz is responsible for maintaining
0:10:36 > 0:10:38the royal family's collection of Steinways
0:10:38 > 0:10:41as well as a fleet of Model D grand pianos,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44often called on for concerts around the country.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53People never realise how long it takes to work on pianos
0:10:53 > 0:10:57because they don't realise it's always 88 notes
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and there's about ten adjustments per note,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03so there's a hell of a lot of work to do.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13When you take the piano apart, people's eyes sort of go "pop".
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Because, of course,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18it's always a unit that is never actually taken apart,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20very much like people drive their cars
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and hardly ever look under the bonnet.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33By going into detail of how the mechanic works,
0:11:33 > 0:11:38it allows the player actually to draw more sound out of the piano.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49It's vital to the piano's performance for all the elements
0:11:49 > 0:11:52under its finely polished lid to work together perfectly.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56In selecting wood for the sound board,
0:11:56 > 0:11:5875% of it gets sent back.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02For the tone and sound of the strings to be amplified effectively,
0:12:02 > 0:12:03it has to be flawless.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45The veneering department houses two generations of craftsmen
0:12:45 > 0:12:46from the same family.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40These veneers create bespoke wood finishes,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44special editions for customers after a designer object
0:13:44 > 0:13:46as much as a musical instrument.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Piano showrooms like the one in London
0:13:48 > 0:13:51sell these prestige versions at a premium.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58When I first started,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02the concert grand was £2,900,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06which was a vast sum of money when I was on £9 week.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08I'm just off of £9 a week now,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12but the concert grand is now 138,000, something like that.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Still this huge difference.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17- Wow.- Now, that looks more like it.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21An old Steinway piano holds its value, not just financially
0:14:21 > 0:14:23but also on a personal level.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26My mum used to say,
0:14:26 > 0:14:27"Well, there's always money around
0:14:27 > 0:14:32"and people will always spend their money on good quality products,"
0:14:32 > 0:14:33and she was proved right.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36As the prices have gone up over the years,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39the people have still maintained buying them.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44With vintage pianos being a desirable product,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48the craftsmen in the London workshop also buy old pianos
0:14:48 > 0:14:49to restore and sell on.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55They have been known to fetch up to £120,000.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12PIANO PLAYS
0:15:30 > 0:15:32In contrast to the Hamburg factory,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35where workers focus on a single discipline,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39the technicians at Steinway Hall learn how to fix and rebuild
0:15:39 > 0:15:40every part of a piano.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51Jeff Prett worked on his first piano as an 18-year-old back in 1969.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58After 47 years with the company,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00this is his final week at Steinway.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08This is my work area, all around here.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10All my tools and bench and so on.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13I've been in this little corner for the last,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15erm, I can't remember exactly how long.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Time sort of slips under the door very quickly, so...
0:16:19 > 0:16:21There we go.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32You're using your ears a tremendous amount
0:16:32 > 0:16:34in everyday type of work, you know,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38listening for little noises, clicks, buzzes and bangs.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42My hearing problems came a few years ago
0:16:42 > 0:16:46when I was tuning away and all of a sudden I couldn't hear the top end
0:16:46 > 0:16:48of the piano at all in one ear,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50which I still can't,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53and the left ear is...
0:16:53 > 0:16:54It's these notes here,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57round that area, they all sound the same to me.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Times move on. Nothing remains the same.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12That's the drawing for the leg plates
0:17:12 > 0:17:15and exactly where we know where the new leg plate's going to go
0:17:15 > 0:17:18in relationship to the leg.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21And then, when Rob and all these other people come to do it,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24they know exactly where the leg's got to go.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Jeff sort of took me under his wing
0:17:33 > 0:17:36and you can tell he knows his onions.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38You know, he knows his stuff.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43So, yeah. I was a little bit nervous, weirdly.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Does it come up any better than that?
0:17:47 > 0:17:49- That seems darker than that.- Yeah?
0:17:49 > 0:17:53It's cos it's more stained. It's like that.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- Yeah. All right. - I can get it better.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Well, in that case, you said it.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00JEFF LAUGHS
0:18:00 > 0:18:06He will always do the long-winded,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08proper method that looks good,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10looks right and will work
0:18:10 > 0:18:15over the one that is more time convenient
0:18:15 > 0:18:17or do the job.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19He'll always do the more...
0:18:19 > 0:18:20the proper fix.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23That's it. That's what we want.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Excellent.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43As the next generation of master craftsmen
0:18:43 > 0:18:46start out on their own musical journeys,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48the Model D grand pianos in Hamburg
0:18:48 > 0:18:51are well on their way to becoming the finished article.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09A pianist relies on their sense of touch.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19The regulation department are all about meticulous attention to detail.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Here, they make sure every key has the same action
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and the response is consistent across the whole keyboard.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48The texture and flexibility in the hammerhead
0:19:48 > 0:19:52ensures every note of the piano has the widest possible range.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Wiebke has been at Steinway for over 36 years
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and oversees quality control.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30She checks the sound of every instrument
0:20:30 > 0:20:31before it leaves the factory.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58Any chance I get, I play.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I stay behind after work
0:22:00 > 0:22:04and usually stay behind for a few hours
0:22:04 > 0:22:06and just, yeah, get a bit of practice in.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09It's not a bad practice room, to be honest.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15Once I started work,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19piano playing in the workshop was highly frowned on, so...
0:22:19 > 0:22:20There to work, not play.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23If you want to play, you go to the College of Music,
0:22:23 > 0:22:24so there was that.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36It takes over 12 months
0:22:36 > 0:22:40and 12,000 parts to build a Steinway Model D piano.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Once the instrument is complete,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22it is ready to take centre stage.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01All the painstaking months of hard work
0:24:01 > 0:24:04now lie in the hands of Ulrich,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07who works closely with many of the world's leading performers.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The pianos only really prove their mettle when they go on stage.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26The nice thing is that it combines craft with a whole musical side
0:24:26 > 0:24:29with a side of working with people who are artists.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35It's very much like being a conductor
0:24:35 > 0:24:37that conducts the orchestra of the piano
0:24:37 > 0:24:39and makes sure that all the sections play together
0:24:39 > 0:24:41rather than sort of individual.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50World famous pianist Lang Lang has worked with Ulrich
0:24:50 > 0:24:53since his Proms debut in 2001.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- All ready! This is the piano you know. 131.- This one's great. Yeah.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19You need to always work with the best, you know,
0:25:19 > 0:25:20friend, basically.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23You know, with the piano technician, we became so close because
0:25:23 > 0:25:27they work with musicians so closely and we make the change together.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33The relationship between pianist and tuner is crucial,
0:25:33 > 0:25:38not only getting the most out of the instrument but also the venue.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Do we have a little bit of the acoustic thing
0:25:41 > 0:25:43or is it a natural sound?
0:25:43 > 0:25:45No, they will... You see the mic rows?
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- So they have a little bit of amplified?- Yes.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55'You see the guys over there? When you want more, they'll tell you.'
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Yeah, so from the middle C is a little bit dry, the sound.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02- You think so?- Yeah. Maybe the keys, I don't know.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04It just felt a little bit thick.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Do you want me to add a little bit of reverb to make it feel...?
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- Yeah, just a little bit from middle C.- OK. No problem.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29To stay in the same job for 47 years is a pretty remarkable achievement.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Nowadays, in our world of zero-hour contracts,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37the average stay in one job is apparently about four years.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Just how many pianos has Jeff improved over these years?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Just how much goodwill has this likeable
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and brilliant technician created for Steinway?
0:26:48 > 0:26:51APPLAUSE
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Skilled men and women spend their lives
0:26:54 > 0:26:57hand-making these beautiful and complex instruments.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Every minute, every hour, every key
0:27:11 > 0:27:13and every note
0:27:13 > 0:27:16to create something more than just a mere object.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20It creates an experience.