No EMS this weekend

[Mary Chambers]

I don't have this CD, though somewhere (heaven knows where!) I do have a CD of Britten playing Mozart. I'm unaware of his actually using some sort of period instrument, replica or otherwise, but it's not impossible. He was certainly very interested in early music, and I remember reading that he said when he played Schubert he aimed at reproducing the sound of an early instrument as far as it was possible on a modern one.

Not a lot of help, I'm afraid!

[Sir Velo]

Continuing this Early Music/Britten topic, I don't know if any members can enlighten me, but I am absolutely certain that at some time in the dim and distant past, the BBC broadcast a recording of Britten performing a Mozart piano concerto on a replica fortepiano with a modern orchestra. Am I right or has HIP got to me completely?

I have to say I think it highly unlikely given that the first replica fortepianos didn't start appearing until the late 60s/early 70s, by which stage of his career Britten was practically done as a concerto performer.

[MickyD]

Well, Ingrid Haebler was an early exponent of performing on fortepianos, witness her J.C. Bach piano concertos on Philips, where she used a Neupert instrument. This company started making reproductions of early instruments in the first part of the twentieth century, so that predates the late 60s/early 70s by a long chalk.

Thanks for your thoughts...I remain convinced that I once heard such a programme of Britten experimenting with Mozart on some sort of period piano, but sadly cannot seem to find the proof!

[Sir Velo]

Well, Ingrid Haebler was an early exponent of performing on fortepianos, witness her J.C. Bach piano concertos on Philips, where she used a Neupert instrument. This company started making reproductions of early instruments in the first part of the twentieth century, so that predates the late 60s/early 70s by a long chalk.

Thanks for your thoughts...I remain convinced that I once heard such a programme of Britten experimenting with Mozart on some sort of period piano, but sadly cannot seem to find the proof!

Interesting Micky, but my understanding is that Neupert had no distribution outside Germany until the 1970s. While the company had an interest in preserving historic keyboard instruments from its foundation in the 19th century, I don't believe it started making reconstructions of fortepianos until the 1960s.

However, the people to ask would be Ursula Jones (ex manager of the ECO) and Jenni Wake-Walker, Aldeburgh Festival Organiser. Ursula Jones was actually interviewed by Suzy Klein this last weekend. What a pity you didn't tweet this question to her!

[Bryn]

From the Neupert site:

In 1906 the first NEUPERT harpsichord was made by the three sons of the founder &endash; a pioneering event at this time. During the following decades the whole family of historical keyboard instruments was reconstructed. Based on both the originals of the Neupert Collection and the organological work by Hanns Neupert, a grandson of the company's founder, NEUPERT instruments acquired a worldwide reputation.

[MickyD]

Thanks, both. Bryn, that's exactly where I dug out my information! Which makes me think that some sort of fortepianos existed in the earlier part of the 20th century.

Sir Velo - yes, that would indeed have been an interesting question to put to Ursula Jones. I can't help thinking that the performance I mentioned was part of an Aldeburgh Festival programme.