# Pianomania



## mensch (Mar 5, 2012)

I saw this German documentary on television last weekend. It follows piano tuner Stefan Knüpfer from Steinway on his journeys and during the preparations and recording of "Die Kunst der Fuge" by Pierre-Laurent Aimard.

It's great to see Knüpfer at work and see how he interacts with pianists like Alfred Brendel and Aimard. Lang Lang also hammers away on a Steinway at some point. Because they're always off the stage, it's easy to forget how important the role of a tuner actually is in (re)creating the perfect piano sound before concert performances and during recording sessions. The documentary does a splendid job of getting across the high level of skill and love for the instrument a virtuoso tuner like Knüpfer possesses.

In any case, I can wholeheartedly recommend the movie for piano aficionados. The whole film is available here (legally), but it's the Dutch version.


----------

