The Cobbe Collection – Museum of Historic Keyboards
Grand pianoforte by Ignace Pleyel 1848, owned by Chopin.
A Pleyel piano owned by Chopin, a Broadwood played and autographed by Elgar, a Ducci upright borrowed by Liszt for his Italian travels, and even an Erard made for Queen Marie-Antoinette sit side by side in this Aladdin’s Cave.
Keyboards that were once owned or played by some of the world’s greatest pianists and composers: Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Cramer, Elgar, Liszt, Mozart, Mahler, Purcell and Thalberg are on display here and in regular use. With all the instruments kept in playing condition, concerts using these historical gems are still held today in the Hatchlands music room.
Over the past 40 years antique keyboard enthusiast Alec Cobbe has scoured museums, auction houses and private collections to track down instruments owned by composers, bringing them together as the Cobbe Collection.
Website:
http://www.cobbecollection.co.uk
Comments
An extraordinary collection. Pianos associated with Chopin, Liszt and Thalberg all together in one room in an English country house in Surrey. Jane Stirling’s Erard is there, too…
http://tinyurl.com/3wujwp9
That’s fine, but how can I appreciate these instruments?
Has anyone recorded them?
Are the recordings available?
If they are, where can I find them?
WoW what id do to play that pleyel 1838!!