Olaf van Hees Pianoforte Restauratie

Study of "Different Mood Selfies" from The Black Swan in Helmsley (North Yorkshire).

A beautiful Dutch Van Raay 1818 6 octaves square piano. Case in Dutch Empire style. French Double Pilot Action. Inside a different story. As a retired Forensic Physician I'm used to be surprised after opening a body/case, but this was the limit of "improvement".
The hammer rail is permanently fixed by a dove tail construction, the rail support rods fixed by a 2-component stuff and fixed in the rail with some wall plaster.... This will take some time to reconstruct.

Rolfe square piano SN 4777, probably between 1797 - 1802 (SN's with Rolfes are notorious unreliable !). Ready to be transported to the new owner after a long restoration proces.

Clementi 1811 square piano. All screws impossible to remove; only with a welding iron. Time consuming, but it works. Now al the lids are off, the stripping can begin. Never seen so many layers of varnish, wax, dirt, etc. First results with oil are promising.

Rolfe made a real signature shade/damper rail/double music stand. Here some pictures of the restoration of a Rolfe square from ca. 1797. The shade was damaged, and the extra music desk was absent. It is restored into it's original shape, including the original decorations (copied from another Rolfe).

Today's office: Huis Barnaart (Hendrick de Keyser Stichting). Restoration of a Roughead square (Glasgow ca. 1850/60 ??).

Today's office at House Barnaart at Haarlem. I examined this square piano about wich were a lot of questions. I do hope these pictures will shed some light on this puzzle.
According to Lieve Verbeeck research, Roughead sr. was a builder and Roughead jr. a piano seller. The lowest key is an CC (and not an FF) and it extends over 7 minus bflat-c octaves. This suggests a late model, too late for the Roughead sr. But why the stamped name and a serial number if it was only sold by R. jr. ? The pictures show a rather conservative action, without the fashionable back catch, and, again, a lot of octaves. Did mr. R. sr. make such an extended instrument as a special commission ?
According to David Hackett there is a similar instrument by Roughead (sr. or jr. ?) in a museum in Glasgow. Will this reveal more ?

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Peaceful and Musical New Year.

One week ago the Duwaer 1832, one of my workhorses, cracked through it's French style stand. At 4 October a concert, so this was an emergency job. Four beautiful new legs. To be honest, it gives the instrument a less heavy appearance.

Last week office for three days: CD recording in Köln, Germany. Opus 5 JC Bach on three square pianos: Ganer 1780, Broadwood 1785 and Beck 1776. Tuning, tuning, tuning. And a last moment preparing the Beck for recording.

Preparing the Ganer 1780 square piano for a CD recording session JC Bach. The new buff stop, in combination with the lid swell, gives a spectacular sound effect.

Office for the 19th. of July: Beningbrough Hall (NT). Preston square. They thought it was a mock harpsichord.... (deep sigh). I could tell them that it was a square piano from around 1800. Unfortunately I was not allowed to open the instrument, for it was not opened for years (sic). They are now trying to find permission to open the instrument, but "that could take some time"....

Office at the 17th. of July: Ormesby Hall (NT). A Broadwood Bo***ir Grand ca. 1855. Played very smooth. I made the staff happy when I told them that the instrument was considerable older than they thought.

Office at the 14th. of July: Nunnington Hall (NT), examining a Haxby square. Most important conclusions: In concert ready condition, only needs tuning.

Last 11 days' office: Tuning a square piano for Mozart's opera "La Finta Giardinata".

Interesting "double action" in a square by Schoene (London 1793), a new restoration project. Looks a bit like a French "double pilot".

Yesterday's office.
It took some efforts to prepare this Duwaer (Amsterdam ca. 1830, restored by Olaf van Hees Pianoforte Restoration) for this concert, after a long period in a far too moist and cold Dutch city manor.
But we did it !

Broadwood 1785, SN 346. A special edition made for the export to France. Pieces by Joseph Haydn.

https://soundcloud.com/o-s-van-hees/broadwood-1785-haydn-hob-xvi-23-f-major-1-allegro-danilo-mascettiwav
https://soundcloud.com/o-s-van-hees/broadwood-sn-346-1785-haydn
https://soundcloud.com/o-s-van-hees/broadwood-sn346-1785-haydn-hob
https://soundcloud.com/o-s-van-hees/broadwood-1785-sn346-mako-kodama-haydn-op-xvi-nr-42-d-majorwav

Till next Christmas !

A Peaceful and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all !

Restoration project completed !
A 1785 square piano, made for the French market. The shade is in beautiful French Chinoiserie.
The surprise is in the last pictures !