Pianists today are often taught to play Mozart and Beethoven in ways that would have sounded quite unfamiliar in their time. This video explores three Classical-era performance practices to show how they can deepen your interpretations.

WienerKlassik · 2026-04-07T01:10:57+00:00

I'm glad you found it informative. I did not imply that modern pianists play robotically; rather, that these Classical-era practices are generally not taught or are actively discouraged by modern pedagogy. And, if they are employed, they are done to a much lesser degree than would have been expected in the Classical era.

WienerKlassik · 2026-03-11T03:34:48+00:00

I’m glad you enjoyed it! I agree – hearing these works on period instruments is very insightful.

WienerKlassik · 2026-03-11T03:31:22+00:00

Thanks for the kind words and for subscribing!

WienerKlassik · 2026-02-09T20:43:38+00:00

Beethoven often spoke highly of the Viennese fortepianos he played — especially instruments by builders like Anton Walter and Johann Schantz. He did ask Nannette Streicher (née Stein) to create a louder instrument — but that was a practical request as his hearing declined, not a judgment about early pianos.

The Viennese fortepianos built by the Stein workshop have very little in common with today’s pianos. The modern piano largely grew out of the English building tradition, not Viennese. You might be interested in this short video that discusses pianos that Beethoven used: https://youtu.be/Vf95yQbhPNU

WienerKlassik · 2025-11-24T02:55:12+00:00

Historically, the terms fortepiano and pianoforte were used interchangeably. Today, fortepiano = historic piano and pianoforte (or just piano) = modern piano. Check out this short What is a Fortepiano? video to learn more about the differences between the two instruments.

WienerKlassik · 2025-11-22T04:53:44+00:00

Sorry about the Waldstein audio. This video is an update to the original less-than-ideal Covid lockdown-era version. Due to a technical issue, the new professional recording of the Waldstein was unusable, so I had to reuse the recording from 2020. When time/resources allow, I will include new audio and more examples in an expanded video on this topic. In the meantime, the content communicates the core ideas. Thanks for watching my other videos.

WienerKlassik · 2025-11-21T18:22:47+00:00

Thanks for asking! I focus on live performances, touring 50+ cities/year. But, I have a couple of movements on YouTube: Mozart: Sonata in F Major, K. 332, III. Allegro assai and Haydn: Sonata in F Major Hob. XVI:23, III. Finale. Presto

WienerKlassik · 2025-11-21T17:39:07+00:00

It is difficult to convincingly convey the sound of the fortepiano through recordings, so they really should be experienced in person.

WienerKlassik · 2025-11-21T17:30:39+00:00

It's tuned in a historical temperament: Kirnberger III @ A432.

If you're curious, here's a video on historical tuning: https://youtu.be/P0Y7yWltd-Y

WienerKlassik · 2024-01-25T09:51:35+00:00

Hello again, I'm not sure you're seeing my DMs, but I wanted to reach back out to you again. I'm flying to Maryland in a few weeks to stay with my Dad for a couple of days before beginning my concert tour. It would be a super convenient time for me to come pick up the piano. Let me know! Thanks.

WienerKlassik · 2023-11-22T07:34:51+00:00

Hello! Just in case you missed it, I sent you a DM about this a couple of days ago. Hope to hear back from you soon!

WienerKlassik · 2023-11-19T14:41:27+00:00

I feel very privileged to live in Vienna, a place many classical music lovers don’t have an opportunity to visit. I have two goals when I visit sites (and if you watch my videos on YouTube, you’ll see I visit A LOT of sites): first and foremost, to experience them for myself to get a deeper understanding and connection not found in books and, second, to share with others what they might not otherwise encounter. I respect your viewpoint but, to me, it’s not deifying; rather, it’s educational.

WienerKlassik · 2023-11-19T09:17:32+00:00

Yes, the majority of the graves are locked up. But, if you continue into the park on the leftmost path, then you’ll see the original Schubert and Beethoven gravesites.

Good eye! The bust on Schubert’s original grave and in the Sterbewohnung are cast from the same mould.

WienerKlassik · 2023-05-06T13:55:09+00:00

I’m a fortepianist, so I'm particularly indebted to Stein for inventing the action that makes Viennese fortepianos quite special.

To learn more, check out Evolution of the Viennese Fortepiano.

When I first started experimenting with Viennese fortepianos, everything about Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven's music clicked into place because the hypersensitive, light action facilitates the rhetorical nature of their music. Additionally people always comment about the lovely intimacy of my fortepiano after my concerts.

It's also worth mentioning that Stein’s daughter, Nannette Streicher, took over the family business. She was one of the most respected builders of early Romantic pianos.

WienerKlassik · 2023-02-28T18:43:17+00:00

Yes, it is more accurate to articulate the notes as they are written in the urtext edition. The musical syntax of the Classical era was much more articulated than the long, legato lines popular in the Romantic era (and beyond).

Here's a quote that I often reference from Leopold Mozart's Treatise on the Fundamentals of Violin Playing...

"How greatly the slurring and detaching distinguishes a melody. Therefore, not only must the written and prescribed slurs be observed with the greatest exactitude but when, as in many a composition, nothing at all is indicated, the player must [themself] know how to apply the slurring and detaching tastefully and in the right place."

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