Fortepiano Pleyel op. 1619, 1830

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Ignaz Pleyel (1757 – 1831) was born in Ruppersthal (lower Austria). He studied with Haydn and, according to the 1791 review in London’s Morning Herald, became even more popular than his teacher. He lived in Strasbourg from 1783 and came to Paris in 1795. In 1797 he founded his music publishing firm, which for years published more than 4000 compositions by composers such as Boccherini, Beethoven, Clementi, Hummel, Kalkbrenner and Chopin.

The McNulty instrument is built after Pleyel op.1619, 1830, from a private collection. Pleyel started piano making in 1805, aged 52. Chopin remarked: “When I am not in my best form, I prefer Erard’s piano where I can easily find a ready-made piano tone. But when I am in a good mood and strong enough to find my own piano tone, I prefer one of Pleyel’s pianos.”