Pianomania

I didn't know much about this movie when I went to see it, but I definitely recommend it for anyone who is interested in piano playing, concert pianists or grand pianos. It's a German documentary following a Steinway piano technician (i.e., he tunes concert pianos). Several renowned pianists are scheduled to perform in a few halls in Vienna and our hero has to meet with them, help them find the piano that will fit the sound they are looking for, and then tweak it to get each note just right. I don't have a great ear, but I was even able to pick up some of the very slight nuances as the technician and pianist figured out how to get the piano just right. When I was growing up, we had an old upright at home that had to be tuned about once a year and I remember seeing the tuner with his tuning fork and various tools playing notes over and over again. Tuning a concert Steinway is beyond anything I remember from watching our humble old piano being tuned. The snippets of various piano pieces that are played throughout the movie are a wonderful bonus (although it will make you want to hear them in full in a proper hall). I also came away from this movie with a whole new appreciation for the amazing instrument that a grand piano truly is, unlike any other (both in scale and in technicality).