Modartt user forum » Recordings featuring Pianoteq and Organteq » Pleyel 1926 vs Érard 1922 – Chopin comparison
A short comparison of two historic Pianoteq instruments: Pleyel 1926 and Érard 1922, using the same Chopin piece.
I was interested in how differently these two pianos shape the same music, particularly in colour, attack and resonance.
Pleyel 1926 – 00:00
Érard 1922 – 01:57
I’d be interested to hear which one you prefer, and why.
A short comparison of two historic Pianoteq instruments: Pleyel 1926 and Érard 1922, using the same Chopin piece.
I was interested in how differently these two pianos shape the same music, particularly in colour, attack and resonance.
Pleyel 1926 – 00:00
Érard 1922 – 01:57I’d be interested to hear which one you prefer, and why.
A good comparison, because you can clearly hear the differences.
Pleyel have kind of a soft, vocal, and intimate character, warm and sensual, compared to Erard that offer a rich, singing quality filled with distinct harmonic charm.
But, but, on second thought, having listened several times, I find the Erard sounds old-fashioned.
But I have played the Erard more than the Pleyel, because with adjustments I can make the Erard sound "warmer."
example 4 years ago : I made a bit melancholy composition, probably thinking of my son who passed away
Best wishes,
Stig
For me just listening to this is was difficult to compare. Did they have the same mic setup and reverb settings?
Ken
Interesting experiment ...
I chose a well-known piece in Em by Chopin and just sat and played it from the sheet music (so there are mistakes) and can say that each piano offered something quite different.
Each has been set to 415 and the well-tempered.
Pleyel (didn't sound so lively and therefore less dynamic to me and my playing reflects this I think)
https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?file=Pleyel.mp3
Erard (I felt I could be more dramatic, add deeper colour)
For me just listening to this is was difficult to compare. Did they have the same mic setup and reverb settings?
Ken
That is a very fair point, Ken. The comparison made me realise that the sound presentation itself can influence our perception almost as much as the instrument. For a future comparison I would like to make the conditions as controlled as possible, while still allowing each piano to be played in the way that suits it musically. Thank you for raising this.
Interesting experiment ...
I chose a well-known piece in Em by Chopin and just sat and played it from the sheet music (so there are mistakes) and can say that each piano offered something quite different.
Each has been set to 415 and the well-tempered.
Pleyel (didn't sound so lively and therefore less dynamic to me and my playing reflects this I think)
https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?file=Pleyel.mp3
Erard (I felt I could be more dramatic, add deeper colour)
Thank you, DEZ. I listened carefully to both examples, and I can hear what you mean, especially in the dynamics and the different colour of the two instruments. That is actually very close to what I discovered after making my own comparison. I was not completely happy with the Érard version and even thought about removing the video from YouTube, but in the end I decided to leave it there because the experiment itself taught me something useful. I now feel that using exactly the same MIDI performance on two very different pianos is fine for a technical comparison, but not really enough for a musical one. If I did it again, I would play the piece separately on each piano and let the instrument influence the touch, phrasing, dynamics and colour from the beginning. Your examples made that very clear to me. Thank you for taking the time to share them.
A short comparison of two historic Pianoteq instruments: Pleyel 1926 and Érard 1922, using the same Chopin piece.
I was interested in how differently these two pianos shape the same music, particularly in colour, attack and resonance.
Pleyel 1926 – 00:00
Érard 1922 – 01:57I’d be interested to hear which one you prefer, and why.
Such a fascinating sonic side-by-side Franco! The contrast in attack and resonance is striking: the Pleyel feels soft, romantic, and deeply atmospheric, while the Érard delivers wonderful clarity and precision in every note articulation. Thank you for putting together such a clear and thoughtful comparison—Pianoteq’s historical modeling shines here!
Carmelo
Hello Franco,
You’ve probably missed my comments on Pleyel/Erard and By the Sea. They likely got lost in the flood of music
Please take a look when you have time.
Best wishes,
Stig