Whether one is choosing a piano for a child or for an adult, the choice must not be put down to chance.   One must bear in mind that each instrument has its own personality, its individual specifications which will be important considerations.   It is therefore, essential to think of this purchase in terms of ones needs.   For a child, for example, one will favour a light keyboard which will avoid strain; those wanting to work on technique will be drawn to a heavier keyboard.   This is just the start of a long list of criteria which must be taken into consideration.   In order to help you, Diapason has asked two young students of the CNSM of Paris to put twelve pianos to the test, to give their opinion of the characteristics of each one and for whom they would be most appropriate.   We have divided the instruments into two price ranges – less then 4000 euros and from approximately 4000 – 5000 euros.   We have to say that, for practical reasons, Schimmel and Kawai were not able to take part in this study.

Gaspard Dehaene Gaspard Dehaene who is in his third year of study with Bruno Rigutto was introduced to the piano very early on by his mother Anne Queffelec.   However, his passion for the piano came quite late on, at the end of secondary school.   Since then, the young pianist has worked relentlessly and is perfecting his art with his studies at the Paris Conservatoire as well as at summer courses.   He has taken place in several festivals such as La Folle Journee de Nantes and has premiered a piece by Boulez, Une page d’ephemeride.

Paolo Rigutto Paolo is not studying in his father, Bruno Rigutto’s, class but in that of Brigitte Engerer.   Like Gaspard, he also was sucked into the family passion and this young instrumentalist gets his musical enrichment from his teacher and in the academies which he attends assiduously.   He is driven more and more towards his preferred repertoire, that of the romantics such as Schumann whose Concerto he has performed in public.   Paolo Rigutto also did himself credit at the Pianoscope festival and at the Lisztomanias of Chatearoux.

Yamaha B1 At the bottom of the Yamaha Series B range, the B1 seems to be a particularly musical instrument.   Very bright and well rounded, it provides a lovely tone for those who play it.   Paolo Rigutto notices that the ‘high notes are clear, and the middle and the bass notes warm with a subtle and pleasant tone throughout all the registers’, it is also very even with a light touch, which allows the player to get great precision when playing rapid passages, as well as a very delicate response. These qualities lend themselves particularly to the interpretation of composers such as Chopin, Mozart and Messsiaen as well as the playing of technical points such as trills or repeated notes.   As for dynamics, the possibilities are numerous, even if it is little harder to bring off very quiet nuances.   On the other hand, the B1 is perfect for working on your legato playing.   This instrument which is at the same time simple and rich should appeal to every sort of beginner – adults or children.   More advanced students will certainly prefer a piano with wider possibilities.

Strong points
Brightness and fullness of sound
Light keyboard geared towards beginners.

Weak points
Finer points of playing sometimes difficult to bring off.
A piano which lacks a bit of personality.

Toyo 116
Much less well known and younger than its big sisters Yamaha and Kawai, the Toyo company has been manufacturing pianos which are assembled in Japan since 1948.   The NA116, produced in China and monitored by the firm, impressed the two pianists with its power and superb character.   Any beginner would be able to enjoy this piano straightaway as it is ‘easy to master’ and it is ‘possible to get a good sound immediately’ remarks Gaspard Dehaene.

Its keyboard is ‘light, which makes trills and repeated notes easy’ and the pedals allow one to bring out certain nuances with great ease.   Paolo Rigutto praises the ‘full, warm and characterful’ sound of the Toyo.   He likes its touch, which makes the instrument ‘a joy to play’ and the fact that it is able to produce a wide tonal range, and finally he pays tribute to its harmonic richness.

For the two pianists, the action cannot be faulted and lends itself particularly to the Romantic repertoire.   They applaud the moderate brightness of this model which, in their opinion, should appeal to beginners or to amateurs who have been playing for about five years.   Pleasant and with a good full tone, it would allow the player to enjoy working on technique, before moving on to developing his musicality as soon as he reaches a certain level.

Strong points
Lightness of touch and pedals.
Beautiful rich sound.
An easy piano to play.

Weak points A piano with a tendency towards a lack of clarity.