Gérard Fauvin has been an apprentice for more than 30 years. In contact with his Masters, (Stein, Walter, Graf, Pleyel, Erard, Blunthner, Steinway, Broadwood, and many others, he learns to “forget his Ego” to let only “the Master” express himself through the instrument that was designed 100, 150, 200 years ago, or more.
At the bedside of these old pianos to restore, the question “It’sserious,Doctor”? often calls for an answer of apparent simplicity that can often be summed up as: “He’s dead, but we change everything and we redo a newone.” In fact the answer is NO !
The long relationship with these historical pianos has generated within this restorer – doctor a long series of questioning. Through 5 questions, Gérard Fauvin answers the request “Whatis the value of this piano foryou?”?
Having helped to define if “it’s worth it”, we can consider a restoration and we can propose the choice between many eventualities:
– Conservation of the instrument as it is
– Partial Restoration if possible
– High quality traditional restoration
– Historical restoration
What follows are important decisions that commit the esthetics of the restoration:
– Priorities choice
– Materials choice
– Choice of implemented techniques
Gerard Fauvin has given two conferences at the Carrousel du Louvre during the Cultural Heritage Show in 2005 and 2006, dealing with “Appraisal of antique pianos” and “The historical Restoration”.
