Presentation of the grand piano “Steinway & Sons”
Culture, 01 March 2019
Last week, a prominent event happened: the dream of musicians came true when the royal grand piano “Steinway & Sons” was gifted to the JINR Cultural Centre “Mir”.
“Steinway & Sons” is a world-known company producing pianos. Grand pianos of this producer have become a standard of the music industry since XX century: most studio recordings are carried out using these instruments, and most of the large-scale piano concerts are held with “Steinway and Sons” grand pianos. These musical instruments are famous for their soft and rich sound as well as for fairly great resistance of keys.
At the festive ceremony of presentation, the representative of the “Steinway and Sons” company in Russia, Sales Director Irina A. Barinova delivered her welcoming speech and on behalf of the company that gifted the world with the unique unbeaten masterpiece of piano production expressed gratitude to JINR Director Victor Matveev for his support of world cultural traditions.
“To get this legendary instrument is a great present to all multinational staff of our Institute and wonderful science city Dubna. Today, the session of the international Scientific Council has been concluded successfully. Leading scientists come to us to analyse jointly the implementation progress of all our projects. And today, we are in a good mood as far as positive conclusions were made during the Council about the uniqueness and importance of our work. It is a pleasure to conclude this day with a gift – the presentation of the grand piano of the “Steinway and Sons” company with participation of the Dubna symphony orchestra we are proud of. We deserve such a present because our achievements are obvious. Physicists are very passionate about music that allows exploring the world through the harmony of its reflection in the soul. This present will become yet another driver to the implementation of our plans,” JINR Director, RAS Academician Victor A. Matveev said.
“Today, such notions as “Steinway”, “Faberge”, and “Stradivari” have become synonyms. There is a list of 100 timeless composers who created their musical works at the Steinway grand pianos, namely Wagner, Liszt, Rossini, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky… Your grand royal has been produced for more than three years: 200 masters assembled 12,000 pieces by hand, and now all many-year experience and traditions of the “Steinway and Sons” company awaited for the solemn moment of passing the key and the certificate of the producer,” I.A. Barinova concluded her speech.
SIM Office Director Andrey Tamonov and Director of the Cultural Centre “Mir” Tatiana V. Romanenkova were invited to the stage for the festive ceremony of passing the key.
The number of our grand piano is 608043; it is the number of instruments that have been produced by the company since 1853. From now, it is listed in the registration book in Hamburg. Each guest in Germany will know that there is a concert platform of international level in the Russian city Dubna.
The full article by Eleonora Yamaleeva is available in the “Vstrecha” newspaper.
It should be reminded that the first grand piano “Steinway and Sons” in Dubna was presented by the JINR Directorate to the JINR Scientists’ Club on the occasion of its 60th anniversary.
Photos by Svetlana Seredina