Meet the Fazioli
Paolo Fazioli, whose company Fazioli Pianos debuts at this year's Fryderyk Chopin Competition, talks to Klaudia Baranowska...
Paolo Fazioli, photo: courtesy of Fazioli
Paolo Fazioli, whose company Fazioli Pianos debuts at this year's Fryderyk Chopin Competition, talks to Klaudia Baranowska
Klaudia Baranowska: Fazioli pianos are only just making their debut at the Chopin Competition. What do pianists value most in these instruments?
Paolo Fazioli: I think it's the clean, balanced sound. Our instruments afford the possibility to shape the tone, particularly with regard to the piano's dynamics. It's ideal for performing Chopin's music as he preferred Pleyel pianos for their delicate sound. Four competitors at this year's Chopin Piano Competition chose the Fazioli concert grand. It's a great outcome considering that this is the first time our instruments have been part of the available selection. It's important that young musicians have the opportunity to get to know our pianos. This is how we promote our instruments.
Your family owned a company that produced furniture. Why did you decide to begin making pianos?
Ever since I can remember I've always dreamt of building pianos. I am an engineer by training but I play the piano. I adore it. I wanted to create an instrument that would have an outstanding, unique sound. We started production 30 years ago, on a small scale at first. It is difficult to make a name for oneself in this industry and yet we have managed to do so, thanks to the quality of our pianos' sound. Currently, there are 40 employees in our company.
What is the production process for Fazioli pianos?
Every part of the instrument is built according to our design. We pay particular attention to the construction of the soundboard. This is the most essential part of the instrument. All pianos are built by hand in a process that takes two years. Annually, we produce about 120 instruments. We use a variety of materials – wood, iron, steel. For the soundboard, we use wood from the Italian Alps, from a region called Val di Fiemme. Stradivari sourced his materials here, as do many violin producers today.
Interview by Klaudia Baranowska
This article comes from the Chopin Express gazette published for the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Gramophone magazine.
View the audition recitals online at chopin2010.pl/en/competitions/xvith-chopins-competition.html
Other articles of interest in Chopin Express No. 14:
"We Need to Find a Fovourite" - an Interview with Józef Kański
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