A part of history - and ain’t it grand

Friday September 29, 2006

By Helen Musa

Arts Editor

If you owned a one-of-a-kind German-crafted, 125 year old Rönisch Concert Grand Piano, you would naturally want to have it tested out by the finest pianists you could find.

MUSIC TO HIS EARS: Professor Larry Sitsky put the Rönisch grand piano through its paces at its new home 

at the ANU School of Music yesterday. Picture: GRAHAM TIDY

That was no problem for the ANU School of Music Keyboard Institute - it has quite a few to choose from.

In fact, the school’s master fortepianist and Canberran of the Year, Associate Professor Geoffrey Lancaster, was seen on ABC TV recently trying out the fine instrument, bought for the school with the help of the Department of Environment and Heritage’s National Cultural Heritage Account, and a contribution from Pioneer Electronics Australia.

But yesterday it was the turn of Professor Larry Sitsky, who put the Rönisch through its paces by performing demanding works by Anton Rubinstein, composed during the era in which the piano was made and exported to Australia.

In 1845, Carl Rönisch established a piano-making company in Dresden. By the time he died in 1892, Rönisch’s company was known as the Official Purveyor to the Courts of the King of Saxony, as well as the Courts of Spain and Russia.

The School of Music bought the instrument from a private citizen in Melbourne who feared that it would be sold to an overseas buyer. It was commissioned in the 1970s or early 1880s by Australia’s Nicholson and Co and was for a time the centrepiece of the display in the company’s Melbourne showroom.

The head of the School of Music, Associate Professor John Luxton, described the instrument as important part of Australia’s musical heritage.

He said the unique piano would continue to make history by being part of the education of the next generation of talented Australian pianists.

Tomorrow at 7.30pm in Llewellyn Hall, a talk by Professor Lancaster will proceed a performance of works my Rubinstein on the Rönisch by Larry Sitsky.

Bookings on 6275 2700 or www.canberraticketing.com.au

First published in The Canberra Times, September 29, 2006