I can't play piano, but in the 1960s-70s I grew up with a 1913 Steinway on which my mother practiced for several hours every day. When my parents first got married they were close to broke, lived in a tiny apartment, and almost never ate out, but they bought that Steinway so that she could have a great tool for her profession. She played the hell out of it for half a century, then traded it in for a new one which sounds even better.I'm sure that a lot of people have nostalgic stories like this. Sure, nostalgia is nice, but these pianos truly are wonderful, and this documentary shows why.I think that as Americans we really shine when we MAKE big beautiful things, whether airplanes, rockets, or pianos. It's even better that in this case many of the workers are immigrants who came looking for jobs. The interviews make clear that they stay at Steinway because they truly love what they do. My mom's an immigrant, too, and it's wonderful that she's playing an instrument made in Astoria, New York.Watch this video and you'll come away smiling. Afterward, if you have the opportunity to buy a piano, cough up the bucks for a new Steinway--you'll get an absolutely superb instrument, and you've seen some of the good folks who make it, right here in the good ole US of A.

I saw this last night on Netflix streaming video. Anyone who is a musician, or who just loves piano music, would enjoy this. Or even just craftsmen who want to see this fascinating process.This was filmed in the Steinway factory in New York. I was a bit surprised at how Steinway has remained almost completely a manual process, building each and fitting each by hand, with craftsmen using chisels and other tools putting the finishing touches on parts that need to fit properly. I believe they said they make 2000 pianos a year, while other more automated piano factories make 200 pianos a day!Piano L1037 is the one followed for the almost year it takes to make it. Why so long? Well they start with raw wood, form the multi-layered sides with a mold, manual labor, glue, and clamps. So it has to sit for periods to cure, including 8 weeks in the warehouse after the sides are fully formed. Then at other points, including after stringing, the piano has to sit for periods to allow all the stretching and tons of forces inside the piano to settle in.The film also includes interviews with a number of pianists, including Harry Connick Jr, and in the end one of them is playing beautiful music on L1037 after it is complete and is transported to the Steinway facility where all the finished pianos are displayed.

The stars of this film ought to have been the piano and the people who dedicated their lives to building it. Through very personal interviews, the workers impress us with their commitment, but they are never allowed fully to impress us with their skills. Instead, much of this already short film focuses on the end users (the pianists and their needs, opinions, tastes), on endless shots of 'L1037' (just so we know it's the same piano), and on the Steinway Building (in case we forgot where we are.) Perhaps the filmmaker felt the technical details of how a piano is made would not be compelling enough to carry the movie. Still, I was disappointed that I came away with no real understanding of what each and every worker was contributing, how all the pieces fit together, and what skills these passionate artisans bring.

You don't have to play a note of music to enjoy 'Note By Note:The Making Of Steinway L1037'. This is a loving Valentine to instrument making & music in general. We get to see the Steinway piano being produced over a one year period, from trees in the forest, to the finished product. The film is rife with interview footage with the workers who poured their life & love into this (and all of the)piano. The film also gets screen time with interviews with figures from the musical world (Harry Connick,Jr.Lang Lang,etc.). This film,like the piano itself is a labour of love & is well worth seeking out. Distribution is a bit limited,due to it's release on video,but will be well received when it is released on DVD.