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[tool:灯里的歌词滚动姬] |
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When it comes to owning an upright piano, society has changed its tune. |
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One hundred years ago, having the instrument in your home was a sign of social status, |
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as well as being an important source of home entertainment. |
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But, nowadays, it seems that the piano's heyday is over, |
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and fewer people are choosing to tinkle the ivories at home. |
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The once impressive instrument sits silently in the corner of people's living rooms, gathering dust. |
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Many families have had to face the music - the instrument takes up too much space - |
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and so make the difficult decision of selling their piano. |
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But, to their dismay, no-one is buying. |
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Even when they're going for a song, buyers are not coming forward. |
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What's more, many owners are finding that they cannot even give their old pianos away. |
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Piano restorers across the globe have been inundated with calls from owners, |
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hoping to hear that their instrument is worth a lot of money. |
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John Gist, from the Gist Piano Centre in Louisville, Kentucky, |
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receives 10 to 15 calls a day from people asking how much their piano is worth. |
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The answer comes like a broken record – not much. |
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"It becomes a money pit," says Gist, and his advice is simply "to get rid of it." “ |
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Pianos are complicated to restore, as they have thousands of moving parts. |
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Fine-tuning the instrument is complex: loosening the strings can take around 10 hours; |
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even just polishing the piano can take up to 70. |
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So, the instruments that once rang out in thousands of households across the world are slowly and steadily ending up on the scrapheap. |
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But the death knell hasn't sounded for the piano just yet. |
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There is one market where the piano is booming – China. |
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Sales of pianos have reached a crescendo in the Chinese market, |
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with 300,000 pianos made there every year. |
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Famous Chinese virtuosos like Lang Lang, who first performed as a child, |
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have struck a chord with many other young musicians who have an interest in classical music, |
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and parents in tune with the times see piano playing as a way their child can get ahead. |
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But despite its growing popularity in China, |
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the traditional, wooden piano appears to have had its swan song, |
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with those who are buying opting for digital versions, |
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which are cheaper, quieter and, crucially, can be easily stored so they don't gather dust. |
