We have a beautiful piano here at the Inn, one that I surely don’t deserve, but here it is. I come from musical people, well at least on my father’s side of the family. My grandmother was a wonderful pianist and my aunt made a career of her musical abilities as a professor of music. (Though, I believe there is family lore that she could have been, maybe should have been, an opera singer – but she was an only daughter in a family where there were unstated rules, at a time when having such a far flung and eclectic career wasn’t looked upon kindly) This all leads to the fact that we have inherited a beautiful Pleyel piano and it sits here in the main living room at the Inn, exceedingly grateful for any small attention that is paid her.

I am asked questions about this piano frequently enough that I thought writing it down in one place would be helpful. Pleyel is a famous brand, though much less well known than others of the music world. Pleyel’s are made in France, and we think ours was made around 1926. Chopin was a Pleyel fan. It’s a beautiful, unusual wood, with an almost matt finish and a very pronounced grain pattern. And, thanks to the wonder of Google, I also know that the man Pleyel, who founded the company in 1807, was the 24th of 38 children. That needs no further comment.

Our Pleyel made it’s way to me via Switzerland through the eventual head of the piano department at Denver University. I think it then briefly lived at my aunt’s house in Santa Fe, and has lived in Vermont since 2004.

Anyone is welcome to come and visit this historic piano and pay it some of the attention it deserves. Please do, my years of piano lessons are an insult to the class and stature of such an instrument.