This instrument pack, authorized by Steinway & Sons, offers two variants: Hamburg and New York. The New York Steinway D is the very first produced of Steinway’s groundbreaking new flagship instrument Model D Spirio|r, which has been used by some of the most famous pianists in the world today. The physical model is based on recordings made at the famous New York Steinway Hall.

New York and Hamburg Steinway pianos are very much like twin siblings that share strong family traits but exhibit subtle differences in their personalities. These differences can be attributed in part to the variations in hammer construction and voicing techniques utilized in both production facilities. Proprietary procedures in soundboard fabrication and installation unique to each factory also flavor the nuanced tonal distinctions between Hamburg and New York Steinway pianos. Both use soundboards that are constructed from carefully selected premium Sitka spruce wood.

During the development of the two virtual instruments for Pianoteq, each note was carefully adjusted in its finest detail, just like in a real factory, resulting in stunningly vivid instruments created with the most demanding musician in mind.

Featured Artist

Nadia Shpachenko recently received a GRAMMY® award for her Reference Recording CD The Poetry of Places. Here she performs Alexander Scriabin’s Étude in C-sharp minor, Op. 2 No. 1, rendered in Pianoteq 7 using the New York Steinway D grand piano model, authorized by Steinway & Sons.

Scriabin’s innovative musical aesthetics fits as a hand in the glove for Shpachenko who specializes in powerful pieces that possess unusual sonic qualities. This particular piece is especially demanding for virtual pianos due to its vivid nature, with complex resonances and frequent use of repedalling, here gorgeously handled by Pianoteq’s physical model.