Note By Note (DVD)

The most thoroughly handcrafted instruments in the world, Steinway pianos are as unique and full of personality as the world-class musicians who play them. However, in this age of mass production, their makers are a dying breed: skilled cabinet-makers, gifted tuners, thorough hand-crafters. NOTE BY NOTE follows the creation of the Steinway concert grand, #L1037, from forest floor to concert hall. Each piano's journey is complex, spanning 12 months, 12,000 parts, 450 craftsmen, and countless hours of fine-tuned labor. Filmed in key Steinway locations - the factory, Steinway's reserved "Bank," and the rooms of private auditions - NOTE BY NOTE is a loving celebration not just of craftsmanship, but of a dying breed of person who is deeply connected to working by hand. In the end, this is an ode to the most unexpected of unsung heroes. It reminds us how extraordinary the dialog can be between an artist and an instrument crafted out of human hands but borne of the materials of nature.