An original rosewood Steinway & Sons baby grand piano from 1901, a gift from a group of private donors, will call the West Tisbury library home. A dedication concert is planned for Oct. 12.
The idea to acquire a piano for the West Tisbury library originated this past spring when friends rented a piano for Jonathan Revere’s memorial service at the library.
“The reaction from everyone about the piano that day was so strong,” selectmen Richard Knabel said. So strong, in fact, that he started thinking: What if the library permanently had a piano?
Piano is a circa 1901 original rosewood Steinway & Sons baby grand.
Piano is a circa 1901 original rosewood Steinway & Sons baby grand.
Mr. Knabel asked library director Beth Kramer and “she thought it was a really good idea,” he said.
He turned to David Stanwood, “the piano man of Martha’s Vineyard,” to spearhead a search to find the perfect piano. It didn’t take long. On Sept. 24, on behalf of the town, the West Tisbury selectmen unanimously voted to accept an original rosewood Steinway & Sons baby grand piano that dates back to 1901. Mr. Stanwood rebuilt the piano in the early 1990s and will continue to maintain it.
The piano was gifted from a group of private donors and purchased from the estate trustee of David Frantz Jr., an Island resident who died at the age of 91 in January 2014.
“I was not familiar with Mr. Frantz before this,” Mr. Knabel said. “But this July at the annual book sale I happened to find a book with his name inside it.”
There will be a dedication concert for the piano on Oct. 12 at the library. Island musicians Maria Newman, Martha Thatcher and Delores Stevens will perform. Thereafter, it will be used for adult and children’s programming at the library.
The piano dedication concert at the West Tisbury library is on Oct. 12 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified library director Beth Kramer as the director of the library board of trustees.
Comments
What a wonderful idea. Hope I
Lia KahlerWhat a wonderful idea. Hope I will be able to attend.
Wonderful! We are lucky to
Katherine Scott TisburyWonderful! We are lucky to have a "piano man" on the Vineyard.
That this piano belonged to David Frantz makes it doubly fitting as the "official" piano of the West Tisbury Library. Frantz was a polymath --- scientist, sailor, musician --- who played with the Vineyard Sinfonietta , starting, I believe, the fifties.
This is a truly wonderful
Joanie ames West TisburyThis is a truly wonderful addition to West Tisbury and the musical life of the whole Island. Thanks to Richard Knabel for organizing this venture and raising the necessary funds. One correction to the article: The West Tisbury Library did not rent the piano for Jonathan Revere's memorial;it was rented for the occasion by a couple of Jonathan's good friends.
Thanks for pointing out the
Editor Vineyard GazetteThanks for pointing out the correction. We've updated the article accordingly.
Sorry Billy Joel, you moved
Rick VHSorry Billy Joel, you moved off-island-
Come to the Concert Sunday
David Stanwood West TisburyCome to the Concert Sunday Oct 12 4pm at the Library and hear this piano. It free and also a fundraiser so bring your checkbook if you want to contribute! A few more thousand dollars are needed to complete this wonderful piano gift. Special thanks to the MV Chamber Music Society for underwriting the costs of this concert.
Dan Waters reported an
David Stanwood West TisburyDan Waters reported an interesting Coincidence. Jonathan Revere who's memorial service provided the impetus to find a permanent piano for the Library, and David Frantz Jr. who owned the piano that was found for the library, both passed away on the same day. January 19, 2014.
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