In July 2013 the search for a piano for our new house began. I'd been using an old upright and a digital piano all my life and had no idea what to look out for when choosing a new piano.
So I scoured the Internet and forums and visited almost every shop on the island, called almost every dealer whose number I could get my hands on, and tinkled on almost every upright that came into my sight (upright because--small island, small apartments, smaller budget...but was willing to give every price a try).
From 8k to 88k, nothing appeased me--the touch wasn't right, the tone wasn't quite right, or the workmanship wasn't up to expectations. Most importantly, I had read in the piano forums that people had wept when they heard a Sauter played, so I formed in my mind the idealistic criterion that the piano (or brand) I would eventually purchase had to make me cry, especially since my wedding dress didn't make me weep a single tear.
And so I was determined to try a Sauter. Through a stroke of luck, someone in a forum put me in touch with Alvin, and Alvin set me up on visits to a couple of his clients' homes to view their Sauters. For the first time, what blew me away wasn't the price, but the sound. It was simply different and very, very unique. The bass had a rumble, a living growl that was unlike any I had ever heard in an upright. The notes in the middle register seemed to carry delicate but deep waves of colours and emotions, and the high octaves sang beautifully (the pearls, the bells--that whole package--but with a kind of fantasy). I wanted to hear more.
Alvin demonstrated extreme patience, diligence and knowledge as he explained every single feature of the pianos and their production to me, my spouse and my very-hard-to-please parents. Yet after the few visits, although convinced of the brand's supreme quality, I still hadn't met the one. I knew that I could, to a certain extent, customise the tone, touch and other features of a Sauter, but I needed to hear one whose tone could touch the very depths of my heart so I could know for sure that this brand of pianos could give me what I wanted.
Again with exceeding patience and care, Alvin listened to me ramble on about this intangible, dream-like sound I tried to articulate, that existed purely in my imagination. Then with great conviction, he declared, you want a creamy tone. I had absolutely no idea what he meant. But I went to view his M-line 122 and approached it with apprehension.
Carelessly I struck the middle C, E and G, then turned to face my husband. Could this be the one? I knew my amateur playing couldn't bring the best out of it, so quickly I gave my seat up and sat a distance away while Alvin took my place. Just a quick series of broken chords and. I. wept. (The guys had no idea.) And the deal was sealed.
We cannot thank Mr Sauter and Alvin enough for very kindly and patiently going to great lengths to fulfill our every request, from ensuring a pleasant and smooth journey to the Sauter factory in Germany and securing accommodation (and food and entertainment), to the wonderful tour of the factory, and most of all for meeting my importunate wishes for my piano. They've got every single detail perfect--the veneers, the hygrometer, the soft fall device, the pedals, the music rack, the inscriptions...the workmanship is exquisite and the sound is unparalleled.
Thank you for making our home complete.
