To Piano or not to Piano?

We're getting a piano! We won't actually move it for a couple of weeks, but we agreed today to buy it! It was made ca. 1900, so it's lived a little bit. But that, to me, is a plus in an instrument. Here are some pictures:

Do you know what a piano is? It's an invitation. Who can walk by a piano with the lid up and resist playing a few keys? Very few people. A piano invites music, it inspires somehow. In a way the violin, even though I love the violin, does not. Maybe because it's never put away in a case. Or maybe because you push a key and the note is just...well...there. Anyway, we're going to have an invitation in our living room.

I could give you several reasons why it would have been better to go electronic. It's easier to move. It doesn't go out of tune. It's not so sensitive to hot, cold, and humidity. You can plug in earphones to play without disturbing anyone. But, I'm sorry. An electric piano is not a real instrument. You can't run your hand lovingly over the wood. You can't feel the vibration. It's an approximation of a piano. It's not a real piano.

We now own a real piano. It needs tuned. Badly. It needs repaired. It has silly bronze candleholders on it. But it's beautiful.