Around 1800, John Broadwood of London made the finest pianos in the world. Haydn played one; Beethoven owned one. This album is a recording of an original Broadwood grand pianoforte very similar to Beethoven's own piano, built in1809, restored by Marinus Van Prattenburg in 2009, and played by early keyboard specialist Susan Adams. The final two tracks feature a mandolin made by Cesare Montaldi in Naples before 1850 and restored by Clive Titmuss in 2017. The resources of the early 19th Century piano provide a refreshing viewpoint on these well-known works. Broadwood’s design allowed the dampers to be divided for the upper and lower part of the keyboard, allowing them to be used independently, a feature which Beethoven actually notated in his music. The use of this “split sostenuto” pedal provides a veil of resonance without obscuring the piano’s clarity. Great Pulteney Street is named as the location of the Broadwood factory on the name-boar...