Piano Mania (2009)

Directed by: Robert Cibis, Lilian Franck | 93 minutes | music, documentary

Musicians are not the easiest people to get along with. If it’s not the excessive demands of a rock band about the color of the M&Ms in the dressing room, it is the exact sounds an instrument must produce. Admittedly: the latter is of course a legitimate reason to stand up for yourself as an artist. “As a pianist has the sound in his head, so it must be.” That sound, that perfect sound, is what Stefan Knüpfer strives for. The charming German has a very precise ear and can quickly respond to the wishes of his customers, an impressive line of world-famous concert pianists. He does this in a different way than his colleagues, who usually rely on a measuring device. Knüpfer only relies on his hearing. In the documentary ‘Pianomania’, the viewer follows this special concert technician and piano tuner on his quest for the perfect sound. Does that sound boring? Make no mistake! ‘Pianomania’ is anything but dull, but an energetic and above all entertaining documentary about music and unbridled passion for your work. In addition, filmmakers Robert Cibis and Lilian Franck offer the viewer a unique time document of the world’s best-known concert pianists, which makes ‘Pianomania’ mainly fodder for classical music lovers, but certainly not only for them.

For example, Knüpfer will work for Pierre-Laurent Aimard, who will be recording Bach’s Die Kunst der Fuge in a year’s time in the Vienna Concertgebouw (where Knüpfer works). Aimard is known as a very demanding artist, someone who is not easily satisfied. Knüpfer makes this clear in a humorous way, by saying that Aimard often drops the word ‘Frage…’ after an approving remark. You can hardly suppress a smile when it turns out later that Knüpfer has hit the nail on the head. The stress sets in when the wing on which Aimard previously played to his full satisfaction is sold. Knüpfer has to do everything possible to find a replacement copy, which of course also has to produce exactly the right sounds. And that’s very exciting.

We also see Knüpfer working for the young pianist Lang Lang, already announced by the New York Times as the hottest artist on the classical musical planet. Because Lang Lang has a rather wild playing style, his piano stool must be as sturdy as possible. Knüpfer also ensures that these are met. The fragments with Aleksey Igudesman and Richard Hyung-Ki Joo, two young pianists, who present their audience a combination of classical music and humor are hilarious. We see that Knüpfer himself also likes to have fun, when he helps them with the preparations for their show. Classic!

The passion, the dedication, the search for perfection in combination with the beautiful music (not for nothing this film won the German film prize for the best sound) make ‘Pianomania’ a surefire, fascinating documentary.