The instrument
Since 1967, Museum Vleeshuis has kept a concert grand piano on permanent loan from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, built in 1884 by the renowned Parisian firm Pleyel: the Benoit-Pleyel. Since the early 20th century, the instrument has been associated with the name of none other than Peter Benoit (1834-1901), composer, conductor and founder of the Conservatory at Antwerp.
The instrument became unplayable over the years and was restored to playable condition in 2020-2021, in consultation with the Conservatory and thanks to the Peter Benoit Fund. The clients wanted to bring this musical heritage back to life so that future generations could learn about the late-19th-century soundscape of Peter Benoit and his contemporaries. The main focus is respecting the historical value and heritage value of the instrument.
The restorer
The Peter Benoit Fund consciously selected a young restorer. Craftsmanship is the key focus of the approach of Yannick Wijnants (Atelier Herkenrode), preserving the historical value of the instrument as much as possible. As such, the complex and special knowledge required in restorations of historical instruments can also be built upon, safeguarded and put into practice by the next generation.
In this video, Yannick talks passionately about the restoration of the 'Benoit-Pleyel' piano.
Yannick Wijnants worked at Philippe Jolly and Pianos Balleron, among other places, gaining extensive experience tuning, intoning and restoring historic French grand pianos by Pleyel, Erard, Pape, Rollers & Blanchet and Gaveau, among others. He also completed an internship with renowned piano restorer and maker Christopher Clarke.
Restoration in pictures
The restoration was financed by the Peter Benoit Fund, which has thereby helped preserved important (Flemish) musical heritage. The restored piano is now on display at the museum and is used for performances of late-19th-century and early-20th-century music.
Book and Google Arts & Culture
To complete the restoration, Museum Vleeshuis published a book entitled "Tussen Antwerpen en Parijs: De 'Peter Benoit-piano' van Pleyel, Wolff & Cie, 1884". (Between Antwerp and Paris. The 'Peter Benoit piano' by Pleyel, Wolff & Cie, 1884) In the book, four experts talk more about the piano, about Peter Benoit and his piano repertoire, and about the restoration. The guidebook is available to buy at the museum and bookstores.
You can also discover more about the instrument and its restoration in a presentation on Google Arts & Culture.
