Rodney Corkin wrote:

>I've heard the Emperor and Hammerklavier played on a 6.5 octave Graff
>instrument of 1824 (similar to the one owned by B) and I must say it is
>more than suitable for these compositions

Yes we shouldn't overlook that most probably Beethoven hardly played his
Graf.  He got the instrument in early 1826 after he had almost destroyed
the Broadwood he had been given by the pianobuilder and some colleagues.
He wanted the Broadwood repaired and when he died the Broadwood was present
again in his appartment.  But actually we don't know exactly which pianos
he used during those last months of his life.  He left Vienna in October
1826 and when he returned in December he was already too ill to play to
piano.

Best,
Joyce Maier