Pianos at the University of Oslo
This is a list of the pianos and grand pianos in the campus/areas of the University of Oslo that I know of. Please send me an e-mail if you have anything to add. (I don't remember the names of the makers of most of these, but I will try to update them as I investigate further.)
- Ole Johan Dahls hus (IFI2)
- Fourth floor (5). Brand new Bechstein grand piano.
I originally liked this a lot, but it seems to be broken in several ways. The middle F got stuck once while I was playing. The G just above it sometimes stops working (you can't press it completely down, and there is no sound). The F two octaves below that sqeaks, and the keys 6, 28, and 66 are all out of tune. All the strings also make an audible “whoosh” sound when you press the sustain pedal. The piano was tuned today (May 25, 2011) and sounds incredibly good. It appears that the half-broken keys have been fixed as well.
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Vilhelm Bjerknes hus
Ground floor. Not in a good shape, out of tune, several dysfunctional keys. This piano seems to be gone since the renovation of the building started.
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Informatikkbygningen
Room 3A, second floor (tredje etasje). Store auditorium (as of March, 2011). Schimmel, dark brown. A bit worn, squeaking pedal, but has a warm sound. Perhaps a little bit out of tune. A rumour (according to Øystein Christiansen) says that Ole Johan Dahl played this piano together with Donald Knuth during the opening of the institute back in who knows when, and that Ole Johan Dahl used to encourage students to play. Those were the times... There is actually a picture of Ole Johan Dahl and Donald Knuth playing together (from http://www.olejohandahl.info/), but it's not this piano.
- Room "Alfa & Omega", third floor (fjerde etasje). Probably belongs to Norsk Regnesentral. Apparently new and mostly unused.
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Forskningsparken
- Ground floor. Grand piano. Very nice sound.
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Georg Sverdrups hus
- Ground floor, main hall. Steinway & Sons grand piano. It's usually covered.
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Fysikkbygningen
- Just outside the store fysiske auditorium. Black upright piano, but the keys are very light. Seems worn.