Note by Note: The Making of the Steinway L1037

Review

The piano might just be the closest man has come to manufacturing an ideal form, and Steinway might just be the closest piano manufacturers have to come achieving perfection. That’s the fascinating basis for this documentary. From carpentry in Queens to performance in Carnegie Hall, it reveals the many types of mastery that go into—and come out of—a single Steinway. The movie doesn’t enshrine the instrument so much as explore its wonderfully mysterious creation. — Sam Howard