Many families have had to face the music - the instrument takes up too much space - and so make the difficult decision of selling their piano. But, to their dismay, no-one is buying. Even when they're going for a song, buyers are not coming forward. What's more, many owners are finding that they cannot even give their old pianos away.
Piano restorers across the globe have been inundated with calls from owners, hoping to hear that their instrument is worth a lot of money. John Gist, from the Gist Piano Centre in Louisville, Kentucky, receives 10 to 15 calls a day from people asking how much their piano is worth.
The answer comes like a broken record – not much. "It becomes a money pit," says Gist, and his advice is simply "to get rid of it." Pianos are complicated to restore, as they have thousands of moving parts. Fine-tuning the instrument is complex: loosening the strings can take around 10 hours; even just polishing the piano can take up to 70.
So, the instruments that once rang out in thousands of households across the world are slowly and steadily ending up on the scrapheap. But the death knell hasn't sounded for the piano just yet. There is one market where the piano is booming – China.
Sales of pianos have reached a crescendo in the Chinese market, with 300,000 pianos made there every year. Famous Chinese virtuosos like Lang Lang, who first performed as a child, have struck a chord with many other young musicians who have an interest in classical music, and parents in tune with the times see piano playing as a way their child can get ahead.
But despite its growing popularity in China, the traditional, wooden piano appears to have had its swan song, with those who are buying opting for digital versions, which are cheaper, quieter and, crucially, can be easily stored so they don't gather dust.
Quiz 測驗 Why were pianos popular one hundred years ago (Give two reasons)?
They were a sign of social status and a source of home entertainment.
What phrase is used to mean 'to play the piano'?
To tinkle the ivories.
What verb means 'to bring something back to its former condition'?
To restore
Is the following statement true, false or not given? Many pianos end up in rubbish dumps in China.
False. The market for pianos is booming in China.
Why are digital pianos still popular?
They are cheap, quiet and can be stored easily.
Glossary 词汇表 changed its tune改變態度 instrument樂器 heyday全盛時期 to tinkle the ivories彈鋼琴 silently無聲地，默默地 to face the music面對現實 going for a song非常便宜 restorers修複者 like a broken record不怎麼樣（就像損壞的唱片，不值錢） fine-tuning細微的調音 strings琴弦 rang out響起 on the scrapheap在廢物堆上 death knell喪鐘 booming蓬勃發展 crescendo漸強，高潮 virtuoso藝術大師 struck a chord共鳴 in tune with the times與時俱進 swan song最後的作品，絕筆
