Publikasie: Pretoria News
Uitgawe: Tuesday, May 18, 1986
By: Chris Marais
I was discovered in a ramshackle Johannesburg garage 15 years ago, with mice gnawing away at my innards and dirt lying thick on my keyboards.
The man’s eyes sadden said “Old trash. Ready for the dump. There he looked again and shouted out aloud Richard Lipp table-piano, must be least an 1840 vintage Priceless a collector’s item!” Recognition at last.
It took ages to clean my inner workings and replace the old screw and polish my rosewood exterior. I gleam now, and soon I shall tinkle again. Ah, it’s good to be alive!
Born in 1840 in Stuttgart, I was simply structured. I hang around Germany for a while, doing the Beethoven-Liszt routine. Build up quite a following in the drawing rooms, mind you. But my heart was set on the colonies.
The crossing was hard. Cape Town loomed into view just in time, before my hammers and strings became jangled beyond repair. Then my South African tour began a rather lengthy one as you can see.
Now, with a little spray painting, wood buffing and a new set of ivories I am ready to take on the world once more. There’s a heap of life left in this old tinkler and once I leave the repair shop I am going to prove it.