Do not look for Marion Lainé in a professional directory: in France, the know-how of this restorer of old pianos is held by only a dozen or so craftsmen. After training in instrument building, a practice she now applies to the preparation of high-end pianos for concerts and recordings, Marion Lainé learned the many stages of restoration, “disassembly, carpentry and cabinet work, work on the keyboard and mechanics, up to the final work on the sound”as this passionate woman describes her activity, who in 2010 opened her independent workshop in Verel-de-Montbel, in Savoie.
A complex instrument, the piano becomes even more mysterious when it comes to old copies. “Each then represents an enigma to be decipheredshe explains. You have to find their magic, by conducting a different search for each note. It takes a lot of time. » The restoration of a piano can require between 400 and more than a thousand hours of work. “Suffice to say that, financially, it is not profitable”smiles this professional, who declares to reach “barely paying at the end of the month”.
Reflective and physical work
Marion Lainé knows that her profession ” makes you dream “but she hides nothing of her demanding daily life. “There are a lot of very repetitive tasks, including cleaning. It is also sometimes very physical, when you change a windchest, when you pull the strings, or when you work on harmonization: understanding the energy of sound requires an effort comparable to that of an athlete. » His favorite step is that of applying the varnishes, which comes at the end of the work. “It’s a restful and quite meditative stage. You can see the shine rising, it’s organic and it’s beautiful…”
To succeed in all these tasks, great dexterity is an absolute necessity, and the quality of ear is just as essential. “Listening requires work, like for a pianist, but there is also a part of instinctshe acknowledges. I feel the pianos, what they have to tell me. I let myself be guided by them. It’s a bit like each piano saying to me: “This is how I am beautiful.” » Rewarded this year by the Ateliers d’art de France prize, Marion Lainé relishes this recognition. “It’s so many hours of accumulated work”she slips, determined to continue “to learn every day” near the pianos.
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300 catering professionals present at the Carrousel du Louvre
For his 27e edition, the International Cultural Heritage Fair brings together more than 300 exhibitors at the Carrousel du Louvre (Paris), from October 27 to 30. A meeting place for professionals and the general public alike, the Show this year highlights the theme of sustainable development, through a series of conferences on sustainable materials, the preservation of built heritage, local tourism and sustainable tourism, renovation of old centres, energy renovation or the dialogue between built and natural heritage.