Period pianos evoke sounds of Chopin

WARSAW, Poland - A rare collection of historic grand pianos emits the authentic but forgotten sounds that transport the audience at a celebrated new music competition in Poland back to the times of Frederic Chopin.

Unlike their modern, glossy black, lacquered heirs, the instruments dating from the 19th century also boast rich brown hues of varnished wood.

The makes and models include some of the favorites of the prolific 19th-century Polish-French pianist and romantic composer, who died in France aged 39 in 1849.