I'd like to add a couple of observations to this conversation concerning what is required of a piano in a high level performance situation. 1) A very important factor is the ability of the pianist to create multiple voices simultaneously, _audibly_. In its most fundamental form, this is simply "banging out the melody" so it appears clearly in the foreground above an accompaniment. Slightly more complex, and much more difficult from the point of view of execution, is the ability to bring out one individual note of a large chord, typically an octave with at least two additional inner notes, all played with one hand. Somehow, one finger of the hand (usually the pinkie) must behave in such a way that the note it plays is clearly heard above the rest. And on a more sophisticated scale, there is the creation of background/foreground/middle ground, often with two or three melodic lines appearing in the midst of it all. The point I want to make here is that it must be possible to make one note stand out above others with a minimum of extra exertion - that pinkie in the large chord is capable of only so much; and that "standing out" is really more of an issue of voice/tone than decible level. It is timbre that allows an oboe to cut through a sea of violins in a way that the concertmaster finds very hard to match. 2) In addition, though related, the piano should offer a wide tonal palette. The voicing spectrum of a hammer should have both dynamic and coloristic range: one should not aim for a single color at all dynamic levels. One should not aim for pure and unadulterated "beeauutiful" tone quality at all dynamic levels. The "estridente" "picante" and even the plain loud, jangling and ugly all have their place. And though there should be no sudden changes in timbre along the scale, there should be distinction between tenor and bass, mid treble and high treble. Not monochrome. I look at the problem as one of providing a wide and varied palette (not just pastels, not just shades of, say, reds or browns), together with control and consistency. Change of color should be capable of being produced by fairly small difference in "touch" (as perceived by the pianist, but read acceleration/velocity from a physicist point of view). Voicing is only a part of the puzzle. Capo zings and sizzles and duplex noise have a lot of importance in allowing a voice to be brought to the fore, and to giving it different color. And it is difficult to over-emphasize the role of extraordinarily fine damper adjustment. It's not just a matter of "half-pedal" versus "full-pedal." There are many gradations from a bare lift (dampers really still in contact with strings, but not bearing down: bleeding), to wide open. And many other techniques, including momentary "bouncing" on the strings to clear mid and higher tones but sustain a bass harmonic pedal. All these require that trichords be trimmed, that dampers lift exquisitely evenly with the pedal, and that felts be in good condition, among other factors. But I'm beginning to ramble and lose focus. I'd better stop while I'm ahead (if I am). Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico
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