just in case this didn't get through the first time, please excuse the department of redundancy for any redundancy. Chris S ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Solliday" <solliday@ptd.net> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 12:46 AM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway Style II Grand > I agree with all this rationale except the difference between repros and > "original." "Original" is a challenge not looked forward to by the players > of the era that historical performance tries to recreate. I'm sure players > of that time were looking for the best instruments available, not some old > stressed out piece of wood surrounded by crusty buckskin and motheaten felt, > and dare I leave out the metal. My opinion, of course humble, is that this > so called "original instrument" concept just creates a mythical market for > the owners of some horrendous old dogs and unfortunately it obscures and > reduces the opportunities to hear the rather charming performance available > on reproductions, and not to mention reduces this important market. My hat > is off to builders of repros, fortepianos, harpsichords and clavichords and > the performers who have the integrity and wisdom to perform/recreate > historical music on instruments of the same relative age as when the music > was orginally performed. "the one armed piano tuner" Chris Solliday > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Greg Granoff" <gjg2@humboldt.edu> > To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org> > Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 3:37 PM > Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway Style II Grand > > > > I believe Conrad makes an important point here. This isn't really about > > what vintage of piano is an "improvement" over which other vintage. We > have > > a Bach scholar here who is a harpsichordist/fortepianist who was one of > the > > people most influential in the "period performance" movement in San > > Francisco when it began in the 60's. She owns a modern piano and enjoys > it > > as much as the next person. However, she is always quick to point out > that > > period instruments, whether original or copies, playing and sounding as > they > > would have when new (we hope) are like fascinating time machines. As she > > puts it, they "send us messages" directly from the past that tell us > > important things about the music written for them, as well as the > > experiences and feelings and judgements of the listeners and performers of > > the day as they moved about in their particular sonic world. Modern > > pianists sometimes wonder why Beethoven often wrote such close chord > > voicings in the bass cleff. They sound like mud on a modern grand, but > are > > perfectly understandable on a Viennese fortepiano of the day. Many of the > > bow gestures inherent in period style baroque string playing that are so > > necessary to the vividness and emotion of that sound did not become > apparent > > till people began using the lighter, lower tension Baroque bows, and so > on. > > For this reason, I myself, and many others I'm sure would feel cheated out > > of a very dynamic sense of our own cultural past if no one ever performed > on > > period instruments and all obsolete instruments were updated. > > > > Just my 2 cents as well. > > > > Greg > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Conrad Hoffsommer" <hoffsoco@luther.edu> > > To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org> > > Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 11:55 AM > > Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway Style II Grand > > > > > > > At 13:05 2/15/2005, you wrote: > > > >Wouldn't it be great to see Chris argue his point with Malcolm Bilson. > > > >Might turn into a slug fest! :-) Having lived here in Ithaca (the land > of > > > >historical performance practice) for some time, I find listening to > music > > > >performed on historical instruments interesting at least for an > academic > > > >standpoint. And, occasionally it is a great musical experience. Cornell > > > >has a couple of pianos from the mid 1800's that sound very good and > when > > > >played by a skilled pianist, can be very rewarding to hear. Just my > > humble > > > >opinion. > > > > > > > >Don > > > > > > > > > > > >> I may as well take this opportunity to come out of the closet and > > > >> reveal my bias, actually a pet peave, just to be fair. In case anyone > > > >> wasn't catching the drift, I have almost no use for historical > > > >> instruments. I can't imagine any musician of the day, say Franz > Liszt, > > > >> looking for "the good old piano." Most often professional pianists, > > > >> unless they are looking for novelty, or are overcome with this absurd > > > >> nostalgia for "original instruments," look for the best new piano > they > > > >> can find. 'Cause the design is up to date and the parts are new and > it > > > >> plays like they expect. Everything else is ANOMALY. And unless your > > > >> customer is of that ilk I'd stick to I-95. (I do make one notable > > > >> exception and that is reproductions. They make for wonderful > > > >> "Historical" concerts although I do think the whole concept is a bit > > > >> hysterical). Of course Stephen, be attentive to what Bill Shull and > > > >> others are warning of cause this isn't I-95, but get as close as you > > can > > > >> and a "NORMAL" customer will be happy. And BTW, sorry Bill, we're > full > > > >> at MARC and printed for this year, but I have forwarded your > shameless > > > >> self invitation to Steve and Paul and will put in a good word for > you. > > > >>Best to All, > > > >> Chris Solliday > > > > > > > > > I really like Ansel Adams' black and white photography. > > > Ansel Adams had access to color film. > > > > > > I like Mozart on the fortepiano. > > > I have access to 9' grand pianos. > > > > > > Mozart didn't have the sound of a 9' concert grand in mind when he was > > > composing. > > > He did have access to fortepiani. > > > > > > As well as pianists can interpret Mozart on a 9', they can NEVER > duplicate > > > what Mozart had in mind. > > > > > > my biased 2˘ > > > > > > Conrad > > > (just finished tuning two harpsichords...) > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > > > >
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