Hi all Since this sustain issue in the upper treble comes up again... I thought I'd raise a question I'm coming across increasingly as I get more involved in historical instruments and as I see more pianists reactions to new bridge configurations meant to increase existing modern sustain times in this region. I'll post a sound sample from a brand new copy of a piano forte made in the Netherlands of some Haydn pieces to illustrate later this evening. Nearly all the music written for the piano was written for an instrument that had quite a bit shorter sustain time... indeed very different tonal qualities. Indeed at some point the modern instrument tends to redefine (read make redundant) the term Staccato. Even as the modern instrument began to take form there is serious question as to how much conscious use of sustain time in especially these regions of the piano were a part of the composers mindset. Eonic sustain times up here may be something ears in the near recent past have decided to indulge in... but they are hardly an issue from say 50 years ago on back in time... quite probably the opposite was true if anything at all... decay qualities. I get the feeling that as long as an area experiences a smooth transition to adjacent areas... there is no issue brought up by the pianist. This includes all sorts of touch issues as well for that matter. Cheers RicB
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