[CAUT] Appropriate Piano for Small Recital Hall

[Donald McKechnie]

Paul,

Years ago we had a D in a similar size room that is also dry. It was  
too big at times but much depended on what was being played. Of course  
I kept the voicing down to some degree but due to the dryness of the  
room I had to be careful and not take it down too much. We were able  
to replace the D with a C and that proved to be better for the room.

All that said, I would give consideration in bringing the D in and  
give it a try considering your circumstances.

Regards,
Don


> From: "Paul Milesi, RPT" <paul at pmpiano.com>
> Date: March 24, 2010 11:53:22 AM EDT
> To: PTG CAUT List <caut at ptg.org>
> Subject: [CAUT] Appropriate Piano for Small Recital Hall
> Reply-To: caut at ptg.org
>
>
> I would appreciate some opinions/input regarding preferred piano  
> size for a
> small recital hall in our music department.
>
> The hall has a wooden stage, wooden walls with soundproofing  
> material behind
> them, 110 upholstered seats, a tile floor slanted toward the stage (I
> believe there's a name for that?), and a short drapery behind the  
> middle
> portion of the stage.  Overall, the room is very "dry" rather than  
> "wet"
> sound-wise.
>
> This recital hall is the only performance space located within our  
> small
> music department.  We do have access to other spaces around campus,  
> but they
> and their pianos are not within our control.  This small hall is our  
> primary
> recital space, and currently has a 15-year-old Yamaha C5 (6'6") as a  
> recital
> piano.
>
> The Yamaha is wearing down a little, and we might have the  
> opportunity to
> reclaim a 1970 Steinway D from another venue that actually belongs  
> to the
> Department of Music.  I put new hammers, shanks & flanges last year,  
> but it
> still needs a lot of work to really be a recital instrument (too  
> much gospel
> music over the years).  Big issue is of course budget, but I feel if  
> we
> don't at leat try to reclaim the D now, it will be lost to us as a
> recondition-able, rather than rebuild-able, instrument.  In other  
> words, I
> want to save it from further abuse in the Chapel, and provide them  
> with a
> more suitable piano in terms of their available storage space  
> (small) and
> uses.  The likelihood of the Department acquiring another concert  
> quality
> piano in my lifetime are virtually non-existent, as I see it.  The  
> C5 is
> currently our ONLY performance piano.
>
> So...what are your thoughts on a D (or any other 9'footer, for that  
> matter)
> in this hall?  I think if voiced to the hall (no lacquer applied to  
> the new
> hammers yet), it would be a wonderful piano -- and world's apart  
> from the C5
> (which is still a nice instrument) -- for student and faculty  
> recitals.
> This assumes I can do sufficiently successful reconditioning  
> (several pulley
> keys, balance rail mortises bushed correctly (big mortises from  
> glisses),
> etc.).  Some faculty have thought this piano would be "too big, too  
> much
> sound."
>
> Thanks for sharing your expertise and experience.  I've already gone  
> out on
> a limb for this.  Now I'm having second thoughts, second-guessing  
> myself, so
> I'm anxious to hear what you think.  :)
> -- 
> Paul Milesi, RPT
> Staff Piano Technician
> Howard University Department of Music
> Washington, DC

Donald McKechnie
Piano Technician
Ithaca College
dmckech at ithaca.edu
607.274.3908





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