On Mar 24, 2010, at 1:15 PM, Laurence Libin wrote: > I respectfully disagree. 'Better' is subjective, and to me the bass > of a D can readily overpower the rest. To my ears, in small rooms a > B often sounds more balanced. My issue here isn't with the piano but > with how it's likely to be played in this little hall. In any case > I'd rather hear a B with the lid fully open than a D with the lid on > half-stick, as it might have to be for chamber music, especially > vocal accompaniment. Granted, if the choice here is between the two > existing grands, the Steinway's likely to serve the music 'better'. > Laurence Well, there are several elements to consider. I opt for the 9' in part because of tuning considerations and what that does to the total sound of the instrument. A 9' (D for certain, other models I am less familiar with but they tend to be similar in this respect) will allow for, and tend to invite, a tuning in which 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 6:1, 8:1, 12:1, and 16:1 all line up pretty well between A0 and C6, to a lesser extent (more compromise) up to C7, and with possibilities (more compromises) to C8. Hence, there is a more coherent sound, and also the mid to high treble gains from the sympathetic vibration of the lower strings, giving more sustain and more possibility of retaining sustain with subtle pedaling. I grant that the bass can overpower, but this is true anyway (to a lesser extent in a larger hall), and is something any pianist needs to learn to cope with. Any pianist _should_ be able to accompany most any instrument (guitar is a probable exception) with full stick. Whether the solo instrumentalist will agree to that is another question, but that often has more to do with how the soloist perceives the blend of sound standing right next to the open lid, rather than to the sound in the hall. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico fssturm at unm.edu
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