[CAUT] Appropriate Piano for Small Recital Hall

[Ed Sutton]

Something similar happened with guitar strings over the 20th century. They 
became brighter, more high tensioned. There's some nice rediscovery of 19th 
century guitars and strings happening lately.

I wonder if piano pedagogy, especially graduate piano pedagogy, tends to 
favor plowing through large amounts of repertoire rapidly rather than a 
quiet examination of the more intimate details of timbre and articulation 
which can be lost in the big beasts. The big hall, big piano is the 
assumption rather than the exception.

Ed S.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Laurence Libin" <lelibin at optonline.net>
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 7:44 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Appropriate Piano for Small Recital Hall


> Yes, I see your points. Still. it's interesting how addicted Americans are 
> to 9' s -- like macho SUVs?  Plenty of European recital halls do fine with 
> smaller grands, or at least quieter ones than Ds. Tuning aside, how much 
> has 9' preference to do with inferred prestige or (pardon the pun) 
> self-aggrandizement? Maybe European audiences are more sophisticated, or 
> more appreciate intimacy? Not a safe generalization, I know, but still . . 
> . .
>
> Speaking of coherent sound, it seems to me that performers and listeners 
> today tend to like assertive modern pianos precisely because their 
> ovetones are intentionally, inescapably incoherent; lighter-strung, 
> lower-tension grands with more in-tune partials sound dull to them because 
> they're not used to harmonicity. Similarly with high-tension steel strings 
> rather than gut on violins.
>
> Laurence
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Fred Sturm" <fssturm at unm.edu>
> To: <caut at ptg.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 5:13 PM
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Appropriate Piano for Small Recital Hall
>
>
>> 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>