Laurence, Thanks for all your input. I agree with you on your many excellent suggestions, but none are really options for us. Unfortunately, we "lost" a beautiful Mason prior to my arrival a year ago. No one here seemed to know what they had (pinblocks and hammers were bad, apparently), and in ignorance, they agreed to trade out 4-5 beautiful pianos, including a Steinway A, a Mason and 3 Baldwins -- in return for 3 Grand and 5 upright [Young Chang] Webers!!! :( Yes, I am so unhappy about it, but it is water over the dam. So I am now in a mode of saving what piano assets are left, and they are still considerable, including 10 Baldwin Rs and Ls, the Steinway D, and 4 other Steinway S, M, Ls. Budgets are tight, and we do what we can. Paul -- Paul Milesi, RPT Staff Piano Technician Howard University Department of Music Washington, DC > From: Laurence Libin <lelibin at optonline.net> > Reply-To: <caut at ptg.org> > Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:57:48 -0400 > To: <caut at ptg.org> > Subject: Re: [CAUT] Appropriate Piano for Small Recital Hall > > Sure, in this instance the choice is a no-brainer, but it's unfortunate our > schools and halls have so few options, really. Of course I love S&S, but a > good old Chickering or M&H would be nice for a change, both on the ears and > the budget. > Laurence > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Fred Sturm" <fssturm at unm.edu> > To: <caut at ptg.org> > Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 9:04 PM > Subject: Re: [CAUT] Appropriate Piano for Small Recital Hall > > >> On Mar 24, 2010, at 5:44 PM, Laurence Libin wrote: >> >>> 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 . . . . >> >> >> Yes, and they are mostly German pianos, often from the smaller >> manufacturers, and have a considerably different character(s) from our >> 9'. If that is an option, I'd jump on it myself. Similarly, if the >> question were placed in terms of coming up with the appropriate piano >> (wide open choices) for the described hall, I might have a different >> answer. It was, instead, phrased as having a D available as an option, >> with the alternative being more or less letting the D go and living with >> the C-5. And I have no hesitation in saying "Grab the D." >> >> Fred Sturm >> fssturm at unm.edu >> "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." Twain >> > >
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