Dear Ed, et al:
Well, I listened to the Beethoven in the Temperaments' CD, and have
many good things to say about it. It's a great project! First, off,
the temperament was beautiful. Very well done on the modern piano, btw,
and clearly close to what I am used to hearing and playing Beethoven in.
As a matter of fact, I had been practicing the Pathetique and Moonlight on
fortepiano the last couple days, the fortepiano being tuning in Young. I
immediately noticed I was happy with the tuning. Nobody has to convince
me of HTs. I knew they were the answers to questions I'd had all my life
when I first heard them.
The recording quality is also very nice, with a good choice along the
spectrum of in your face intimacy or concert hall.
On the other hand, I have been spoiled by the leather hammers, the
lightness, the voices singing in parallel where they belong as in a well
balanced choir singing a fugue, the scaling, and rapid damping, and
gossamer undamping of the fortepiano the last week on these pieces, and I
immediately saw where the modern piano fails this piece. One must play
dry where the fortepiano would use pedal, play wet where the fortepiano
would play dry, must totally compromise on "fp" because the modern piano
just can't do it. Accent and pulse cannot propel on the modern piano
like they do on the fortepiano. BUT for the modern piano, it was great.
Now mind you, I'm no fortepiano 'snob'. I LOVE the modern piano.
BUT!! I love the music most of all, and love what it is trying to say.
I know when the instrument is fighting the music, and when it is not.
You just haven't heard Beethoven until you hear it on turn of the 18th
century fortepianos. Right Stephen?
Ciao, ab
Anne Beetem
Harpsichords & Historic Pianos
2070 Bingham Ct.
Reston, VA 20191
abeetem@wizard.net
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