Steinway M

[Robin Hufford]

Del,
I am aware of these differences and well appreciate the fact that a distance
may develop between conception and execution and realize that the Walters I
refer needed other work, as do nearly every other piano I see, including the
M's.  Still, if I had to chose based simply on the expressivity of a piano, at
least as I see it, I stand by my observation.  Other than denying reality, at
least from my point of view, I have no other choice.
     Criticize this comment as subjective if you will, as it is, but this is no
less subjective than the blanket claim that so many other pianos are
inadequate.
     Having been accused of being, at the same time, too personal, too
impersonal, a pompous blather, both overmuch and insufficiently direct, and, a
real surprise to me, well-regarded,  I emphasize again that there is nothing
personal in any commentary I put up here on this list.  I earnestly hope you
don't take any criticism I make of yours or any other views as personal
attack.  They simply are not.   These are, after all, mere intellectual
disputes, intense perhaps yes, as they involve something, namely the piano in
which all have an emotional interest.  This is something, in my opinion,  which
when disagreement is encountered should be remembered.
      Just to keep the record straight - as I have said before - I have nothing
but respect for your abilities as a technician and piano designer.  The Walter
piano is by no means, in my opinion and to my ear, with respect to sound,
anything but a great piano - certainly far, far superior to any piano produced
in Asia, except perhaps the Shigeru Kawais,  and I have no hesitation in saying
better than  almost any in Europe.  It actually has a sound, again to my ear,
that is similar to the favorable aspect of the sound of good Steinways, M&H's,
Chickerings, some Knabes, and others.  But to my ear, it doesn't have as much
of this quality as others, hence my comment.
      This suggests to me that your design system is, in fact, a highly
developed efficient methodology tending towards the same objective as previous
attempts and these were also empirically derived,  that is a high quality
artistic kind of sound - here I necessarily have to lapse into some
subjectivity for descriptive purposes but I do believe there is, are at least
was, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, a tendency for high quality designs
to arrive as best they could at a certain kind of sound.  Notwithstanding our
differences on certain points, I believe that your design purposes are indeed
to arrive at a truly expressive, artistic kind of instrument and, you do, or
did, in the case of the Walters, yet as I say, there just seems to be more of
it in the Steinways.  This is just one persons opinion.  Is it right? For my
view it is, yet I am not going to claim this is reality itself but rather,
again, just one man's opinion.
     It is not likely you would take the commission, I am sure, and I would
like for all to understand who think my commentary is a personal attack that I
have such high regard for your fund of knowledge and abilities that,  were I to
need to find a piano designer to design a piano in this country I would have no
hesitation in recommending you as the best available,   as I would believe this
afford the greatest probability of a very good instrument being produced.  But,
this doesn't mean I can agree with your generalizations and analytical
underpinnings as they are in some points, at odds with my own experience and
understanding.
     You may take the offended tone of the victim of a personal attack which
you second posts suggests but the list itself is rendered the poorer thereby.
In this forum we all after to suffer the rough and tumble of the travails of
public debate.   Do as you will, although I certainly hope you will take the
high road, but  my comparison in reality is of the Walter and Steinway.
Regards, Robin Hufford




Delwin D Fandrich wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Robin Hufford" <hufford1@airmail.net>
> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: September 08, 2003 11:46 PM
> Subject: Re: Steinway M
>
> > Furthermore, I must confess that I have tuned and played several of
> > the  Walter c. 6 foot grands and seen one of the small Baldwins designed
> by
> > one of these contributors and while the Walter was a nice pianos, neither
> > comes close in expressivity to any number of M's.
>
> You are aware, I trust, of the difference between designing a thing and
> building it.
>
> Del
>
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