Voicing for a big, dead hall

[Isaac OLEG]

Hello David, Barbara,

You say

>Power and sustain seem to be,
unfortunately, inversely related when it comes to this kind of
treatment. >

I totally agree, and say that it is only due to the process used (and
probably the kind of hammers)

I experience exactly the opposite with European kind hammers and
voicing methods, power is linked with the lenght of the tone...

Isaac OLEG



On many recordings of NY Steinway I heard, indeed seem to me that the
tone is going in a brick wall when power is asked by the pianist, then
of course the tone close and can't be long, what is called power here
is volume, for what I understand of it.

.....

I also have met many German Steinway that was made more brassy with
the use of some laquer on the crown in the 70's , and on the sides of
the shoulders as well. This generally definitively kills the dynamic
of the hammer (but was probaby considered "in the trend" for some
time, or used as a fix for hammers made too mushy after needling.

The other side effect of that extra hardness is a faster wear of the
capo (and probably the agraffes as well)

.....

What I don't appreciate the most with the kind of tone is the
permanence of the power level, that remain the same at low levels and
at high level. That make something the pianist can't deal with, I also
believe it is tiring for the ears !

In a dead large hall it may be adviseable to use amplification in the
audience , just to be sure.

Best Regards.

Isaac OLEG