Una Corda Adjustments and Christian Zimmermann

[Horace Greeley]

David,

At 02:12 PM 1/4/2005, you wrote:
>I heard a story from a pianist recently about Christian Zimmermann who
>apparently regulates his own pianos for concerts.  The story is that he
>regulates the una corda so that it has 4 distinct positions that produce
>four unique tones.  Has anyone worked with him to know what that's all
>about.

Yes - and, the story is essentially true.  Too bad that the settings are 
nor more fully exploited during performance.  Depending on one's musical 
taste, it is either worth the trouble caused, or not.


>An interesting side story about him (if true) is that he apparently used
>to travel with his own two S&S D's.  They were evidently on their way to
>NY when 9/11 happened.  The story is that the pianos were traveling with
>some type of chemical that triggered some sort of bomb alert and the
>pianos were subsequently hacked apart in an attempt to find the
>material.

I have heard that as well; but this is the first time I have seen/heard 
anyone else talking about it.  Much more crazy things that this are 
happening in the wake of 9/11, so, I certainly would not dismiss the story 
out-of-hand.

>  Now he travels with his own action which he fits to each
>piano that he plays.

I have heard this, as well.  Frankly, having done that (under relatively 
controlled conditions, in which there were two pianos with two actions 
each), it is pretty much more trouble than it is worth.  And, again, that 
is before one decides whether or not his musical performance is of 
significant value.

Unfortunately, most of his recordings (as released in the U.S.) are done on 
noticeably inferior instruments.  Too "glassy", overhardened hammers, and, 
even more inexplicably, often out of tune.

I would be interested to hear of other's experiences.

Best and Happy New Year.

Horace