Modern Tone

[Horace Greeley]

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Barbara, et al,

At 11:25 AM 3/3/2005, you wrote:
>Alan,
>
>Tone quality is always an interesting topic to me.  I've gotten rid of a 
>few recordings because I couldn't stand the voicing of the piano.  One was 
>of the 500,000th Steinway (I think), a lot of different artists 
>playing.  To me, it was a really glassy sounding instrument.   I sold the 
>CD to a faculty member.

...Depending on which recording of the "500,000th" you heard...The reason 
for this distinction is that the recording that was made at the S&S gala at 
Carnegie Hall (at which the 500,000th piano was displayed), was not made on 
that piano; but rather on two different ones - butted toe-to-toe to 
accommodate the Schumann Carnaval.  The solo piano used in the first half 
of the program was brassy and unpleasant in the hall (about 1/2 back in the 
Orchestra section, a familiar location for me; and one from which one can 
hear whatever is going on in/for a given instrument pretty clearly).  Lazar 
Berman (recently deceased) hated it, others tolerated it, Alexis 
Weissenberg played it with obvious disdain.  The piano aside, the real 
problem with the recording, however was the use of Crown pizeo-electric 
crystal pickups which were placed on the stage.  These things may be fine 
for stage and musical productions, but they are positively abysmal for any 
kind of use with "art" music.  As you note, the result was virtually 
unlistenable.  (Also, depending on whose digital encoders were used, the 
problems produced by the instrument itself and accentuated by the use of 
the pizeo microphones were further exacerbated by an unrelentingly harsh 
digital sound.  Feh!)

>I'm not sure how I learned to hear the subtleties and form my opinion of 
>piano tone.  But I did practice voicing every chance I had, starting with 
>evening up notes on the pianos I tuned.  Are you a pianist?  As a pianist, 
>I am always looking for the greatest spectrum of tone color 
>available.  When I'm playing, I feel like the piano IS the orchestra, and 
>I want to be able to produce as many different voices possible.

That is the point.

>
>Recently I serviced the home piano (Steinway B) for a university professor 
>(of piano).  When I was at his house he said something to the effect that 
>he didn't want "that generic Steinway voicing."  Let me explain that I've 
>often felt like I'm in minority because it seems no matter where I go, so 
>many of the pianos (not just Steinways) are way too bright--for my taste, 
>anyway.  I can produce that raucous kind of voicing if I have to, but I 
>don't like it and I don't like to have to tune it.  If given artistic 
>freedom, I go for a broad sound--not too bright (but capable of being 
>bright) and not so mellow to rob power.  In fact, at one time I had 
>doubted my voicing strategy (only because it seemed to be different than 
>so much of what I've heard out there), until I got the e-mail from the 
>professor asking me to service his piano.  I'll quote the line that made 
>me want to do cartwheels:
>
>"I have greatest admiration for your ability to bring out the highest 
>artistic potential in pianos."
>
>Well, I'm not sure I actually do, but, golly, I'm going to save that 
>one!  A little affirmation at the right time can work marvels for a 
>person.  OK, I'll stay the course, I'll stick to my ideals.

Yes - do save it.  It will do a great deal of good when you get all the 
others that say something else.

>
>Go for it, man!

Yup!

Best.

Horace

>
>Barbara Richmond
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net>Alan
>To: <mailto:pianotech@ptg.org>'Pianotech'
>Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 10:07 AM
>Subject: Modern Tone was Restoring Collard & Collard Grand
>
>Joe Garrett said "Tone is nothing like what the past was, IMHO."
>
>He was talking about much older instruments but it reminded me of a 
>conversation I once had with Ari Isaac.
>
>I had asked him how a person can learn to really hear the subtleties of 
>voicing and what a piano should sound like. His response was "Listen to 
>piano music recorded in the 1950's."
>
>Alan R. Barnard
>Salem, MO

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