This una corda pedaling thing has been an interesting discussion. Now I'll add my two cents worth. I have seen and heard the una corda properly used many times by top-rate pianists, but on one occasion I saw and heard it abused by a not-so-top-rate pianist. He held the una corda down and beat the stuffings out of the piano for most of the "concert". He knocked some unisons out, and I'm surprised he didn't break a string or two. The piano had to be re-voiced after that. The una corda does indeed change the timbre of the note in ways that touch alone simply cannot do. It also changes the decay characteristics of the note - nor is that change the same for all paitials. It's quite subtle. Jim Ellis
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