What's with the C#5? Is that a voicing issue? David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "Kent Swafford" <kswafford at gmail.com> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org> Received: 12/21/2007 5:30:46 AM Subject: Re: [CAUT] 5 Pianos >Ron's B in Rochester is a different piano, finished _after_ the one in >my recordings. They are not identical pianos. >Kent >On Dec 21, 2007, at 1:49 AM, Richard Brekne wrote: >> Way Cool Kent !! And I agree entirely with your conclusion in your >> first paragraph. Variety is not only essential... its a fact we all >> have to relate to like it or not, and really should welcome. It also >> fits well with my own recent experience in the reactions to Griegs >> piano at different pitches. People think, hear, experience and find >> musical joy in very different ways. >> >> I also found it instructive (for me) to compare my blind test >> comments to what you reveal below. I was sure the 1st piano was >> asian, but it didnt remind of a CF III.... I had really thought it >> must have been a less expensive make. That it turns out to be a C7 >> in the end makes perfect sense. These have a much less big and round >> character then the S series instruments Yamaha makes. Personally I >> like their C6 better as a whole... tho I do know of one very >> beautiful exceptional C7. In general, tho hard to voice beautiful >> IMHO without killing the power. >> >> Also really fascinating about number 5. This is the second time >> you've blind tested us on a Nossaman, and the second time I've come >> with a response going along the <<thinish>> line. If this is the B >> he had in Rochester... then the recording does not remind me of what >> I heard live. I really liked his instrument...tho if I had any >> comment at the time I guess it would be that it was almost too fat >> sounding in the lower tenor and bass. Especially at louder volumes. >> But the thin sound I am picking up.... I wonder if this has to do >> with this relationship between sustain and initial attack power. If >> you get longer sustain at higher volumes you end up with a total >> vibrational picture that is quite different then an equally powerful >> attack moment followed by a shorter and less powerful sustain >> period. Easy to imagine that our subjective tastes will differ... >> both individually and in ourselves over time. >> >> Really cool thread >> >> Cheers >> RicB >> >> >> Thanks for all the replies, public and private. >> >> The following links contain a description of the audio recorder I >> used to record the 5 pianos: >> http://tinyurl.com/2hzedd >> http://tinyurl.com/25242u >> >> A very interesting thing is that each of the 5 pianos was named >> as someone's favorite. I take this as evidence that variation in >> pianos is essential. Different manufacturers should take >> different approaches to piano sound -- and there is merit to >> Steinway's traditional approach of letting different pianos >> coming out of their factories having different characters. (I >> still hate it when a good pianist has different requirements of >> a piano than the one in front of him can give.) >> >> Here are the 5 pianos: >> >> 1. Yamaha C7 voiced to within an inch of its life some years ago >> for chamber music. This is a fine piano, with a great bass. It >> now lives in a school lunch room, almost completely unappreciated. >> >> 2. Bosendorfer Imperial, just back from being rebuilt in Vienna. >> So far, pianists love this piano, although I believe the treble >> is in desperate need of proper voicing. There is little >> incentive to do the voicing because pianists like it as is, so >> far. >> >> 3. Steinway B recently completely rebuilt by Greg Hulme. The >> Renner hammers are too bright for me, but the piano sounds good. >> >> 4. 2000 Steinway D. 700-seat hall. I absolutely love this piano. >> >> 5. Steinway B with belly by Ron Nossaman; I did the action. The >> piano is both clean- and full-sounding. (The same thing that Ric >> called "thin" in the sound I would characterize positively as >> "transparent".) The recordings of the 5 pianos reflect the real >> volume levels of the pianos; I think that a close listen will >> reveal that Ron's piano has the most sound; I also think Ron's >> piano still sounds good when the playback is turned way up; >> listen close; this piano can bear some scrutiny. 8^) >> >> Here is a recording on Ron's B of Dave Brubeck's Greensleeves: >> >> http://tinyurl.com/2obhxn >> >> Thanks for listening. >> >> Kent >>
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