[CAUT] Hamburg Steinway

[Israel Stein]

At 08:49 AM 5/7/2007, caut-request at ptg.org wrote:
>Israel:
>
>Interesting story!  I'd love to have a closer look at how you educated
>the pianists to choose based on qualities of the instrument rather than
>some perception.

  I really cannot take credit for "educating" them in any way. I just 
give them credit for being just a bit more open-minded than the 
norm... Both I and the other technician here have a very cordial 
relationship with all three of them - and they appear to take us 
seriously. We always talk about the pianos - and it is a two-way 
conversation, they do listen. So perhaps I am very lucky to be 
working with such people. At least one of them - the Australian guy - 
periodically tests out all the pianos, and brings along a graduate 
student to give him feedback. Two weeks ago he told me that until now 
he did not play the NY instrument because the tone wasn't "focused" 
but lately the newer NY has a "focused" tone - such as he typically 
finds in the Hamburg instruments - so he will use it. Whatever 
"focused" means. I'm not going to argue  - so far he has been happy 
with whatever voicing I have done... Apparently he does have a 
specific tone in his ear, and looks for it in the instruments he 
chooses. The same with teaching instruments - he absolutely hates 
some of the Steinway B's that we have here,  likes others and there 
is an old rebuilt Kawai 500 that he likes. (Because of space 
limitations in our building they have to rotate teaching studios and 
share them with non-piano faculty) And all three of these people 
confer with each other and exchange opinions - so perhaps our faculty 
is not typical.

One thing I will take credit for. I insisted on letting them play the 
Hamburg into the ground before restringing it. My colleague wanted to 
restring it preemptively, but I insisted on letting it really 
deteriorate to where they couldn't deny the evidence of their ears - 
that the New York piano is a better choice if you want a lot of sound 
(at least temporarily). And so they got to play the New York 
exclusively for a while -and got a pleasant surprise. But I give them 
credit for keeping an open mind...

Israel Stein