[CAUT] Sostenuto

[Fred Sturm]

On Dec 28, 2008, at 8:45 PM, Jerry Cohen wrote:

> First the sostenuto pedal is depressed holding the appropriate  
> notes. With
> the sostenuto still depressed, she would use the damper pedal. So  
> far no
> problem. Then with the damper pedal still depressed, she would  
> release the
> sostenuto pedal.
snip
> From a piano performance point of view, is this a "legal" use of the
> sostenuto? After all, even if the blade could return to rest, there  
> would
> still be the ugly noise from all the individual tabs flipping.

Like Ron N says, this is where you expect to hear a slap sound. Any  
pianist who makes much use of a sostenuto needs to know this: always  
release both pedals simultaneously, or at any rate never release the  
sostenuto with the damper pedal engaged. Not all are aware of this,  
and not all piano profs know to teach it (none of my teachers ever  
did). Not what you asked, but something to know and to convey to  
pianists (when you are in a situation where you can do that, probably  
not right before the concert <G>). Definitely "illegal."

	I can't imagine any regulation issue that would cause the hang up you  
describe. Maybe too weak a return spring - much too weak, or one that  
isn't properly engaged (I don't know the Yamaha design off hand). Or  
excess friction where it pivots (I've seen that in some Steinways,  
where there was so much friction the spring couldn't overcome it), or  
perhaps somewhere in the trapwork. Those springs are plenty strong  
enough to overcome the tab springs as a rule. The rod should  
definitely swing past/through the tabs.

	There is an article on sostenuto by Kent Swafford in the January PTJ  
(nice work, Kent!)

Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu