1814 Clementi Grand

[Avery Todd]

List,
   I'm forwarding this for a technician in New Orleans in the hopes that some
of you who are involved with historical instruments and/or tunings can give
him some help. I deleted the original post but the information below will
give you an idea of what he has and wants to know.
   I'm sure he would appreciate any help. No, I don't know why he doesn't
just subscribe to the list himself. I mentioned it to him in my original
message.

Avery

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>From:   103410.3316@CompuServe.COM  (Kenneth P. Eschete)
>To:     ATodd@UH.EDU  (Avery Todd)
>CC:
>Subj:   RE: 1814 Clementi Grand - Concert
>
>Dear Avery,
>Sorry it took so long to get back to you concerning your offer to help.  I am
>interested in getting advise from other technicians who have experience with
>tuning for concerts using historical instruments. This 1814 Clementi grand was
>part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art until last summer.
>The instrument had been restored  (read " re-manufactured" ) at the Chickering
>factory in 1909, under the direction of Arnold Dolmetsch.  The resulting
>instrument had steel strings and felt hammers which changed the sound and
>action so much that it no longer represented an example of the early 19th C.
>piano.  The museum could have reversed this work except for the fact that
>Dolmetsch's work was historically important, even if it was misguided.  The
>instrument was" neither fish nor fowel", so they sold it.
>
>The new owner sent the instrument to us for restoration with instructions to
>reverse Dolmetsch's improvements if they were changing the action or the sound
>of the instrument.  Our conservation treatment involved calculating a new
>>string scale using Rose wire, and making a set of leather covered
>hammers.
>The results are quite pleasing, and we will be hearing the instrument played in
>recital next week at Tulane University.
>
>I would appreciate any advise concerning the best way to demonstrate the
>differences between this piano and the modern piano.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Ken Eschete
>
>__________________________
>Ken Eschete,Inc
>3125 Magazine St.
>New Orleans, La  70115

_____________________________________
Avery Todd, RPT
Moores School of Music
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-4893
713-743-3226
atodd@uh.edu
_____________________________________