Dear Ed, et al: Well, I listened to the Beethoven in the Temperaments' CD, and have many good things to say about it. It's a great project! First, off, the temperament was beautiful. Very well done on the modern piano, btw, and clearly close to what I am used to hearing and playing Beethoven in. As a matter of fact, I had been practicing the Pathetique and Moonlight on fortepiano the last couple days, the fortepiano being tuning in Young. I immediately noticed I was happy with the tuning. Nobody has to convince me of HTs. I knew they were the answers to questions I'd had all my life when I first heard them. The recording quality is also very nice, with a good choice along the spectrum of in your face intimacy or concert hall. On the other hand, I have been spoiled by the leather hammers, the lightness, the voices singing in parallel where they belong as in a well balanced choir singing a fugue, the scaling, and rapid damping, and gossamer undamping of the fortepiano the last week on these pieces, and I immediately saw where the modern piano fails this piece. One must play dry where the fortepiano would use pedal, play wet where the fortepiano would play dry, must totally compromise on "fp" because the modern piano just can't do it. Accent and pulse cannot propel on the modern piano like they do on the fortepiano. BUT for the modern piano, it was great. Now mind you, I'm no fortepiano 'snob'. I LOVE the modern piano. BUT!! I love the music most of all, and love what it is trying to say. I know when the instrument is fighting the music, and when it is not. You just haven't heard Beethoven until you hear it on turn of the 18th century fortepianos. Right Stephen? Ciao, ab Anne Beetem Harpsichords & Historic Pianos 2070 Bingham Ct. Reston, VA 20191 abeetem@wizard.net
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