Chopin and pianos (was temperaments)

[Susan Kline]

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At 12:26 PM 1/30/98 -0500, Stephen Birkett wrote:
>Les wrote:
>> As for the problems involved in trying to play Chopin on a modern
>> piano, I would tend to agree, but that's a huge subject in and of
>> itself. 
>> ...It's always good to
>> come across someone who understands the subject. Any further comments
>> you might have would be warmly received. 
>> 
>That's a dangerous invitation on a subject such as this! But I won't take
>the bait, and restrain comments. 

Oh, PLEASE take the bait! And Les, more, more about Chopin.

>As for playing music like Chopin on the modern piano a little humility
>probably goes a long way in a pianist, an understanding of the phenomenal
>gap in timbral and action articulation properties of the instrument can be
>a big aid to informed interpretation. Unfortunately most old French pianos
>seem to have self-destructed, so are not good samples. And the recording
>industry has not yet caught up with the possibilities in this direction. 
>I know of a single recording of Chopin, in this case on an 1826 Graf, such
>as the pianos he chose to play in Vienna when he gave concerts there. A
>very telling example though...the Andante spianato, typical Chopin
>figuration, like the nocturnes, bass wash with crystalline, bell-like
>treble melody. Then the moderator and una corda producing something
>ethereal, sounds that you might not even believe come from a
>piano-instrument. To hear that, you know instantly what Chopin was about - 
>and you understand what he meant by bel canto. 

Who made this recording, and how can one find it, please?

And, since you've nothing but time for wasting, could you describe the
"moderator" and how it works, or send me to an appropriate reference book?

Thanks,

Susan

Susan Kline
P.O. Box 1651
Philomath, OR 97370
skline@proaxis.com

"By using your intelligence, you can sometimes make your problems twice as
complicated."
			-- Ashleigh Brilliant