Chopin and pianos (was temperaments)

[Anne Beetem]

>Susan asked:
>> Who made this recording, and how can one find it, please?
>>
>Amon Ra Label...don't know the number, will check if you like. A recording
>that comes out of Finchcocks, UK. (big country house, now piano museum,
>was Adlam-Burnett histroical keyboard workshop at one time. CD is played
>on an 1826 Graf. Pianist Richard Burnett. (Restored, somewhat tired, but
>enuf of its former glory left to appreciate it). Hummel, Schumann, etc.
>Title is "The Romantic Piano".  Anne any more details?
>


Ah,  I do not have this CD,  but did buy Burnett's recording of Gottschalk,
whom we spoke of energetically together as we're both great fans.

I have played this Pleyel (there's a fun statement) however,  and it's on
the Gottschalk album, for Gottschalk played Pleyels and Erards in Paris and
in his first years here back in the states, before switching to Chickerings.
Yes, the instrument is somewhat tired, for they've been appropriately very
conservative in maintaining it, so the hammers are hard and worn, and there
is no climate control in the house (which is a  keyboard museum and
restaurant and concert series place,   Richard has many harpsichords and
odd little things like barrel organs, too, and a celesta?  I believe it is?
I'll have to check my notes.

Still,  Chopin speaks so perfectly on it.   You hear all the
countermelodies so clearly against each other.  It weeps,  it exults.

In the same vein,  I was playing Beethoven this morning on the Walther, and
I do not cease to amaze at how much more clearly this music communicates
there than on the late 19th-20th century pianos (how's that for
differentiation,  Stephen?  I chose at least two categories to put in the
set, but it still holds).   Those galloping accompaniments,  ah,  perfecto,
the counter melodies floating o'er top.    Moonlight senza sordino,  no
problem,   delicate ethereal inner harmonies with sustaining bass and
singing top.   All there.   No fighting with the piano and it spoke with
the crisp attack and silences.    Czerny noted that Beethoven had a Walther
in his apartment when even this late of sonata was written.

I like the idea of putting the hammer "cover"  beneath the strings.
Hmmm...      Maybe we could modify something?   An alternate action to slip
in?

Anne





Anne Beetem
Harpsichords & Historic Pianos
2070 Bingham Ct.
Reston, VA  20191
abeetem@wizard.net