Differences

[Delwin D Fandrich]

James Grebe wrote:

> Dear Del and others,
>     My point was that the mauafactureres are thinking that unless their pianos
> emulate this one type same sound that their instrument will not be
> accepted.  I think the critics, or recording engineers or someone with a
> lot of influence is the force responsible for this sameness.
>     I have a Cd with about 10 or so different Seinways from squares to
> uprights to an S to several D's.  They are all recorded in the same place,
> I assume in ET, and they sound pretty similar even though they are vastly
> different.  Why not listen to a concert on a Steinway 45" or a S.  If not a
> great deal of volume is needed what possible differrences could there be.
> Anyone hear any concerts on a P-22 or a U-1, or for that matter a WX-7 or a
> Baldwin 6000 with its "booming bass".?
>     It is said in theatre organ circles that anyone can sound good on a large
> TO but it takes great skill to wring out a great sound form a 10 or so rank
> TO.
> James Grebe waiting for the hits.
> James Grebe R.P.T. of the P.T.G.
> "Success is not just a goal, but a way of life"

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James,

Don't blame any piano for how it sounds on any recording. Unless the thing is out of tune.
Recording engineers are among the worst critics of piano tone I've ever run across. As a
group, their lack of understanding of what the pianoforte is all about is appalling! I
also think that a good share of them are half deaf from being forced to listen to way to
much of the excessively loud noise that passes for "music" these days.

Recording engineers seem to think that pianos should all sound absolutely identical and
that they should all sound absolutely linear. I am NEVER impressed when I read that a
"Matchless Concert Grand" (...if you read the Journal, you'll know) was used in any
recorded performance. It occurs to me that if any piano manages to come through the
recording process sounding individual and special, it does so in spite of the best efforts
of the recording engineer, not because of them.

Depending on the music being performed it would (should?) be possible to use some smaller
instrument for recording. Indeed many are. Few recording studios have regular access to
concert grands of any manufacture. Much, if not most, of the music being performed and
recorded these days uses about the middle two-thirds to three-fourths of the piano scale
with only a few excursions into the low bass and high treble. Relatively small pianos can
be (should be!) built that perform nearly as well from probably the middle of the second
octave on up as most concert grands. Certainly by the time you get up to a 6' grand it
should be able to handle most of the regularly performed piano music. A piano this size
should be able to hold its own quite nicely against either a 7' or a 9' piano except for
that low bass. (Check out a good Walter grand sometime -- OK, so I'm a bit prejudiced!)
Even in the low bass the tone should be clear and solid. The length of the concert grand
is really needed only in the first octave to octave and a half of the common scale. I can
get good clarity of tone and reasonable power out of a relatively short piano, but I've
not yet figured out how to get that clear, solid growl that comes only from a long,
looooong string. Long live the concert grand!

-- ddf