Old Broadwood Grand

[Robert Murphy]

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Roger & List,

While encouraged to find technicians, such as yourself, becoming more aware and
open to the validity of and unique performance nuances possible on period
replica instruments, I would urge you to go one step further and seek out
painstakingly and expertly restored originals before writing them off.

Having been privileged to work half my life with "old dry boxes", and I know
others on the list who have as well, I'm increasingly amazed at the shear
genius of the masters and their master-pieces (i.e. Walter, Graf, Broadwood and
Streicher, to name a few) creating the instruments they did without the benefit
of Bill Gates!  I've also witnessed this amazement in the faces of world-class
concert pianists (modern and fortepianists) when they sit down and weave their
magic on an appropriately prepared "box" nearly 200 years old, compared with
one right out of the shop.  

Further (and I hope I word this next part as respectfully intended), though
present day replica builders are getting better all the time (i.e. Stephan
Birkett, Rod Regier, Tom & Barbara Wolf, Paul McNulty, ...) there is nothing
quite like the voice and touch of an original "manuscript" that's capable of
expressing history as something (someone?) who has "been there, done that".

With one foot still in the 19th century,
Robert Murphy
Piano Technician,
Michigan State University


At 07:52 AM 11/5/99 -0800, Roger Hayden wrote:

>"...I would think that those old dry boxes can't approach the 'life' I felt in
>your new recreations."  
>
>Thanks Stephan
>
>Roger Hayden

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