Temperament, A pianist responds

[David Love]

Steve:

I find it ironic that you would call me presumptuous while drawing your own
conclusion about a dead composers preferences.  Recall that this dialogue
began with others claiming to know Beethoven's motivations for his
compositions and key selections, relegating them to something as mundane as
a keyboard temperament.  I think I would not be alone in saying that his
compositions transcend the time in which he wrote them, specific
temperaments and the limitations of the instruments of his day.  Recall that
Beethoven was writing piano pieces with notes that did not yet exist on his
own piano.  You might prefer to play Beethoven on his piano, it is fairly
clear that that is where your interest lie.  But many fine pianists don't
prefer it and find the larger range and tonal palette of a modern piano
offering a greater means of expression without compromising the intentions
of the composer.  Are Schnabel and Brendel only making due with compromises?
Are they all sadly misguided?  It seems to me that is presumptuous, or at
least self serving.

David Love


----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Birkett" <birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: December 11, 2001 8:28 PM
Subject: Re: Temperament, A pianist responds


> David wrote:
> > I don't imagine that Beethoven wasn't aware of tuning.  But that's what
was
> > available.  Do you imagine if Beethoven could play his pieces on a
modern
> > concert grand that he would prefer the pianos of his day?
>
> Yes.
>
> Which is not to say that he necessarily would not have liked the modern
> piano, but he certainly would not have continued to write his music the
> same way for the modern instrument (deafness notwithstanding).
>
> On the other hand the hypothetical question is rather pointless n'est-ce
> pas? The music is what it is and it was written for different instruments
> and the composer is dead. His existing music reflects perfectly, and takes
> advantage of, the idiosyncratic musical characteristics of those pianos.
> What Beethoven may or may not have thought about Steinway can have no
> importance. I know from my own experience that playing Beethoven on a
> modern piano creates all sorts of interpretive problems which vanish on
> the proper instrument. Some people make do with compromises and transcribe
> all the piano repertoire for a common denominator of the modern piano.
> Fair enuf. If you only have one piano you have to do that. I prefer to
> play Beethoven on the types of pianos for which it was written, and the
> same can be said for Prokovief or Messiaen who wrote piano music for the
> modern instrument. Why compromise if you don't have to? But, if you do,
> it's a little presumptuous to try to justify it by hypthetical debates
> about dead composers.
>
> Stephen
>
> Stephen Birkett Fortepianos
> Authentic Reproductions of 18th and 19th Century Pianos
> 464 Winchester Drive
> Waterloo, Ontario
> Canada N2T 1K5
> tel: 519-885-2228
> mailto: birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca
>
>