light weight

[Tom Servinsky]

I too had the distinct experience/pleasure of playing this piano. Yes the
touch was extremely light, but more so, the rep. springs were turbo charged
fast.  It took a very good pianist to control the action and even then, most
of the good ones couldn't control it. But Horowitz was in his own league.
Tom Servinsky,RPT

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
Of Richard Brekne
Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2002 4:44 AM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Re: light weight


> jphouweling wrote:
>
> I am interested in the piano that Horowitz played on.
> Could anyone tell me the dw/uw of his piano. I understand
> it was a hamburg steinway that had to be modified. Does
> anyone know how it was done and/or the design of this
> action.
>
>         thank you from delta B.C.
>                      jack

I am not sure how it got to be in that state, perhaps a bit
of wear over the years alongside of some alterations done on
purpose. I do know that the touch was so light you could
almost blow the keys down like you blow out a candle on a
birthday cake. I got to play it a bit in Seattle before NY
Steinway decided to misrepresent Horowitz life by changing
the piano back to a more Stein-way of doing things. I also
know that Franz Mohr was after Horowitz for years to get the
hammers changed as they were worn down to the wood in the
high treble, and otherwise so many reshapings that the
hammers were approaching Ed McMorrows ideas about hammers.
Also I remember that Franz's voicing techniques were a bit
off standard. He said he only works with the crown area of
the hammer and that it was not in his experience that one
needed to work with any other area of the hammer much at
all.

I'm sure many others will pipe in with what they know on
this.

RicB