Olga Kern -- Sioux Falls Washington Pav. March 2003

[Richard Moody]

>I didn't want to go too far
> with the 'brilliance voicing'.


I wish I could have played a few notes on the piano after the
concert.  Then I would know how it sounds to the pianist and how
it sounded to the audience in row U in that particular building.
    Instead I ended up talking to a sound engineer in the lobby
after, who said it was a New York D from the 70's with original
parts.  (But he is only a sound engineer, what does he know of
Teflon bushings? ; )  But he knows the technician (Tim Coates)
whom I know also so I can always check it out.
    But if that is the case then it really is a fabulous piano.
The bass is fantastic along with the tenor.  The piano is really
"present" but that has to do with the acoustic properties of the
hall also. To get a little more "bite"  in the treble might leave
the hapless tech with a thin and incipid (sp??) tone at  m and mf
and a glassy tone at  f and ff.   I wouldn't try it other than
testing several brands of new hammers on new shanks so the old
ones can be screwed back on again if it turns out what we have now
is about all we can get out of that D.
    And of course we would like listen to a side by side
comparison of another concert grand there (Washington Pav. Sioux
Falls).  The
 CF111's, Fazioli, Shigeru, RX's Ex's, Grotrian, Bosendorfer,
 Schimmel, Bechstein, Hamburg, etc have all been improving in the
last 30 years.  What an experience it would be to have a pianist
like Olga Kern to go through the exhibit hall of the national
convention, listening to her comments on each piano she played.
    In the end and after all, the pianist has to make the best of
the instrument of that evening. What other musician plays a
different instrument for every venue?   And the program is already
set.  How they do it makes the pianist even more of a legendary
performer.  ---rm




----- Original Message -----
From: Phil Bondi <tito@philbondi.com>
To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 2:50 AM
Subject: Re: Olga Kern -- Sioux Falls Washington Pav. March 2003


> Richard, I'm glad you enjoyed the show.
>
> Olga was here about a month ago for the Sanibel Music Festival.
She was
> playing on a CFlll, and was asking for more 'brilliance' from
the top
> end..so maybe what you were desiring from the performance you
heard and what
> she wanted from me are similar?!?
>
> I believe I satisfied her, but didn't make her completely happy.
It was a
> rented CFlll, and I know the owner of the piano. I didn't want
to go too far
> with the 'brilliance voicing'.
>
> Richard, I'm glad yours was a good experience.
>
> -Phil Bondi (Fl.)
> phil@philbondi.com
>