Thumper Board

[Bill Ballard]

At 8:02 PM -0400 7/24/03, A440A@aol.com wrote:
><<I agree, Thumpie. My fiancee and I play Bach extensively. The genius is
>incredible. Is it his technique? Reformation, methinks. I also heard somewhere
>along the line, he was the only great composer to tune his own 
>piano.  Kenny >>
>
>C'mon guys,  we oughta know a little history of the instruments we are making
>our profession.,  the piano was invented in 1700, the WTC was published in
>1722, Bach died much later than that and we have a written record of his
>impressions of the piano. 
>    The first public performance on the piano was done by Bach's son C.P.E. in
>(I think) 1749.

Ed,

I think the point is that the majority of Great Composers did not 
arrive until the piano tuning industry was well in place. Which was 
why Bach was such a rarity, almost as rare as his piano. The real 
flourishing of Great Composers was made possible once composers were 
freed from the onerous task of tuning their own keyboards.

Mr. Bill

"Did you find that listening to your father's records gave you a clue 
to who he was as a musician?"
     ...........NPR "Fresh Air" host Terry Gross to Ravi Coltrane son 
of John. As always, asking the tough questions.
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