re Horowitz and Mohr

Mickey Kessler mickeykes2@uf.znet.com
Wed, 07 May 2003 17:32:20 -0700


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 >Mickey, I'm not so sure this is correct. In the
reminiscences of Franz Mohr that I have, from the book
'The Lives of the Piano' He says that Horrowitz
wanted a brighter sound.
quote.
"As I began to file the hammers Horrowitz insisted I
take off more and more. I protested all the way, and
told him the piano would sound like tin cans. Well,
Horrowitz got the sound he wanted, but it was the
sound of tin cans and I had to throw away the hammers
after his performance, No one else would have used
them"
unquote

This referred to the preparation of a piano for a
recording of Rachmainov Third, not THE Horrowitz piano
- but it may give some insight into the relationship
between Mohr and Horrowitz.
Bob.
 >

Thanks, Bob.  This is fascinating stuff (at least to me.  Maybe I should 
get a life.).

I just remember that bio of Horowitz by, who was it? Glenn 
Plaskin?  Plaskow?  --something like that -- where he claimed (in a rather 
accusatory, 60 Minutes-type tone) that Horowitz insisted on changes to the 
instrument that rendered it virtually unplayable to anybody else -- as 
though that was some kind of gimmick.  I recall thinking, "Who cares?  Look 
what he <does> with it!"  Most of that biography struck me as petty, pretty 
much missing the point of the man's incredible artistry.  Oh well.  Just to 
second what everybody else seems to be saying, it's a damn shame we no 
longer have the actual piano action around to speak for itself.  Seems to 
me a shortsighted decision on Steinway's part.  Sigh.

Anyhow, thanks for the book quote.

Mickey

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