Steinway Article in NY Times

Farrell mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
Sun, 11 May 2003 07:40:54 -0400


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"Will it sound like "a squadron of dive bombers,"...? Or will it begin =
life with the enormous bass and sweet-singing treble....? Will it be =
good enough for Steinway's concert division...?"

No one can say. Not yet.

Every Steinway is made the same way from the same materials by the same =
workers. Yet every Steinway ends up being different from every other =97 =
not in appearance, perhaps, but in ways that are not easily put into =
words: colorations of sound, nuances of strength or delicacy, what some =
pianists call personality. Some Steinways end up sounding small or =
mellow, fine for chamber music. Some are so percussive a full-strength =
orchestra cannot drown them out. On some, the keys move with little =
effort. On others, the pianist's hands and arms get a workout.

Why? No one at Steinway can really say.

Perhaps it is the wood. No matter how carefully Steinway selects or =
prepares each batch, some trees get more sunlight than others in the =
forest, and some get more water.=20

Oh, oh, ROFL. Oh, my tummy hurts.=20

No one at Steinway can really say? Oh, come on! No engineers at =
Steinway? No one at Steinway read any of Stanwood's articles on how to =
measure key ratio or how to set a proper capstan line? No one at =
Steinway that can measure with a ruler? No one at Steinway that has had =
a college class in wood technology?

No one can really say? They mean no one in the MARKETING DEPARTMENT is =
WILLING to say! Keep the mystique alive! More sunlight, more water - =
what a crock! Shroud it in mystery and keep the BS coming.

You know, I never thought of it before. Make a product where some turn =
out excellent and some are dogs - just making people cuss and yak (like =
I am doing here) keeps your product on the tips of people's tongues. And =
that's all it takes. Just like our politicians have taught us, tell the =
people a lie enough times and they will come to believe it - just keep =
repeating it over and over. This is amazing. I've gotta get back and =
finish this wonderful adventure in marketing.

Terry Farrell
 =20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: "John Ross" <jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca>
To: "Pianotech@Ptg.Org" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2003 4:24 AM
Subject: Steinway Article in NY Times


> http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/11/nyregion/11PIAN.html?th
>=20
> John M. Ross
> Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
> jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca
>=20
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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