Piano parts for pre-1900 German grand

[Stéphane Collin]

Hi Terry.

For me, the difference between modern action and viennese, or even english action, is most obvious when the pianist plays very subtle PP dynamics.  In a modern action, when you depress the key very slowly, everything goes fine until you encounter the spot where repetition lever and the jack both hit their button.  You then have much increased friction, more noticeable at PP playing because you don't profit from parts inerty to overcome it, plus you have the repetition spring to bend, even more if you regulate large drop values.  Add to this that because of the bouncing effect of the shank on the springy lever you have to regulate the letoff comfortably far away from the string, and you understand that the dynamic range below PP is inexistant in a modern action.
A contrario, on an english or a viennese action, there is nothing that comes in the way when you depress the key : it is a continuous movement with constant feel of resistance untill the very set off, which, because no lever and no spring, you can regulate much closer to the string.  This means that ANY movement of the finger to the bottom of the dip will cause a sound from the string, proportionnal to the speed of stoke, foreseen that the set off (the only regulation on those actions) is regulated evenly.  The dynamics below PP are MUCH more controllable.
You could say : who cares to play that low levels ?  But then, in the hands of a good pianist who took the time to understand these actions, those less than PP dynamic ranges are used with great advantage to, for example, lowering the level of the left hand accompanyment, while playing the right melody at usual level, which results in a sort of tonal colour shades that are simply unattainable on a modern action.  Most skilled pianists even put some difference between the notes in one single chord played PP, like for example a tid bit emphasizing the third in the chord, in order to give the chord a rich warm colour (even more so with historical temperaments), or emphasizing the fifth to obtain a colder but sturdier finale effect.  This of course you can do also on a modern action, but not at PP level.  It is a real experience to discover how much more a (well regulated) english action can do for interpretation, at the cost of lightning repetition.  Even this is only partially true : english action does repeat very well if the pianist takes care to lift his fingers high enough between two repetitions.  By the way, only a very small part of repertoire really requires this lighning repetition.  Not even Liszt does.
The good in Blüthner patent action is that it retains the qualities of english action (direct stroke, no intermediate levers) while providing a slight hammer raise by mean of a spring, but you don't feel the spring as it is constantly engaged in the system.

Best regards.

Stéphane Collin.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Farrell 
  To: Pianotech List 
  Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 4:11 PM
  Subject: Re: Piano parts for pre-1900 German grand


  Hi Jack,

  I have never played a well-functioning single-escapement grand action. Obviously, it is going to have some different characteristics from a modern grand action. What are its characteristics that make it "one of the worlds finest actions"? Is there any other action that it is similar to - such as the Bluthner Patent action? Thanks.

  Even though much of my work is somewhat geared toward "modern high performance", I also know that there are other desirable goals out there.

  Terry Farrell
    ----- Original Message ----- 

     
    Hello John,

        I have original " Viennese"  parts in good condition.

       Are the broken parts all in one area or scattered
    through out the action?
       
      This is one of the worlds finest actions. 
    Of course this is contrary to what some say.
       It is slower but still fast enough for the majority
    of people   
       
        I do not charge Technicians  for these obsolete 
    parts.
      However I do ask that you donate whatever they are 
    worth to you  ,,, to the   P.T.G.  Foundation.

       This of course is the  honor system. 

    Regards 
    Jack Wyatt







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