[CAUT] Re: Glenn Gould/Bach Stuff

[A440A@aol.com]

<<  Horowitz's hammer blow distance was reported to be 1.5"...but they had
to harden the hammers to make up for lost power...not everyone can handle a 
piano
like that. Horowitz could. You will still hear double striking on Horowitz' 
recordings, even
with the shorter blow distance.   >>

Greetings, 
    I was able to examine the Horowitz piano at the factory, in detail, 
before it was "restored".  The hammer blow was not particularly off spec, and the 
hammers being worn so much that there was no way to get much tonal range out of 
the thing.  The most "unfactory" thing about that action was that the let-off 
and drop were virtually at the string, itself and the dampers were very, very 
late.  There was very little aftertouch on this piano, as well.  Downweight 
was 45 grams at middle C, due, in a large part, to the small hammers on there. 
   It was a loud piano, but not very powerful.  
Regards,



Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html