[CAUT] 1850's Pleyel Grand

[Ed Sutton]

Richard-

Anne's work is almost entirely with performing instruments.
She is dedicated to keeping 19th century instruments as active instruments 
and has a wide experience of playing them.
Her approach is very informed.

ES
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Brekne" <ricb at pianostemmer.no>
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 2:31 AM
Subject: [CAUT] 1850's Pleyel Grand


> Hi Ed
>
> Yes, I've been following that with interest, tho my understanding is that 
> Anne takes a more museum restorations perspective with these things.  In 
> my Bluthner project I found it particularly difficult to get any real 
> help. For a variety of reasons.  Some folks are just plain protective of 
> course... I guess the industry has always had to deal with that.  Some 
> wanted me to approach the project from a completely different angle then I 
> had in mind.
>
> In the end, it came out quite nice in itself... tho I lack enough acoustic 
> references to know yet if I have succeeded in my goal of reproducing the 
> basic sound character of the instrument while bringing the upper treble 
> more in line with modern sound.  This second goal is a loaded matter 
> really.  Because through the some 3 odd years I have spent so far on the 
> thing, I've found that perceptions about what the "snuff it was made for" 
> vary quite wildly.
>
> Some say for example that the sustain and body of these old instruments 
> were actually quite similar to todays instruments after all... and this 
> was possible because of the completely different string materials used. 
> Shorter lengths for high treble strings were not a problem for this reason 
> and we are left forced to re-scale and use presently available string 
> materials to come close. Pure sound is said by many to be a blessing in 
> this regard and certainly performs well on my Bluthner.
>
> I most certainly will approach the Pleyel differently then I did the 
> Bluthner. The Pleyel will be sold to a pianist friend of mine who loves 
> these old instruments pretty much as they are. So this will pretty much 
> just be stabilized with no major parts being replaced. Epoxy stabilization 
> of the pinblock is in my mind a perfectly ok way to proceed as in the end 
> if one ends up someday having to replace the pinblock one has done no 
> "damage" in the meantime.
>
> Thanks to my good friend Linda from Sweden for the link and for her 
> enthusiastic post.
>
>
> Cheers
> RicB
>
>
>
>    The Journal is running an extended series on understanding and
>    restoring
>    19th century pianos.
>    Conservators have special techniques for working on pianos like
>    this, and
>    they are going to share some of them with us.
>    Epoxy consolidation of a pinblock, for example, is much easier than
>    removing
>    and replacing a mortised block.
>    I hope you will wait a few months to learn about this.
>    It is helpful, in fact crucial to develop a collegial relationship with
>    someone who specializes in dealing with
>    "pre-modern" instruments.  The "snuff" you try to bring it up to
>    should be
>    the "snuff" it was made for.
>    Note, for example, the description of the sustain on Chopin's piano
>    in the
>    Times link from Linda Strahle.  In her articles on 18th and 19th
>    century
>    pianos Anne Acker has given descriptions of the relationship between
>    the
>    sound of historic instruments and the interpretation of music
>    written for
>    those pianos.
>
>    Ed Sutton
>