[CAUT] Just how much brilliance can a pianist make ?

[Dan Reed]

> Re:..." he could not get a satisfactory pianissimo.'....Ric...he was 
> referring to tone, and not the ability to control PPP playing...right?

Dan
Dallas



On Aug 22, 2008, at 4:03 PM, Fred Sturm wrote:

> On Aug 22, 2008, at 3:03 PM, Richard Brekne wrote:
>
>> Hi folks.
>>
>> Ran into an interesting tidbit the other day which prompted me to put 
>> the following to you all. I service a relatively young D here in town 
>> and there are a few different local pianists who are regulars on it. 
>> After summer I was asked by the youngest of these, a 17 year old 
>> prodigy, to calm it down a bit. His concern was that he could not get 
>> a satisfactory pianissimo.  One of his main influences is a prominent 
>> pedagogue in the Russian tradition for the record. I mentioned that a 
>> few of the other pianists... one in particular wanted the thing 
>> pretty much as it was... brighter really as they felt they could not 
>> get enough brilliance out of the instrument.  He kind of snorted and 
>> said something along the lines of "thats because she can not make her 
>> own brilliance".  Ok... the kids got a heavy hand I'll give him 
>> that.....
>
> To which your (unspoken) response is, "just as you are unable to make 
> your own pianissimo. It's easy to play loud, not so easy to play 
> quietly with control. Come back when you've honed your craft as a 
> pianist and we'll talk again."
> 	The more practical response is to do a wee bit of sugaring to the 
> crowns, particularly in the una corda position - he's Russian trained, 
> he uses the pedal, yes? Then you don't displease those who want more 
> brilliance.
>
>> BUT...  given the physical limitations of the piano I have to wonder 
>> something about just how much "brilliance" is in the grasp of 
>> players... and in particular if his hands, heavy tho they may be, 
>> should indeed be able to out power just about any other accomplished 
>> player.  The action will allow only so much hammer velocity yes ?  Is 
>> not top velocity and for that matter momentum within the reach of 
>> just about any very good player ? Just how strong do you have to be ?
>
> Yes, I agree. Any reasonably healthy player can get every last bit of 
> useful musical volume out of an instrument. Many "young colts" think 
> they can get more, and as to whether the "more" is "useful musically," 
> well, let's just say there can be differences of opinion. I think it 
> is more a matter of the physical feel of playing, the need to make use 
> of all that youthful excess energy, and the lack of a critical ear, 
> but maybe that's just the crotchety old fogy emerging in my 
> personality <G>.
> 	There is a limit to how much power can be transferred from hammer to 
> strings. You can continue to speed up the velocity, and more "noise" 
> will happen, much of it impact (key to keybed, hammer "thwack"), but 
> the string and soundboard can only handle so much before focus and 
> definition are lost.
> 	I think the ideal is where the "top brilliance" of the hammer 
> (voicing wise) happens just when "useful musicality" is ready to 
> disappear (of course, exactly where that line is drawn becomes a 
> matter of dispute). But really the very loudest sound (musical, 
> setting aside the noise aspects) can be produced from the top of the 
> key down (fingers on the keys as a starting point). A well-trained and 
> practiced pianist can accelerate to maximum in that span, IMO. (Which 
> is not to argue that the fingers should always be glued to the keys. 
> Just  an illustration to put force required into perspective).
>
>> This is a question I've never really asked myself and if there is a 
>> real significant window of variance here... then I suppose it needs 
>> to be put into my voicing awareness box for further consideration.
>>
>> Thanks for any / all input.
>>
>> Cheers
>> RicB
>
>
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> University of New Mexico
> fssturm at unm.edu
>
>