[CAUT] damper return noise/una corda

[hgreeley]

Hi,

I'm finding this thread very interesting, in part because I first came 
across this technique not for use with damper issues, but rather 
specifically for voicing.  The first two people who specifically asked 
for this kind of thing were Ivan Moravec and Alfred Brendl; and it was a 
long time ago.  There have been a number of other artists since who have 
made similar requests (albeit not phrased as accurately from a technical 
standpoint as these two.)  The point here is definitely not to be 
name-dropping - rather, that this kind of technique has obviously been 
around for quite a while and it appears to be a viable solution for at 
least two niggling problems.  Most cool.

I do love this list.

Best.

Horace


PAULREVENKOJONES at aol.com wrote:
> This is, I believe, suggested by Kent Webb as the solution to the 
> problem, and one which I've been using for the past couple of years 
> since I attended a class by him. One /caveat/: the left-side bevel of 
> the hammer works best at a shallower rather than a sharper angle and in 
> no case extends to the point of strike of the left string when the una 
> corda pedal is undepressed. The only reason I say this is that I've seen 
> several pianos with this treatment by otherwise well-trained technicians 
> who simply didn't control the bevel well-enough; the voice of the left 
> string was quite unintentionally different, and not pleasantly.
>  
> Paul
>  
> In a message dated 5/6/2010 11:10:35 P.M. Central Daylight Time, 
> fssturm at unm.edu writes:
> 
>     On May 6, 2010, at 8:51 PM, Ed Foote wrote:
> 
>>     Yes,  something that has helped on problem pianos: 
>>        I space the hammers so that on full una corda, the left edge of
>>     the hammer is even with the outside edge of the left-hand wire.
>>     Then, very lightly, file the left side of the crown so that on una
>>     corda, even though all three strings are being struck, the left
>>     hand one is only very lightly contacting the hammer.  Just enough
>>     so that all strings are vibrating enough to help the wedges seat
>>     more rapidly. You get improved seating, and a usable una corda. 
>>     Regards, 
>>
>>     Ed Foote RPT
>>     http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
> 
>     That sounds like a good compromise. I'll give it a try.
>     Regards,
>     Fred Sturm
>     fssturm at unm.edu <mailto:fssturm at unm.edu>
>     http://www.createculture.org/profile/FredSturm
> 
>     =