[CAUT] Steinway "sound"

[Ed Sutton]

Horace-

I grew up on the Heifetz/Piatigorsky Brahms Double, and was shocked when I 
first heard the old Thibaud/Casals recording.  I came to hear so much more 
in T/C's approach, and the "in your face" quality of H/P seemed rather one 
dimensional in contrast to T/C.

Listening to Rubenstein's 1940's Brahms recordings compared to Lupu's more 
recent recordings, it seems as if something similar has happened to the 
pianos. There is also a much wider separation of timbres, which Lupu uses 
gloriously. Of course Lupu has access to all the studio touch-up techniques 
and Rubenstein had one full take when the light came on.

Your comments on this thread are remarkably helpful. This is definitely an 
HG topic!

Cheers!
Ed S.

>
> Hi, Ted,
>
> At 08:25 PM 2/18/2011, you wrote:
>>One time when I was tuning for the Stratford Festival, Oscar Shumsky, 
>>Glenn Gould and Leonard Rose were rehearsing a trio. Leonard Rose told a 
>>story of  a rehearsal  of a trio consisting of Heifitz, Rubenstein and 
>>Piatagorsky. Heifitz suddenly stopped and complained, " The balance is all 
>>wrong, I can still hear the Cello".
>
> An interesting addendum to this story is that, if one listens to 
> recordings made by Heifetz, Rubinstein and either Feuermann or Piatigorsky 
> from the late 30's and early 40's, you find him seeking a very different 
> kind of balance that what became his signature SOLO 
> VIOLIN!!!!......(....and, everybody else...)....
>
> Best.
>
> Horace
>
>
>><mailto:fssturm at unm.edu>fssturm at unm.edu
>>"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." Twain
>>
>