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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi all. When I play a piano (tech stuff out
of the way and as a musician) I want to feel comfortable with the
instrument. I want it to be smooth and even, and depending on the type of
music, either bright. light and lively, such as would be expected for jazz; or I
would want even and mellow for Chopin or </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Debussy. .. I believe all pianos should
be brought to the highest capability they can attain. Sometimes a Yamaha
or even a Kawai can produce confidence in the player that would please
them. I, however, still prefer a Steinway or Bosendorfer, but perhaps I am
too educated in the production of those pianos. I do enjoy Yamahas and
some Kawais although I find the Kawai doesn't quite get great sound when brought
up to fff, but maybe I haven't learned enough on their potentials. I agree
that the correct hammer should fit the piano, but generalizing a particular
"brand" is a bit hasty. Many fine hammer producers are available and many
can be adjusted for the piano at hand. Please respond....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Paul T Williams RPT and pianist</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="mailto:pno2nr@whidbey.com">pno2nr@whidbey.com</A> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=fssturm@unm.edu href="mailto:fssturm@unm.edu">Fred Sturm</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=caut@ptg.org
href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">College and University Technicians</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, March 31, 2006 11:27
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [CAUT] Pianos for piano
performance majors</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Mar 31, 2006, at 11:17 AM, Jim Busby wrote:<FONT face=Arial color=navy
size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thanks
Fred</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; apple-text-size-adjust: auto; orphans: 2; widows: 2">
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT class=Apple-style-span face=Arial color=#000080
size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px"></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I never
thought much about the hammers being considered. As a pianist (leave off
your technician hat, if you can) when you sit down to a piano do you find an
immediate difference in expression between the two hammer types, or is it
very subtle?</SPAN><O:P
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></O:P></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Would a
non-tech pianist be aware of this or are you hypersensitive to it? I’m
trying to get into the performers head, if you will.</SPAN><O:P
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></O:P></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></O:P></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,128); FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Jim
Busby</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><SPAN
class=Apple-tab-span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"></SPAN>Well, that would depend
on a lot of things: sensitivity of pianist (varies all over the place),
voicing techniques of the tech, yadda, yadda. But, given pianos prepped to the
max and reasonably sensitive pianists, I would venture to say that it would be
a difference apparent to most. I'm not going to say that most would prefer one
or the other, just that there would be a perceived difference of range
of response. Personally, for most of the music I play, I prefer a well-needled
hard-press hammer. Which isn't to say that I don't like a well-voiced Steinway
lacquered hammer - I guess I perform and record much more often on them, and I
am (or can be) satisfied most of the time.
<DIV><SPAN class=Apple-tab-span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"></SPAN>When you come
down to it, there is so much variance between individual pianos of any make,
and so much variance in taste among pianists, and considerable difference in
prepping standards and tastes among techs - it's hard to state anything
conclusively. It is, I think, quite possible to get both types of hammer to
sound nearly identical. Depends how you work them. I do think there will
always be tonal shadings available in a resilient well-needled hard-press that
can't be created in a lacquered hammer. Subtle to some, blatantly obvious to
others.</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=Apple-tab-span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"></SPAN>I do happen to
be a pianist who loves variety. I don't want every piano I play to be the
same. The variety inspires me to try something a little different. I don't
know if that is common among pianists or not. I'm sure there are others like
me, and that there are those who want the familiar, the thing they are used
to, predictability.<BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>Regards,</DIV>
<DIV>Fred Sturm</DIV>
<DIV>University of New Mexico</DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:fssturm@unm.edu">fssturm@unm.edu</A></DIV>
<DIV> "Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to
shape it." </DIV>
<DIV>Bertolt Brecht</DIV>
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