<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#d8d0c8> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    While these = arguments are worth considering, taken to extreme they would require at least 50 instruments = to play the repertoire, or that each performer specialize in a very narrow repertoire. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    Meanwhile, in = order to satisfy a greater variety of sustaining needs, I'm pleased to announce = my new invention: The Historically Adjustable Soundboard Damper!  I'll be = offering it to all the major manufacturers next week, and look forward to = international acclaim.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    Ed = S.</FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr 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=Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no href="mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no">Richard Brekne</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> Sunday, March 30, 2003 = 5:30 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Sustain was Re: = 1974 M & H B</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>Hi Del <P>Been busy I see :) Just wanted to say that this is the first time = I've heard of complaining about too much sustain as well. I dont really = know much more about him then he is a harpsichord builder that has a rather = special international reputation. He likes old wood. And I guess he makes a = pretty fair harpsichord. <P>I posted this because I thought it was an interesting variant as = well, and his argumention likewise. <P>Cheers <BR>RicB <BR>  <BR>  <P>"Barbara J. Fandrich" wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE"> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">A little off the subject line here, this quote reminded me of = something I heard a few weeks back from an eminent harpsichord builder in = Northern Europe. Bear in mind the fellow is a piano forte' lover, dislikes = the Steinway sound intensly, and in general dislikes the modern piano. = <P>His point was that this whole sustain issue is misunderstood = from the get go. That is to say that there is no need for nearly the = sustain levels modern pianos offer, ... that there is virtually no music written = from any time period that requires more then half of this sustain = level.  Never heard that argumentation  before. <P>His position was that older instruments of the modern variant = sounded better (read mellow) as they lost some of their power and sustain = through the years.</P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><FONT size=-1>Your friend must not encounter the same jazz = pianists that come our way.... Music evolves.</FONT> <P><FONT size=-1>This is the first time I've heard of anyone = complaining about excessive sustain time. The increasingly hard and harsh sound = quality of the modern piano, yes, even the excessively high overall power = levels expected from them. But not sustain time. Interesting.</FONT> <P><FONT size=-1>Del</FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P>-- <BR>Richard Brekne <BR>RPT, N.P.T.F. <BR>UiB, Bergen, Norway = <BR><A href="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A> = <BR><A = href="http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html">http://home.broad= park.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html</A> <BR>  </P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>