<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: =
Arial"
bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=rol=
e_document
face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>Kent, and Colleagues -</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I agree with leaving all the dampers in the 'D', and support your idea =
that
it is easier to temporarily lift the last few if for some reason it is
desired.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I remember having a conversation many years ago with Ralph Votapek=
,
recently retired Artist-in-Residence and Professor of piano at Michigan=
State University. He opined that the number of dampers on the 'D' is j=
ust
right since the range of the dampers is just equal to the compass of the
Classical era repertoire, particularly Mozart. He found it slightly
unnerving that on the smaller Steinways - and many other makes and models - =
the
top few notes of this compass are undamped.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I agree with Votapek on this. Further, I feel that the increased
resonance of most 'Ds' compared with most other pianos really calls for a bi=
t
more damping in the treble.
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face="CommercialScript BT" color=#008000 size=4
FAMILY="SCRIPT" PTSIZE="14"></FONT><FONT lang=0 face="Lucida Calligr=
aphy"
color=#008000 size=4 FAMILY="SCRIPT" PTSIZE="14"></FONT><FONT lang=
=0
face="Lucida Calligraphy" color=#000000 size=4 FAMILY="SCRIPT" PTSIZ=
E="14">~ Tom
McNeil ~</FONT><FONT lang=0 face="CaslonOpnface BT" color=#008000 size=
=4
FAMILY="DECORATIVE" PTSIZE="14"><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face="Caslon=
Opnface BT"
color=#008000 size=5 FAMILY="DECORATIVE" PTSIZE="18">V</FONT><FONT l=
ang=0
face="CaslonOpnface BT" color=#008000 size=4 FAMILY="DECORATIVE"
PTSIZE="14">ERMONT </FONT><FONT lang=0 face="CaslonOpnface BT" color=
=#008000
size=5 FAMILY="DECORATIVE" PTSIZE="18">P</FONT><FONT lang=0
face="CaslonOpnface BT" color=#008000 size=4 FAMILY="DECORATIVE"
PTSIZE="14">IANO </FONT><FONT lang=0 face="CaslonOpnface BT" color=#=
008000
size=5 FAMILY="DECORATIVE" PTSIZE="18">R</FONT><FONT lang=0
face="CaslonOpnface BT" color=#008000 size=4 FAMILY="DECORATIVE"
PTSIZE="14">ESTORATIONS<BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000=
000 size=2
FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR>mcneiltom@aol.com<BR>vermontpiano.com<BR><BR>346 Camp
Street<BR>Barre, VT
05641<BR><BR>802-476-7072</FONT></DIV></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>