Petrof even more

[Eugenia Carter]

Richard,

When Andre played here last year (and ever so wonderfully, I might add), we
had a very nice discussion about his association with Yamaha. He was ever so
complimentary about their pianos, about how their association was so
extraordinary. His lament was that Yamaha had found it too expensive to
continue to supply the piano and technician for him as they had been doing
for lo those many years. He also lamented that Steinway used to do the same
for many of their artists - long, long- years past and had also long since
discontinued that practice.

When Andre was here the previous time, his association with Yamaha was still
very much in force. I played that piano, the CFIII on which he performed,
and believe me it had lots of soul.

As for Yamaha's long term performance, I have in my shop a 1951 #20 Yamaha
that we just restrung and put on new shanks/hammers. That's all the
reconditioning that piano needed. One of my piano teachers (not its owner)
came by this weekend; I asked her to check it out and she and just raved
about its tone and touch. Let's see, 1951 to 1998, hummm, sounds pretty long
term to me.

I guess I've been rather fortunate for I've heard and/or played on some
concert instruments by Steinway, Yamaha, Kawai, Bosendorfer that were truly
wonderful instruments for making music. Each had its own beauty; maybe it
was the right piano for the right piece. I can't tell you what specifically
made it so special; but my ears heard it and reveled in the beauty of the
music.

As a piano technician, I am grateful that we have piano companies like
Steinway, Yamaha, Kawai, Bosendorfer, et al, that in whatever form or
fashion, are still trying to create an instrument for all that wonderful
music I want to hear performed. Yes, I agree with Del - why can't they have
more R&D? But, at least they are still, especially Yamaha and Kawai and
Steinway, working on improving their pianos. Until or unless that changes, I
will continue to be grateful to them.

Gina Carter
Charlotte, NC




-----Original Message-----
From: VOCE88@aol.com <VOCE88@aol.com>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Sunday, September 06, 1998 9:50 PM
Subject: Re: Petrof even more



>Hi Ed,
>
>     You are, of course, correct. Japanese pianos, in general, are built to
>hold up nicely and come out of the crate "playing" better than most other
>pianos in the world. As techs., I think all would agree with that
statement.
>
>     However, I am also a musician. What the Japanese pianos are NOT very
good
>at is giving me - or other pianists good long term performance and, in my
>opinion, soul. As an example, I had a very nice conversation with Andre
Watts
>after a concert he played in the Philly area this past year. As you may
know,
>until recently, Andre was a Yamaha artist. Yamaha gave him a CFIII as his
>personal piano. After 12 years of play, Andre has given up on the piano. He
>feels that it is costing him too much to TRY to get it where it was when
new.
>He added that he would give it to a music school in the area and, perhaps
pick
>up a nice piano for himself, like a rebuilt Steinway or Mason. (He had just
>played on one of my rebuilt Steinways, so perhaps saying that was
"politically
>correct" )
>
>Just my 2 cents.
>
>Richard Galassini
>Cunningham Piano Co
>1 800 394 1117
>
>     My point is that