piano tone...

[Richard Brekne]

This business about tone can be real er interesting to be sure.
We just had an episode at the UiB where this really quite nice
Bluthner suddenly became "un-usable" by all the students for this
one particular professor. Now as it happens another professor
(the most widely respected piano teacher this side of wherever we
are the other side of), just got sacked, more or less for being a
general pain in the patootee. Long story and I wont get into it,
and actually he quit because it was the school that was the pain
in the patootee... I don't know... any ways he left... and in his
demise surfaced this relatively unused Steinway B. Funny how the
Bluthner became useless on almost that very same day. Now the
strangest part of all this is that the Bluthner was a few years
back picked out by a fellow named Lief Ove Andesnes, which some
of you New Yorkers may have heard about. This is a really hot
classical pianist, up there among the very best of them. He just
loves it, admits it needs what only new hammers can give, but
still...

I personally like a very broad range of different piano tone. But
I do like it clean and clear. If there is one thing I hate its a
lot of falsness or that nasty whistle over active front duplexs
can make. Beyond that a piano has to get pretty thuddy sounding
or really thinned out before I cant find anything nice about the
sound. I dont know what all this is good for....grin... but there
you go.


Stephen Airy wrote:

> Based on pianos i've played/heard and recordings I've
> heard.  I am almost wondering if the tone I like comes
> from pianos that have been through some use like
> school pianos or ones like that.  I often finding
> myself liking 45-48" and higher uprights over most
> grands, although I would probably like a bright 8 or
> 9-foot grand better.  I don't really like a dull tone.
> Sometime I'll have to find a place to post a recording
> or a few of a piano or two whose tone I like. (if I
> ever get around to it), and also post a recording of
> me playing my Ricca & Son 1913 (ser 37123) upright.  I
> has fairly good tone, with a few notes that I'd like
> the tone changed.  (actually it needs some parts
> replacement (dampers, bridle straps, hammers, keytops,
> strings, and i forget what else))
>
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--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway
mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no