Seen in the Sunday Times

[Michael Gamble]

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"Purer" Australian piano sparks musical discord
A Tasmanian farmer's son who claims to have created a piano with a purer =
sound than the Steinway - the instrument of choice for the world's =
greatest pianists - is dividing the music world, writes Paul Ham.
Wayne Stuart's piano has become a source of national pride for =
Australians, but its tone has provoked confrlicting responses from =
musicians.
Withonly 20 built so far, the Stuart is slowly winning converts around =
the world. One is at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in =
Cardiff; another is owned by Rowan Atkinson, the comedian.
Stuart, who chose to become a cabinet maker instead of helping to run =
the family farm in Devonport, Tasmania, had a childhood fascination for =
the piano. In the 1970s he trained as a piano technician in Japan and =
studied at the Bechstein factory in Germany. The industry, he decided, =
was "bankrupt of ideas".
He said his goal was to "take the piano away from the 19th century. =
There's a lot of noise in a Steinway and it gives poaople the impression =
of power. But in fact it's not powerful - it's just noise".
His pianos, which cost =A356,000, have strings clamped in a vertical =
rather than horizontal position. The result, Stuart enthusiasts claim, =
is a less "muddy" sound that lingers longer than that of a conventional =
piano.
With a range of eight octaves, thanks to nine additional keys, and an =
extra pedal, the piano certainly stands out. Stuart has also used his =
cabinet-makling skills, cloaking his instrument in maple, beech,pine, =
spruce and red cedar. It is being developed with the help of Robert =
Albert of J Albert and Son, one of Australia's largest independent music =
publishers. Albert has invested =A3650,000.
Australian pianists such as Simon Tedeschi and Gerard Willems have =
selected Stuarts for recent recording sessions. Willems, who also =
lectures in keyboard studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, has =
made the first Australian recording of Beethoven sonatas and concertos =
using a Stuart piano.
However, he confessed that the unusually clear sound of the Stuart might =
put off some pianists as it makes their mistakes all too evident.
Even in Australia the instrument has its detractors. Michael Brimer, the =
Sydney-based professor of music, said he was disappointed by the =
homegrown rival to the Steinway: "It sustains the sound. But I find it =
almost does that for too long."
Stuart has some way to go before he can challenge the 5,000 pianos =
produced every year by Steinway, but he is undeterred by criticism.
"The 20th. century was probably the period of greatest technological =
change and the piano makers just ignored it." he said.
Copied from the Sunday Times, part 1. section 26 WORLD NEWS
Michael G (UK)=20
                       Keyboard tuner to Glyndebourne since 1980=20
                 =20
                        Michael Gamble
                        Piano/Harpsichord Tuner/Tech.  "Westwick"
                        29 Shepherds Way
                        Ringmer
                        Sussex BN8 5LT
                        UK =20
                        michael@gambles.fsnet.co.uk  tel:=20
                              fax:=20
                              mobile:  +44(0)1273 813612
                              +44(0)1273 813612
                              07766 184580 =20
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