Michael: >Are we tending toward a modern version of the Fortepiano? This would make no sense. Historical pianos met the needs - both musical and societal - of the time they existed. They are what they were and we can't turn back the clock. I believe there's a lot we can learn from them in developing new concepts for what I like to call a post-modern piano, but it would be pointless to try to revive that particular aesthetic (or more accurately those particular aethetics), other than for the purpose of reproducing the musical capabilities for period performance of compositions associated with them. >The problem with that particular piano has ever been the "hanging >on" since the dampers were totally inefficient by modern standards. >That said Schubert, played on a Fortepiano, is a joy to hear! >Schubert obviously used the defects of these pianos to his advantage. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These aren't defects. They are exactly the characteristics considered desirable at the time. The end of the sound was just as important as the beginning. To throttle it with highly efficient dampers would have been considered plain crude. Just as we shouldn't try to extrapolate their aesthetics forwards in time to define our piano concept, extrapolating our aesthetics backwards is not valid either. >But I digress from the subject - that of producing a new piano with >its very own distinctive sound - a sound which is acceptable to >modern ears and sensibilities. Definitely. This is my objective. And I'm pleased to be living in a time enlightened enough that it makes sense to do this, even commercial sense as we've seen from the mavericks like Del, Ron O, W. Stuart, etc., as well as the countless techs who constantly endeavor to tweak the existing raw material into more desirable states by retrofitting, retro-adjusting, and re-building. The key here is choice, first and foremost. Ric: >That said, again we are confronted with this matter of what sounds <<best>>. Michael suggested a revivalist approach based on historical "fortepianos" (I detect a certain fondness for and familiarity with English pianos in his postings from sunny sussex). Even though I think this is a non-starter, other than the lessons that can be learned by studying a wider spectrum, I would suggest turning to the late 19th century for guidance on specifics. The inexorable cross-strung forced march during the last quarter of the 19th century, and total submission to this single design concept during the 20th century, overshadows the hints of other possibilities that existed (like the small rodents in the undergrowth while the dinosaurs roamed). We should turn our attention to the wonderful French straight-strung grands, e.g. Erards of 1900, for guidance. And ask the question which direction would these have taken had they been able to develop through the 20th century. Combine this sort of thinking with sophisticated manufacturing and materials. That's where we're heading with our post-modern piano. >>.....and I'll admit to a point (and only to a point) that these >>preferences are coloured by fashion, and traditions. Which makes it >>all the more difficult to get at any real meaningfull definitions >>of what <<is>> optimal piano sound. No point in trying to do that. There is no optimal. Aesthetic quality needs to be assessed in a context relative to the ambient culture. In that sense, the 20th century piano met the needs of the time perfectly. It clearly is no longer doing that as well as it did so now we can ask what else we could have. The change in the market conditions, and other external pressures (e.g. electronics), also give impetus to this, now that the entire industry isn't being supported artificially by cheap, mass-produced, living room uprights. This is a good time to try to restore some sort of real variety and real choice into the piano market (not just the same old thing wrapped up and packaged in different boxes with different legs). Without fashion and tradition we have no drivers and no products, but this causality can be made to work in both directions as any successful entrepreneur will tell you. The trick is to be clever enough to manipulate fashion into ways you consider to be desirable, or, even better, provide such a drop down, knockout, and inexpensive product, with enough clearly evident advantages that can't be ignored, that the market is pulled along for the ride. In other words you teach them what is good for them and then provide it. Stephen -- Dr Stephen Birkett Piano Design Lab Department of Systems Design Engineering University of Waterloo, Waterloo ON Canada N2L 3G1 tel: 519-888-4567 Ext. 3792 Lab room E3-3160 Ext. 7115 mailto: sbirkett[at]real.uwaterloo.ca http://real.uwaterloo.ca/~sbirkett
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