electronics replacing pianos? [Reply to MARK]

[Dtalcott at cs.com]

Hi,  everyone. I may have posted this months ago but I wanted to add to 
Mark's
personal comments about playing a good piano. 

Perhaps 30 years ago a friend of my soon-to-be wife called her and said "My 
husband and I are splitting up and I must sell the piano. Do you know anyone
who might be interested?" At the time of the call I was already in San 
Francisco
(I live in Berkeley) so I immediately drove over to see this mystery. What 
greeted me
was a glossy black nine-foot Yamaha, sitting opened on an almost bare 
concrete
floor with an 18' ceiling typical of Market Street storefronts. I played for 
about an
hour and then rushed back to my girlfriend's place to snag another pianist 
and
force him to go play it. When HE returned an hour or so later he began to 
rant.
using the furniture to demonstrate: "this was a nice forte (standing on the 
floor),
and a really good fortissimo (jumps on the chair), and then fff (jumps up to 
the
kitchen table!  AND THEN IT WENT LOUDER!  I could not reach its dynamic 
limit!"

He of course was correct, but my own experience was a little different 
(although it
included maximum power).  I can only play from sheet music. but I fortunately
had some stuff available (Mozart, Debussy, and luckily Moussorgski's 
"Pictures").
First thing I noticed was the "deeper" and "heavier" action (of course, you 
dork, it's a grand). This initial impression soon faded as I began to listen to 
the music. Oh wow
I can actually take that phrase to ppp where it belongs. Hey, that staccato 
works!
Cool, using careful pedaling, dynamics and sustain phrasing  those DO sound
like Kremlin bells!

The bottom line: I was hooked since I told myself, and the Yamaha 
proved it: "You're a pretty good pianist after all." I had taught myself 
well, and was actually using the techniques that should have worked, but my 
practice pianos were unable to respond to my attempts.
 
I became the second owner of one of the best Yamaha's made. The first CF 
(FC?)
to be imported to California. I was blessed with it for ten years or so, but 
as
situations change I had to part with it, although it still lives in Berkeley.

Belated New Year to all.
Cheers,
Dave Talcott
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