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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=oleg-i@wanadoo.fr href="mailto:oleg-i@wanadoo.fr">Isaac =
OLEG</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> October 03, 2002 12:09 =
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: To be or not to =
be: a heavy
hammer</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff size=2>To
have the Glengould tone we will not need heavy hammers at all, but =
Arthur
Rubinstein would be sad of a too light one I =
guess.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT face=Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT =
color=#0000ff>Interesting you
should bring up Arthur Rubinstein in this context. I prepared and tuned =
the
local CD piano for him several times in the early 70s. =
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT =
color=#0000ff>The instrument
was relatively new but had been used in New York for several years by =
Steinway.
When the piano arrived in Portland (Oregon) it had relatively small =
hammers that
had been so heavily lacquered they more closely resembled small granite
sculptures than anything intended for a piano. Everybody complained =
about it,
most notably our symphony conductor (also a pianist). Something had to =
be
done--and fast. I saturated the hammers with acetone a few times and =
washed out
as much of the lacquer as I could. This loosened them up considerably =
and, with
a bit of careful needling and a light sanding they came around =
rather
nicely. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT color=#0000ff>I =
was quite new
at concert work of any kind the first time Mr =
Rubinstein</FONT> <FONT
color=#0000ff>performed in Portland and I was some nervous to be =
working for an
artist with his reputation and experience. Especially when I heard he =
had
used--or at least played on--the CD piano we now had. My primary concern =
was
that it had now changed considerably and he might not like it. I was =
fully
prepared to fill the hammers up with lacquer once again if he requested =
a
'brighter' tone. Turned out he really liked the piano just as it was--he =
had not
cared for it when he played it in NY--and ended up requesting =
that the
piano accompany him for the rest of his northwest (U.S.)
tour.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT color=#0000ff>So =
much for
large, heavy hammers on concert pianos. And, for that matter, heavily =
lacquered
hammers. At least in this case.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT
color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><SPAN class=770065306-03102002><FONT
color=#0000ff>Del</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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