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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Thanks for the input Israel. You make many good points and
have given me quite a bit to consider.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><EM>"Before making such over-broad categorical statements"</EM></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Please be aware that my only statement was
that </FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman"> "<U>I wouldn't be surprised</U>
if a new Yamaha sounds more like the two-year-old Playel that a 150-year-old
Playel does."</FONT><FONT face=Arial> That's perhaps more of a suggestion than a
an attempt at a statement of fact. I'm quite aware of the general differences in
construction and design of newer and these older pianos.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I certainly agree with your statement : "</FONT><FONT
face="Times New Roman">While the claims that "this is what Chopin heard" are
probably exaggerated..."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>You indicate that you have experience working </FONT><FONT
face="Times New Roman">"with pianos of the same era - some quite nicely restored
with an eye to historical accuracy - and from work with recently built
replicas of older pianos". </FONT><FONT face=Arial>That is most certainly
experience that I do not have. Perhaps my post makes that obvious and my
comments were based in that ignorance. I would love to have the
opportunity to give a serious listen to three levels of early pianos - all
original (which I have heard), properly (authentically) restored, and accurate
new reproduction. That would indeed be quite an educational
opportunity.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Thanks again for your informative response.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>-----
Original Message ----- </FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>Terry Farrell wrote:</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite">
<DIV>Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.<BR> <BR>One thing about
these types of things amaze me though. The article's author implies that by
playing this 150-year-old piano of Chopin, you can new hear the music
exactly as Chopin heard it. So like this piano hasn't deteriorated at all in
150 years? The piano was two years old when Chopin was playing it. I
wouldn't be surprised if a new Yamaha sounds more like the two-year-old
Playel that a 150-year-old Playel does. Seems pretty kooky to
me.<BR> <BR>I mean really. Think about it. We've all seen original
1880s Steinway A1s - multiple owners, neglected, worn out, moth eaten,
hammers of swiss cheese, etc. Now what piano would sound more like a new
Steinway A - the worn out 1880 A1 or a new Yamaha C3? I would argue the C3 -
'cause it sounds like a new decent piano.<BR> <BR>Flame Suit all zipped
up tight!</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Dear Terry,<BR><BR>Before making such
over-broad categorical statements, you could at least examine the design and
construction of Chopin's Pleyel and compare it to a new Yamaha. That Yamaha -
like 99.9% of pianos today - is based on the "Steinway system" ideas of single
piece bent rim construction, overstrung bass, fairly light cast plate.
This mode of piano construction pretty much pushed out all others by the turn
of the 20th century (notable exception - Bosendorfer still retains some older
features). Furthermore, that Yamaha has a modern double-escapement action,
felt covered hammers with rather dense felt, high tension string scale.
I am not familiar with the particular instrument, but I would conjecture -
from my knowledge of historical pianos - Chopin's Pleyel would be a
straight-srung bass, most likely a composite 3/4 plate butted into the
pinblock, three-piece rim jointed at the corners, much lower tension scale
than used today, a single-escapement English action, leather-covered fairly
soft felt hammers, need I continue? I can tell you from my work with pianos of
the same era - some quite nicely restored with an eye to historical
accuracy - and from work with recently built replicas of older pianos
that:<BR><BR>1. Mid 19th century pianos do not now and did never sound or
behave much like modern pianos - Yamahas, Steinways, or whatever. The success
of the "Steinway system" at the Paris Expo in 1862 was a watershed in
piano construction that greatly changed the nature of the instrument over the
next several decades (some European makers stuck with the older models through
the 19-teens -but not later). <BR>2. While a 150 year old piano will not sound
exactly like it when it was new, much can be learned from how it sounds today
about its original character in terms of tone, sustain, repetition,
articulation, power, touchweight, etc. etc. Especially if some historically
sensitive restoration work has been done on it. While the claims that "this is
what Chopin heard" are probably exaggerated, much of the basic character
remains - and it ain't nothin' like a modern Yamaha or anything
else...<BR><BR>So keep your flame suit zipped, because you are way off
here...<BR><BR>Israel Stein <BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>