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<DIV>Hi Terry.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For me, the difference between modern action and viennese, or even english
action, is most obvious when the pianist plays very subtle PP dynamics. In
a modern action, when you depress the key very slowly, everything goes fine
until you encounter the spot where repetition lever and the jack both hit their
button. You then have much increased friction, more noticeable at PP
playing because you don't profit from parts inerty to overcome it, plus you have
the repetition spring to bend, even more if you regulate large drop
values. Add to this that because of the bouncing effect of the shank on
the springy lever you have to regulate the letoff comfortably far away from the
string, and you understand that the dynamic range below PP is inexistant in a
modern action.</DIV>
<DIV>A contrario, on an english or a viennese action, there is nothing that
comes in the way when you depress the key : it is a continuous movement with
constant feel of resistance untill the very set off, which, because no lever and
no spring, you can regulate much closer to the string. This means that ANY
movement of the finger to the bottom of the dip will cause a sound from the
string, proportionnal to the speed of stoke, foreseen that the set off (the only
regulation on those actions) is regulated evenly. The dynamics below PP
are MUCH more controllable.</DIV>
<DIV>You could say : who cares to play that low levels ? But then, in the
hands of a good pianist who took the time to understand these actions, those
less than PP dynamic ranges are used with great advantage to, for example,
lowering the level of the left hand accompanyment, while playing the right
melody at usual level, which results in a sort of tonal colour shades
that are simply unattainable on a modern action. Most skilled
pianists even put some difference between the notes in one single chord played
PP, like for example a tid bit emphasizing the third in the chord, in order to
give the chord a rich warm colour (even more so with historical temperaments),
or emphasizing the fifth to obtain a colder but sturdier finale effect.
This of course you can do also on a modern action, but not at PP level. It
is a real experience to discover how much more a (well regulated) english action
can do for interpretation, at the cost of lightning repetition. Even this
is only partially true : english action does repeat very well if the pianist
takes care to lift his fingers high enough between two repetitions. By the
way, only a very small part of repertoire really requires this lighning
repetition. Not even Liszt does.</DIV>
<DIV>The good in Blüthner patent action is that it retains the qualities of
english action (direct stroke, no intermediate levers) while providing a slight
hammer raise by mean of a spring, but you don't feel the spring as it is
constantly engaged in the system.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Best regards.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Stéphane Collin.</DIV>
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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=mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">Farrell</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, June 12, 2007 4:11
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Piano parts for pre-1900
German grand</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Hi Jack,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have never played a well-functioning single-escapement grand action.
Obviously, it is going to have some different characteristics from a modern
grand action. What are its characteristics that make it "one of the worlds
finest actions"? Is there any other action that it is similar to - such as the
Bluthner Patent action? Thanks.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Even though much of my work is somewhat geared toward "modern high
performance", I also know that there are other desirable goals out
there.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Terry Farrell</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><BR> </DIV><FONT
id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>Hello John,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> I have original "
Viennese" parts in good condition.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Are the broken parts all in one area or scattered</DIV>
<DIV>through out the action?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> This is one of the worlds finest actions. </DIV>
<DIV>Of course this is contrary to what some say.</DIV>
<DIV> It is slower but still fast enough for the
majority</DIV>
<DIV>of people </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> I do not charge Technicians for these
obsolete </DIV>
<DIV>parts.</DIV>
<DIV> However I do ask that you donate whatever they are </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>worth</STRONG> <STRONG>to you </STRONG> ,,, to
the <STRONG>P.T.G. Foundation.</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> This of course is the honor system. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Regards </DIV>
<DIV>Jack Wyatt</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR>
<DIV><FONT style="FONT: 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF; COLOR: black">
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