<html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap: = break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space;-khtml-line-break: after-white-space'> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I was thinking mostly about the = balance between power, sustain and tonal range. The trend seems to be moving = in the direction of power, loudness, attack, whatever you want to call it. = For those who wish to move the balance back to one of more sustain with a natural = dynamic range somewhat lower on the scale, that trend—and what people have = gotten used to—makes it difficult to put the piano back in pianoforte. = Many instruments now are just fortes and if they don’t produce that kind of sound, = many people are disappointed because that’s what they’ve grown accustomed to hearing. </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>A broader tonal palette might, = ironically, mean a reduction in loudness. </span></font></p> <div> <p><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size:10.0pt; color:navy'>David Love<br> davidlovepianos@comcast.net </span></font></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original = Message-----<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span = style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Bec and John<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Friday, July 01, = 2005 7:34 PM<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Pianotech<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: = Predictability and Change. Was RE: Franz Mohr</span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Hi David,</span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Sorry for the delayed reply. I definitely = agree with what you're saying - more often than not people become comfortable with = what they're used to and resist changing from that - of course that can = always work in reverse, if one is used to the "new" piano designs going = back to "old" may just be a simple case of resisting change = :-)</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Though I think many performing pianists are = used to a variety of pianos with differing sounds - good and bad. It's hard = to dismiss a pianists' opinion on a newly designed piano solely on this = basis (not that you are). Personally, had I not known there was anything = different about the piano in the Overs' recording I would have just thought = "Oh, what a nice piano", not "Behold the saviour of stagnant piano design".</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In the case I was bringing up - my favourite = piano recording vs. the Overs recording - I have had surprisingly little = experience with Steinways compared to other pianos and I *loved* the quality of = that piano long before I knew it was a Steinway. I only bought my Steinway a year = ago, and previously was practising on mostly Baldwins for 8 years = prior.</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Something occurred to me though today = when considering the re-working of instruments to use new designs. Many = pianists who own an ageing instrument or problematic one are delighted when work = is done to restore the tone. Is it not possible that the delight of = the customers you guys do work for are perhaps delighted because of the = quality of work you guys to the piano in general, rather than the changes = themselves? Even a properly prepped piano can have a big impact on someone used to = non-prepped or poorly functioning pianos. Also, plenty of people are ecstatic = to get their old Steinway rebuilt from the factory, to probably what is less = quality in workmanship and parts than what their pianos were when = new.</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>- John</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br> <br> </span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span = class=apple-style-span><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:navy'><span style='border-spacing: 0px = 0px;text-align:auto;-khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto;orphans: 2;widows: 2;word-spacing:0px'>It = seems to me that a lot of what we like is what we are used to. The “whump” of a Steinway in the mid tenor we learn to identify = as depth when in reality it may be a belly with ribs that can’t quite = support the crown or stiffness necessary for that section and a predictable = transition from bass to treble. The pop in the attack that we learn to look for = in the treble may be more to do with the failure of the killer octave = region. But when you are accustomed to hearing such things on a piano that you = identify as the “crème de la crème” then when it’s missing, it = seems like there’s something wrong. The difficulty is in wiping the slate = clean and approaching the instrument without bias. As one pianist said to me = the other day (to paraphrase): “most of what pianists look for is = predictability; as long a what comes out of the piano is what the pianist thinks will = comes out before they play a note, then everything else can be worked = out.” Well I think that goes for what pianists expect within an instrument as well as between instruments. And if they are used to hearing the same things = over and over, it’s very difficult to break that pattern of predictability = even if the heretofore unpredictable piano has better balance, smoother = transitions and a better combination of sustain and power. Change is always an uphill = battle. <O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; = font-size: 13.3333px; "></O:P></span></font></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span = class=apple-style-span><O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); = font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:navy'> </O:P></span></font></span></p> <div> <p style='margin-left:.5in'><span class=apple-style-span><font = size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size:10.0pt;color:navy'>David Love</span></font></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </span></div> </body> </html>