Re: What are HICCUPS? (Re: GG: Creaking Chair and Other Extraneous Thingies)

[Keith Jones <kjones@well.com>]

Hello,
  I've been reading this list for awhile now and finally I feel like I
should comment. The hiccups on the Inventions & Sinfonias album (as well as
various other tracks) are caused by regulating the action of the piano so
that the key-dip is as shallow as possible at the same time as leaving the
hammers at rest as close to the strings as possible. Gould apparently liked
the feel of shallow key dip with no after-touch, and asked his technician
to regulate the action this way. The hiccups occur because escapement isn't
complete causing the hammer to bounce back and hit the string. Regulating
the action in this manner gives a unique feel and Gould apparently felt
that the interpretation inspired by this piano was good enough to justify
the strange sounds of the hiccups.  I hope my explanation makes sense, the
workings of the piano are mysterious to most players. If you want me to try
a more thorough explanation let me know.
Keith Jones
At 04:41 AM 8/24/01 +0000, you wrote:
>Anne Marble wrote:-
>
>> Seriously now, the hiccups are the unusual sounds made by the piano keys.
>> The most notable recording hiccup-wise is the Sinfonia recording. The sound
>> was the result of damage to the piano (CD 318) from its being dropped
>> (gasp!), purpotedly by Steinway employees (*), and/or the adjustments made
>> to the piano to try to heal it.
>
>The Sinfonia recording does indeed demonstrate the most notable "hiccups!"
>(at times it sounds to me at least - I am no expert - as thought the hammers
>are doing a sort of double-strike) but this was recorded in1964 which was, I

>believe, a long time before the incident of CD318 being dropped. which was
>some time in the early 70s.
>Gould had apparently been adjusting the action of CD318 to suit his concept
>of the best sound for the baroque repertoire, and it seems this originally
>resulted in the hiccuppy effect.  The first attempt at recording the
>sinfonias was pretty disastrous. The  Steinway technicians tried to sort out
>the problem, not very successfully, and eventually Gould himself managed to
>correct the problem well enough to record all thirty tracks in March 1964.
>But the odd sounds are still there. I remember finding them very  noticeable
>the first time I head them, but now that I am used to the recording, it
>doesnt sound too intrusive.
>Gould loved CD318. I read somewhere that the closest he ever seen to come to
>tears was after it was damaged so badly when the Strinway guys dropped it.
>
>Kate  (with thanks to the Sony CD liner notes!)At 04:41 AM 8/24/01 +0000,
you wrote:
>Anne Marble wrote:-
>
>> Seriously now, the hiccups are the unusual sounds made by the piano keys.
>> The most notable recording hiccup-wise is the Sinfonia recording. The sound
>> was the result of damage to the piano (CD 318) from its being dropped
>> (gasp!), purpotedly by Steinway employees (*), and/or the adjustments made
>> to the piano to try to heal it.
>
>The Sinfonia recording does indeed demonstrate the most notable "hiccups!"
>(at times it sounds to me at least - I am no expert - as thought the hammers
>are doing a sort of double-strike) but this was recorded in1964 which was, I
>believe, a long time before the incident of CD318 being dropped. which was
>some time in the early 70s.
>Gould had apparently been adjusting the action of CD318 to suit his concept
>of the best sound for the baroque repertoire, and it seems this originally
>resulted in the hiccuppy effect.  The first attempt at recording the
>sinfonias was pretty disastrous. The  Steinway technicians tried to sort out
>the problem, not very successfully, and eventually Gould himself managed to
>correct the problem well enough to record all thirty tracks in March 1964.
>But the odd sounds are still there. I remember finding them very  noticeable
>the first time I head them, but now that I am used to the recording, it
>doesnt sound too intrusive.
>Gould loved CD318. I read somewhere that the closest he ever seen to come to
>tears was after it was damaged so badly when the Strinway guys dropped it.
>
>Kate  (with thanks to the Sony CD liner notes!)
>