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Re: [F_minor] THAT OLD BLACK (and white) MAGIC: The Piano



"Some Thoughts On The Performance of Bach's Keyboard Music"
   by Albert Alan Owen (copyright)
(...)

TOCO : If the harpsichord is such a great instrument, why did they bother inventing the piano?

The piano is a superior instument, in every way, to its anaemic, rattly,
predecessors. It is a miracle of technology, a magic box: A percussion instrument
that can (subjectively) sing! Its range of possible sounds are infinite.
Its responsiveness to touch, unrivalled by any other keyboard instrument.

To deny oneself the opportunity of playing Bach's music on a modern piano
is, quite simply, perverse! (copyright)

"They" bothered inventing the piano to play in large halls.


I like listening to and playing the piano, but my principal instrument is harpsichord. I'm giving a complete recital on one next Tuesday. It sings, too, and has a spectacularly expressive range when played well.

The modern piano's not "superior", just a substantially different instrument with its own techniques. Anybody who thinks harpsichords are merely "anaemic" and "rattly" obviously doesn't specialize in playing them. :)

Shameless plug for my harpsichord CD:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl/larips/cd1003.html

As for responsiveness to touch, clavichords are even more touch-sensitive than pianos. The motions are so small that the instrument demands COMPLETE preparation and poise...while it still has a huge dynamic range. The dynamic range just happens to be a lot quieter than the piano's. And it does vibrato.


Brad Lehman _______________________________________________ F_minor mailing list F_minor@email.rutgers.edu https://email.rutgers.edu/mailman/listinfo/f_minor