RE:

[Martin J Smith <martinj.smith@bbc.co.uk>]

With regard to the below and hammers hitting the keys twice - the pianist
Charles Rosen said that when he played Gould's piano the action was so light
that the note sounded twice... Strange but true!

Greetings to all from rainy Cardiff,

Martin


>> + i first noticed it on the CBS cd version of the tocattas,
>>       actually in the inventions which follow the tocattas
>> + it sounds very much like some of the hammers are double-
>>       striking the strings


> -----Original Message-----
> From:	jery and judy [SMTP:jerbidoc@zianet.com]
> Sent:	Friday, March 12, 1999 5:32 AM
> To:	f_minor@email.rutgers.edu
> Subject:	Fwd: 
> 
> 
> >Heron Stone wrote:
> >>
> >> + i've enjoyed the glenn gould recordings of bach keyboard
> >>       works for years
> >> + but something has been annoying me enormously
> >> + maybe someone here can tell me what's going on
> >>
> >> + i first noticed it on the CBS cd version of the tocattas,
> >>       actually in the inventions which follow the tocattas
> >> + it sounds very much like some of the hammers are double-
> >>       striking the strings
> >> + it's not at all a subtle thing...  it's quite annoying
> >> + for some time i thought it must have been an artifact
> >>       introduced in the reproduction of the cds
> >> + knowing of gould's "perfectionism" led me to think that
> >>       he would never record on a piano so badly in need
> >>       of regulation
> >>
> >> + but now i've noticed a much more subtle double-striking
> >>       in the cd recording of the partitas
> >> + it's not nearly as noticeable, but it's there
> >> - has anyone else noticed this
> >> - have i just got a bad recording or was gould actually
> >>       playing a grossly out-of-regulation piano
> >>
> >> thanks
> >>
> >> heron
> >> --
> >
> >Gould had his piano regulated in a very special way. From what I
> >remember, he had "scratched" (for lack of better word) some of the wool
> >off the hammers, to the point of the sound being altered significantly
> >towards the fortepiano sound.
> >
> >The same affect is offered by modern piano manufacturers as an option to
> >expensive pianos when the pianist demands a specific "depth" of sound.
> >
> >Gould scratched off the wool to the maximum allowed. Note that as you go
> >deeper in the hammer, the wool becomes more dense (as it is more
> >compressed) thus the sound is harsher.
> >
> >Note also that increased variation on the above effect can be attained
> >by pressing the pedal that makes the sound softer.
> >
> >The pedal coupled with the scratched hammers give off a very noticable
> >semi-metalic effect that gives the impression that the chords are
> >doubled. This also comes partly from the fact that the target the hammer
> >hits becomes more focused, as a result the hammer does not hit the
> >double and triple chords all with the same intensity on a single key.
> >
> >Gould also had made other modifications that pertained to the clavier
> >pressure.
> >--
> >Ioannis Galidakis jgal@ath.forthnet.gr
> ><http://www.crosswinds.net/athens/~jgal/main.html>
> >
> >
>