GG: playing the Chickering

[Bradley P Lehman <bpl@UMICH.EDU>]

>> p.s. This was the same piano that is shown/heard in
>> the "Off the Record"
>> film, right?
>
>Not being at all any type of expert on harpsichords as
>yourself, I will defer to your expertise. But yes, the
>piano is the very same as the one as in the tape "off
>the record". I am curious as to "your" opinion as to
>which, if any harpsichord quality it has. it seemed to
>have one, to me, at any rate. the quality was more in
>the resonance, in my humble opinion. and it was a mild
>resemblance, not an overwhelming one, but it did
>strike me,  non the less.

Yes, I was wondering since it doesn't sound like a harpsichord at all, to
me....

This week I've been listening repeatedly to a delightful CD of Debussy
played on an 1874 Erard piano:
http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/pagename=/RP/CDN/CLASS/muzealbum.html/itemid=790649

Also I have some recordings of Chopin on an 1836 Pleyel; and recently I
gave a concert on a 1798 Broadwood.  On that Broadwood I found that
clavichord technique was a lot more useful than harpsichord technique or
what's left of my piano technique.  But it didn't *sound* like a
harpsichord or clavichord, it was clearly a piano....

I haven't heard or played GG's Chickering in person, but from the film and
from GG's own descriptions it seemed to me it shares some of these
qualities with the 19th-century pianos: a clear edge to the attack, a much
less aggressive resonance than a "modern" piano, transparency of tone, a
gentle warmth.  Does that describe the Chickering well?

I remember a lesson, years ago, where my fortepiano teacher lamented the
"*&%#@% artificial-sounding sustain" that modern pianos have, when one's
ear has become more attuned to the early-piano sounds.  I agree with her.
Modern pianos with their high tension are built for carrying power in
large halls, and that loud and long amount of sustain does sound
exaggerated (even startling and annoying!) when one has become more
accustomed to the clarity of the earlier pianos.  Perhaps this is what GG
was getting at, as well?  Clarity and subtle finesse, rather than raw
power?

(But I wouldn't call this phenomenon necessarily "harpsichordistic" or
whatever...there are harpsichords that have a rich tonal "bloom" after the
pluck, and plenty of big resonance.  Many harpsichords, including mine,
are *louder* than fortepianos.)

The most sensitive modern piano I've ever played was a
Bechstein...remarkably controllable at the quiet end of things.


Bradley Lehman, Dayton VA
home: http://i.am/bpl  or  http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl
CD's: http://listen.to/bpl or http://www.mp3.com/bpl

"Music must cause fire to flare up from the spirit - and not only sparks
from the clavier...." - Alfred Cortot