Floating pianos

Posted by: Haim Ronen on 03 April 2013

In all recent live performances of classical music I attended the piano was always riding a wheeled carriage without having its legs anchored to the stage. I wonder why the instrument was never lowered before playing it and how the sound was altered by the added height and the rubber coupling of the carriage wheels.

Posted on: 10 April 2013 by Haim Ronen
Originally Posted by fred simon:
Originally Posted by Haim Ronen:

Thanks for posting Aimard's brass wheels. At least some piano concerts are being performed properly at the Chicago Symphony. Hopefully Marc-Andre Hamlin will show the same respect to the instrument.

 

Haim, I'm curious as to why you think using a dolly is improper and indicates disrespect?

The dolly has never been an integral part of a piano. It is just a mean of transportation. I rather see an instrument being used the way it was designed and built to play. 

 

Fred, I noticed the same myself, noting to my wife that the piano at Lake Forest sounded woody, dull and a bit slow. Then I looked at the carriage and started asking myself if that had anything to do with the inferior sound. 

Posted on: 10 April 2013 by fred simon
Originally Posted by Haim Ronen:
Originally Posted by fred simon:
Originally Posted by Haim Ronen:

Thanks for posting Aimard's brass wheels. At least some piano concerts are being performed properly at the Chicago Symphony. Hopefully Marc-Andre Hamlin will show the same respect to the instrument.

 

Haim, I'm curious as to why you think using a dolly is improper and indicates disrespect?

The dolly has never been an integral part of a piano. It is just a mean of transportation. I rather see an instrument being used the way it was designed and built to play. 

 

Fred, I noticed the same myself, noting to my wife that the piano at Lake Forest sounded woody, dull and a bit slow. Then I looked at the carriage and started asking myself if that had anything to do with the inferior sound. 

 

In the specific case of the piano at LFC, no, the dolly has absolutely nothing to do with the inferior sound of that piano ... it needs to be rebuilt. In fact, the tuning problem I mentioned would only be improved with a dolly since moving the piano around on one would have less effect on its tuning.

 

With pianos in general, yes, the dolly is a means of transport but they're specifically designed to have no noticeable impact on the instrument's sound. There are so many other factors which do have a major influence on a piano's sound, as has been discussed above.

 

I can just about guarantee that in a blind test, you would not be able to hear any difference, and even if you could detect an infinitesimal disparity, or, more accurately, thought you did, you wouldn't be able to identify which is which. I understand how it may seem counter-intuitive to you, but it really doesn't have a discernible impact, and even less so from, say, the 15th row.

Posted on: 11 April 2013 by Dave J

Hi Fred, 

 

Completely off-topic, but do you have any recent music recommendations? Marc Cohn's Listening Booth 1970 remains a firm favourite as is A Few Small Repairs, both suggested by you some years back now. What are you listening to?

 

Cheers

Dave

Posted on: 12 April 2013 by fred simon
Originally Posted by Dave J:

Hi Fred, 

 

Completely off-topic, but do you have any recent music recommendations? Marc Cohn's Listening Booth 1970 remains a firm favourite as is A Few Small Repairs, both suggested by you some years back now. What are you listening to?

 

Cheers

Dave

 

Thanks for asking, Dave. I'm listening to these relatively recent albums a lot lately, a whole bunch of different stuff:

 

Brad Mehldau - Where Do You Start

Peter Gabriel - New Blood

AC Newman - Shut Down the Streets

Keith Jarrett - Sleeper

Liza Day - One for Courage

Alan Pasqua - New Old Friend

The Music of Nashville - (TV soundtrack)

Jonatha Brooke - The Works

Bill Frisell - All We Are Saying ...

Treme - (TV soundtrack)

Larry Goldings - In My Room

 

And a lot of piano works by Ravel, Satie, Chopin, Bach, Mendelssohn, Ireland, and Grieg; various pianists. And then as always, a large portion of Beatles, Hendrix, Joni, CSN&Y, Stevie Wonder, etc.

Posted on: 12 April 2013 by Dave J
Originally Posted by fred simon:
Originally Posted by Dave J:

Hi Fred, 

 

Completely off-topic, but do you have any recent music recommendations? Marc Cohn's Listening Booth 1970 remains a firm favourite as is A Few Small Repairs, both suggested by you some years back now. What are you listening to?

 

Cheers

Dave

 

Thanks for asking, Dave. I'm listening to these relatively recent albums a lot lately, a whole bunch of different stuff:

 

Brad Mehldau - Where Do You Start

Peter Gabriel - New Blood

AC Newman - Shut Down the Streets

Keith Jarrett - Sleeper

Liza Day - One for Courage

Alan Pasqua - New Old Friend

The Music of Nashville - (TV soundtrack)

Jonatha Brooke - The Works

Bill Frisell - All We Are Saying ...

Treme - (TV soundtrack)

Larry Goldings - In My Room

 

And a lot of piano works by Ravel, Satie, Chopin, Bach, Mendelssohn, Ireland, and Grieg; various pianists. And then as always, a large portion of Beatles, Hendrix, Joni, CSN&Y, Stevie Wonder, etc.

Thanks Fred,

 

I know these will be spot-on because I'm already enjoying All We Are Saying and the Brad Mehldau.  I'll hit the plastic....

 

Thanks

Dave