Klarinet Archive - Posting 000007.txt from 1994/05

From: "Jay Heiser, Product Manager, Govt Systems" <jayh@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Sound of instruments (what about the piano's tuning?)
Date: Mon, 2 May 1994 10:28:29 -0400

-->From sco.sco.com!vtbit.cc.vt.edu!vccscent.bitnet!klarinet Sun May 1 03:10:51
1994
-->Date: Sat, 30 Apr 1994 23:53:46 -0700
-->Reply-To: leeson@-----.edu
-->Sender: Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network
<KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.EDU>
-->From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
-->Subject: Sound of instruments
-->Comments: To: klarinet%vccscent@-----.edu
-->To: Multiple recipients of list KLARINET
<KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.EDU>
-->Message-ID: <9405010311.aa29700@-----.COM>
-->
-->Several months ago we had a most interesting discussion with respect
-->to the sound of the clarinet and those factors that created the character
-->of that sound. Some spoke of the instrument itself being responsible for
-->Well tonight I was not playing so I went to hear the San Jose Symphony.
-->The soloist did the Grieg piano concerto and he used the very same piano
-->as did our soloist last week who did the Schnittke concerto. I played
-->that set so I heard both performances. And what amazed me and caused
-->me to readdress the issue of sound and the source of its character was
-->the fact that this same piano played so very differently under two
-->different pianists.
-->
-->As I think of a piano, I always presumes that, unlike a clarinet for example,
-->the sound of a piano was purely a function of the instrument itself and that
-->the player could have little impact on the character of that sound. But, if
-->my ears do not betray me, I was mistaken, at least with respect to the
-->piano.

I think the tuning of the piano could make a difference. In college, I had
a chance to hear a talk given by a concert pianist tuner. He had an electronic
box that used punch cards. He could program the box with the cards to provide
just the tones the performer wanted, and he kept them on file for his clients.
(15 yrs later, there is probably a more sophisticated gadget, but I'm unaware
of it.)

He described how difft performers would request difft tunings for difft pieces.
If they were going to be playing in just a few related keys, they could
afford to use a natural tuning that gave a sweeter, more pastoral feel.

Sometimes pianists might vary the tuning across the keyboard. He gave an
example of using natural tuning in the center and more tempered tuning at
the top & bottom, allowing the performer to create more tension by taking
advantage of the slightly more dissonant tuning at the extreme ends of the
keyboard.

I'm sure that the touch on the keyboard makes a big difference in sound (note
that most organists prefer tracker organs -- evidence that it is possible
to vary the attack on a keyboard), but I wouldn't discount the tuning.

I've often wondered if pianists didn't secretely feel the same way about
musical instruments as those of us who play things that we can carry around
with us.
-->
-->For two different players to achieve such remarkably different sounds (if
-->indeed they did - this could be all in my imagination) demonstrates that
-->there is some force unrelated to the mechanics of the piano that influences
-->the sound.
-->
-->I wonder to what extent how this phenomenon sheds further light on our
-->discussion about clarinet sound.
-->
-->
-->====================================
-->Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
-->(leeson@-----.edu)
-->====================================
======================================
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