Electric violin

[PDG]

. PDG knows all about "wind", ask him (as in his other revealing postings). Such is your humble opinion. And erroneous.

You just gotta luv this guy!!

[Sorrano]

The American Heritage Dictionary defines "reedy" as "Having a tone like that of a reed instrument." If the timbre of a piano sounds pinched and nasal to me I would refer to that as a reedy sound. Although the piano is considered a percussion instrument it does have specific timbre.

[Quijote]

You just gotta luv this guy!!

What do you want from me, PDG? To say things like :
"Oh, absolutely, PDG, you're so right".

I will say such things when you are, dear boy! In the meantime, I am not a 'Telford Wife' (I hope you know the film or else this reference will fall flat - hah! no pun intended).

[Quijote]

The American Heritage Dictionary defines "reedy" as "Having a tone like that of a reed instrument." If the timbre of a piano sounds pinched and nasal to me I would refer to that as a reedy sound. Although the piano is considered a percussion instrument it does have specific timbre.

Hmm. Interesting mix of sonic adjectives. The AHD apart, I'm not convinced.

[DavidO]

I have to say though, that I do resent a bit the way the authentic movement has captured the commanding hieghts of many great composers, so that for instance, one can't get the magnificent colour and depth of a Hamilton Harty performance of Handel, and everywhere one goes one has to settle for the Eliot Gardner, Hogwood take on things, which I personally now find oppressive , like a form of political correctness in overdrive.

I'm late to the authentic instrument table. I understand your resentment of the movement's popularity, but because I only recently started buying Gardiner & Hogwood recordings of Beethoven, I'm more excited about the whole scene & am loving what I'm hearing. I love seeking out recordings by the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique & the like -- especially of Beethoven & Bach music. But the scene does seem to have a sort of precious, "boutique" quality to it that one might find irksome.

Curious: Do you have the Gardiner Missa Solemnis? What do you think of it? I love it! I can more clearly hear the multivarious vocal & instrumental lines, & I get a greater sense of dynamic & other mechanical variation than I get in, say, the Klemperer Missa. On the other hand, the 1812 Lagrassa that Robert Levin plays on the Gardiner recording of the Emperor Concerto just sounds plinky to me.

[Sorrano]

Hmm. Interesting mix of sonic adjectives. The AHD apart, I'm not convinced.

What is it you are not convinced of? Do you need proof for Megan's opinion on how she interprets the sound of a period piano? Don't be silly.

[Megan]

You just gotta luv this guy!!

You are right PDG,

Quite frankly, I think it is a pointless waste of energy giving this arrogant internet bully the time of day ! He is on my ignore list

,

[Quijote]

You are right PDG,

Quite frankly, I think it is a pointless waste of energy giving this arrogant internet bully the time of day ! He is on my ignore list

,

Me a bully? Me arguing with 4 or so people at the same time and me the bully? I think not, Megan. Perhaps I'm too robust. I will tone down my postings herewith.
Really, I can't agree with your position concerning HIP. I also like so-called "mainstream" performances, of course, but I do find that HIP can offer insights to the music. Again, without wishing to pressurise you, I can thoroughly recommend the John Butt book mentioned above. Apart from the musical issues, what he has to say about the 'heritage' movement in the UK is as interesting at is it well researched.

[Megan]

With all due respect to pianist, my preferred instrument is the violin.

It was through listening to Beethoven that first stirred my interest in piano.

For the enjoyment of fortepiano lovers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMUb9nqnk8o

[Quijote]

For the enjoyment of fortepiano lovers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMUb9nqnk8o

Hard to hear the sound correctly on my PC speakers, but if I 'm correct the gentleman is playing a true "Mozart piano". This does not produce the same sound as the CD I have of Melvyn Tan playing the early LvB sonatas, for example (after Anton Walter, Vienna c. 1795) and middle period sonatas (after Nanette Streicher, Vienna 1815).

[Megan]

Hard to hear the sound correctly on my PC speakers, but if I 'm correct the gentleman is playing a true "Mozart piano". This does not produce the same sound as the CD I have of Melvyn Tan playing the early LvB sonatas, for example (after Anton Walter, Vienna c. 1795) and middle period sonatas (after Nanette Streicher, Vienna 1815).

Is Tan playing on a reproduction Walter -
And do reproductions sound the same as an original fortepiano ?

[Quijote]

Is Tan playing on a reproduction Walter -
And do reproductions sound the same as an original fortepiano ?

Yes, Tan (on this CD) plays on reproduction instruments. B's original fortepiano(s) would need some serious restoral work, but they would to all intents and purposes sound similar to today's reproductions. Actually, I believe there are recordings (issued by the BeethovenHaus in Bonn) of pianists playing on one or two of his surviving instruments. I think I might order them for Christmas, now you have jolted my memory!

[Quijote]

What is it you are not convinced of? Do you need proof for Megan's opinion on how she interprets the sound of a period piano? Don't be silly.

I am a silly billy, then!!

[Megan]

So, all this much hyped Eliot Gardner, Hogwood tiresome refrain about returning to the 'authentic' sound is a con , because they are not playing on authentic instruments anyway. Some of the real authentic piano's for instance, may well have been very old and dated back a century or more to the 17th century, and this is the case certainly for pianos in the Southern German/Austrian tradition, whereas the organ was the great instrument in Northern Germany, following the Lutheran reformation.
So not only are these reproduction pianos, they haven't even been around enough to mature in sound and mellow and may not sound anything like sound produced by the original pianos in Germany in the 1790's and 1800's.
Also, Hogwood and co, pay too little attention to the cultural context.

[Chris]

Personally, I decide on period instruments on a case-by-case basis. My main criteria is: which one sounds better to me? All of my favorite Beethoven recordings are on modern instruments. All of my favorite Baroque recordings are on period instruments. In between those two it gets a little bit mixed. My Mozart collection is about half and half. For example, I think the Hogwood/AAM set of the symphonies is fantastic, and the Malcolm Bilson set of the piano concertos is wonderful. I can hardly stand to listen to the Mozart piano concertos on modern instruments now. On the other hand, the string quartets/quintets, piano and violin sonatas, and operas I like much more on modern instruments.