Rare page - 5 variations on Rule Britannia

[Peter]

Now available to members on the rare page
www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/rare.html



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'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

This is a pretty good performance from Melvyn Tan using Beethoven's own Broadwood fortepiano. These are a light hearted collection, slightly 'tongue in cheek' even, but not without complexities. Good entertainment.



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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[chopithoven]

You're publishing this work right after I buy a recording of it! Well, at least I'll download it to listen to Ludwig's pianoforte.

[Chris]

Just got to downloading and listening to it - wonderful piece. A note - if anyone wants to follow along while listening or wants to take a crack at playing it, the sheet music is freely available at http://www.sheetmusicarchive.net (a great place for free sheet music). The "God Save the King" variations are also there.

[spaceray]

Queen Elizabeth II arrived here in Victoria British Coloumbia on Friday at around five o clock PM and she drove right by my house I turned my computers speakers out toward the road and blasted your variations of Rule Britiania as loud as possible to the great delight of the neighbours who lined up to wave and cheer.Unlike our Deputy Prime Minister(a real moron) the rest of us Canadians have a lot of respect for the monarchy,and here in Victoria a real fondness for all things English.

[chopithoven]

Is there any special care when playing these kind of old and valuable instruments? I mean, should it be played softer, or at least with less energy than a modern piano? Are the strings original from the 19th century or were restored? Any other detail about the restoring of the piano and its characteristics?

[This message has been edited by chopithoven (edited October 08, 2002).]

[Joy]

Good questions, Chopithoven. I was also wondering how does pianist even go about getting permission to play one of these old treasures to perform upon?

Joy

[Chaszz]

Originally posted by Joy:
Good questions, Chopithoven. I was also wondering how does pianist even go about getting permission to play one of these old treasures to perform upon?

Joy

Beautiful music.

I was also wondering something. I once read that Beethoven literally broke down his pianos in a year or two by pounding on them so hard in an effort to hear something of the sound, and that a piano manufacturer kept sending him new ones. Why did this particular piano survive? Was it the current one when he died?

[chopithoven]

Originally posted by Joy:
Good questions, Chopithoven. I was also wondering how does pianist even go about getting permission to play one of these old treasures to perform upon?

Joy

Although those are good questions, no one seems to know the answers...

[Joy]

Originally posted by Chaszz:
Beautiful music.

I was also wondering something. I once read that Beethoven literally broke down his pianos in a year or two by pounding on them so hard in an effort to hear something of the sound, and that a piano manufacturer kept sending him new ones. Why did this particular piano survive? Was it the current one when he died?

I also heard that. He was pounding hard as to try and hear the sound better. Also I think he used to saw the legs off of some of his pianos and play them while on the floor cross legged to hear the vibrations it would make. Did you ever hear of this?(I could be wrong in this).

Joy

[Rod]

Originally posted by chopithoven:
Is there any special care when playing these kind of old and valuable instruments? I mean, should it be played softer, or at least with less energy than a modern piano? Are the strings original from the 19th century or were restored? Any other detail about the restoring of the piano and its characteristics?

[This message has been edited by chopithoven (edited October 08, 2002).]

Tan played the Broadwood after it had undergone a complete restoration. They made a documentary about it for TV. However they did not undo the alterations to the piano made during B's ownership of it. The hammers were re-surfaced to Viennese taste, as the English sound is rather muddy, especially in the mid range.

I can't remember whether any of the strings were original, but the new ones would have been made to the original spec. Some of these pianos have many of the original strings.

The action of the Viennese instruments is very light, the keys smaller and the depth of depression shallower than todays, so a different technique has to be mastered for those used to modern pianos.

I believe Beethoven's last piano, by Graf of Vienna, is also in full working order and has been used for concerts at the Beethoven Haus in Bonn.



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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Rod]

Originally posted by Chaszz:
Beautiful music.

I was also wondering something. I once read that Beethoven literally broke down his pianos in a year or two by pounding on them so hard in an effort to hear something of the sound, and that a piano manufacturer kept sending him new ones. Why did this particular piano survive? Was it the current one when he died?

Well, piano makers were always falling over themselves to have Beethoven playing one of their instruments, but he did often break the strings. The Broadwood survived because it ended up in the posession of Liszt, who then passed it on to a museum in Budapest. As I have said his Graf also survives, this was his last piano (though he kept his Broadwood too), and maybe another instrument at the Smithsonian, I think, is suspected of being once owned by B.



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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[chopithoven]

Originally posted by Rod:
The hammers were re-surfaced to Viennese taste, as the English sound is rather muddy, especially in the mid range.

The thing mentioned above was made during Beethoven's ownership of the piano or during its restoration?

Some of these pianos have many of the original strings.

How can a string survive 150 years? This is extraordinary!

The action of the Viennese instruments is very light, the keys smaller and the depth of depression shallower than todays, so a different technique has to be mastered for those used to modern pianos.

Is there a factory of viennese pianos nowadays? Is there any pianist used to record with them instead of the common Steinway?



[This message has been edited by chopithoven (edited October 10, 2002).]

[Rod]

Originally posted by chopithoven:
Is there a factory of viennese pianos nowadays? Is there any pianist used to record with them instead of the common Steinway?

Firstly, the hammers were resurfaced during B's life time, along with other repairs I am sure. This would just be natural wear and tear.

I too was surprised about how some of these strings have survived. But this appears to be the case.

Alas there are no fortepiano factories anywhere today. They are either restored or hand built new by craftsmen, and thus are very expensive indeed even for the smaller 5 octave models. There a many performers who play these instruments and I have recordings of most of B's major piano pieces played on them also. In my opinon they are preferable to the modern counterpart for Beethoven's music.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Joy]

Originally posted by Rod:

I too was surprised about how some of these strings have survived. But this appears to be the case.

Alas there are no fortepiano factories anywhere today. They are either restored or hand built new by craftsmen, and thus are very expensive indeed even for the smaller 5 octave models. There a many performers who play these instruments and I have recordings of most of B's major piano pieces played on them also. In my opinon they are preferable to the modern counterpart for Beethoven's music.

I have an upright piano from 1895 which has it's original strings and the sound is fantastic. Much better, I think, than the modern pianos which sound rather tinny. My piano also has it's original keys which are made out of ivory and not plastic. I enjoy listening to classical on these instruments also. On my classical radio station they do play a lot of music on original instruments which I find fascinating. I think some of it has to do with the knowledge that you're listening to something that people actually heard 100 or 200 yrs. ago. It's fantastic.

Joy