re: Pianos

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "Aaron Krister
Johnson" <aaron@...> wrote:

> Mozart said in one of his letter that he prefered a certain maker...

http://tinyurl.com/354ebg (Micha Beuting, Holzbiologische und
Dendrochronologische Untersuchungen an Tasteninstrumente,
Universtität Hamburg, 2000)

The ages of the pieces in the sounding boards from a couple
of Stein's instruments are discussed here, some of them seem to
have sounding board wood that were cut sooner than what leading
makers (at least, Broadwood, Chickering, Steinway, Haines
Brothers, Boardman & Gray, Pleyel) would have used after about
1850, and according to period writers after letting it sit in the
yard they would have kiln dried it from about three to six months,
I think about the time and temperature now recommended for finish
drying mixed species.

(http://tinyurl.com/2zstkk Dening, Wengert, Simpson "Drying
Hardwood Lumber" Forest Products Laboratories [I think])

> I've only said 'old sounding boards'...

People have thought a lot about this subject for a long time
(http://tinyurl.com/39edewt wikipedia:"Ravalement"). My sample
isn't broad or scientific enough, though I've seen evidence of
changes in different species of old wood none have been noticably
for the better. I'm sure some harpsichord and early Central
European piano specialists can supply sets of figures as well
as working theories on the subject though I think a lot of the
useful tests and equipment are within the budgets and capabilities
of amateur scientists. Here are a couple convenient and more
professional ones at least touching the subject.

http://www.ciarm.ing.unibo.it/research.html
http://www.physics.purdue.edu/piano/articles.shtml

Clark

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "Carl Lumma" <carl@...> wrote:
> One thing that can be said is that the market has favored
> big instruments for some reason. So pianos have gotten
> worse *for playing in small rooms*.

"...we ...regret that so much effort is constantly directed
to the construction of larger instruments, with greater
volume of tone. The responsibility of this must be divided
between the public and the manufacturers, but we are sure
that the larger share must be assigned to the makers,
caused largely by rival firms who have led the purchasers
to use, as a standard of excellence, the tape measure rather
than the quality of tone.

"For our homes, we need small pianos, with pure and even
scales and with quick and easy action. Mammoth grands and
uprights belong to the concert hall." ("Memorandum of Exhibits
and Awards: Musical Instruments; Parts of Same; Accessories
and Merchandise" Report of the Seventeenth Triennial Exhibition
of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association. Alfred
Mudge & Son, Boston, 1890 p.237)

Gustave Chouquet, the reporter at the 1878 Paris Expo made a
more forceful complaint,

"La plupart de ceux qui construisent habituellement, et non
par exception, des pianos à queue, semblent céder à une même
préoccupation : la puissance de l'instrument. En l'augmentant,
ils oublient que la sonorité n'acquiert le plus souvent de la
force qu'aux dépens de la distinction."

> Stuart & Sons certainly specializes in large instruments,
> but are certainly a refreshing development, bringing to
> market the first major innovation in piano design in a
> very long time.

Erard used bridge agraffes more than 150 years ago

http://calin.haos.ro/c/instruments/bridge_agraffes/index.htm