Yes - Ryan and Scott - thanks
It's also testimony to the worth of giving time and attention to rescuing these old-style pianos.
The suitability of this instrument which was the sound of Victorian Britain for Gilbert and Sullivan particularly shone through. I hope the venue owners will do an online high quality video as the musicality of the Broadwood for the concert was particularly stunning. So many 19th century pianos and particularly Broadwoods of this vintage I see on You Tube are demonstrated as c**p with diabolical tuning and, here within the limits of having given a three note pitch raise, old strings which broke at 444 during the pitch raise so here tuned to 433, as respectable a "concert" tuning as this sort of instrument might be able to be expected was achieved.
For those coming across such Broadwoods, they have a threaded tuning pin which goes through into wood. Here the CA treatment cured all but half a dozen pins but some still slipped. In the constraints of time available I had to put CA into the screw threads. Returning the next day most of these cracked nicely and behaved whilst one or possibly two which had been particularly bad the previous day had locked up. I didn't try to crack them too much for fear of shearing the pins (done that got the T shirt - or perhaps it had been rust) and the answer to this is to put acetone around the pin on the next tuning. Fingers XXed.
Something very interesting was that Arthur Sullivan was particular about the keys that he used. This suggests aural familiarity with the sort of unequal temperaments that I've been encouraging.
As a matter of interest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-uH4YE-A2g was, sadly, another c**p piano which I had to deal with just two hours before a concert and perhaps I caused the event to start half an hour late. I don't recall the make but think it was Canadian and with a rather large gap between the white note keys.
Not so bad was a baby Pleyel last year which I brought to life for a talented student
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHT3jnzuRx0 and this was interesting for the wonderful growl which unequal temperament gave to the bass. It's great when someone can put the instrument through its paces so as to move what otherwise might slip so that it can be rectified at the time.
How much nicer it is to come to a good Steinway . . . !
Best wishes
David P
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David Pinnegar BSc ARCS
Hammerwood Park, East Grinstead, Sussex, UK
+44 1342 850594
"High Definition" Tuning
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-25-2023 13:50
From: Ryan Sowers
Subject: Just the sort of challenge one likes the day before a concert . . . The 1881 Arthur Sullivan Broadwood
CA glue does it again!
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Ryan Sowers RPT
Olympia WA
(360) 480-5648
Original Message:
Sent: 06-25-2023 10:34
From: David Pinnegar
Subject: Just the sort of challenge one likes the day before a concert . . . The 1881 Arthur Sullivan Broadwood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZboO8RiuSA
| YouTube | remove preview |
| | | Resurrection of Sir Arthur Sullivan's 1881 Broadwood Piano bought for his mistress. Ideally it needs restringing but was able to be brought to concert condition for the opening Gilbert and Sullivan concert at Doyly Carte Island on the River Thames currently being restored and brought to live most wonderfully | | View this on YouTube > |
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was the challenge I faced on Friday, the day before a prestigious concert.
"Will it work? Do we need to hire in a different piano?"
"I don't think so", I replied . . .
This was the Broadwood piano bought by Sir Arthur Sullivan for his mistress in 1881
Best wishes
David P
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David Pinnegar BSc ARCS
Hammerwood Park, East Grinstead, Sussex, UK
+44 1342 850594
"High Definition" Tuning
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