Dramatic soprano

[dfackler]

I did a piano with organ recording in Chicago one August. We'd asked for the HVAC in the hall to be shut down as it was noisy. Well, it was a hot day, so an hour later the piano and organ no longer agreed on pitch. We scrapped ops for the day and had the HVAC restarted. Pitch returned to friendly territory and the recording progressed. Noise removal via REAPER's ReaFir rescued that project.

[...pianos with three strings per note at some places defy repair when just one of them is out!]

I carry a piano hammer and mutes so "cringeworthy" individual notes can be fixed. It's not difficult.

This is an interesting business. We are constantly challenged!

~d

 

[rob aylestone]

Have you ever recorded an authentic tuned piano? I did it just once about 15 years ago. Equal temperement tuning, even though 'wrong' is so right. I just wouldn't settle in my head at all. Perhaps you need to be a bit special to appreciate it!

 

[dfackler]

Have you ever recorded an authentic tuned piano? I did it just once about 15 years ago. Equal temperement tuning, even though 'wrong' is so right. I just wouldn't settle in my head at all. Perhaps you need to be a bit special to appreciate it!

No I haven't-- and the farther you get from C major, the wilder the intonation gets. The 'period' instrument folks would like it. I've played natural horn(no valves) a lot-- there are some partials which have to be manhandled into compliance, and some are nearly unusable. For an example, check out Britten's "Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings", Op 31(?). The prelude and epilogue are played on natural harmonics, without correcting the individual partials' tendencies. Great piece, BTW.

You want a real intonation trip-- check out Easley Blackwood's compositions-- 17, 20, 24, 25 divisions to the octave. Some sound just plain sour, and others seem to have microtonal modulations, which your ear will accept after a brief struggle.

Consider the symphony orchestra-- several intonation systems running simultaneously-- piano in equal temp, strings play in "just" intonation, brass switch to Pythagorean intonation at musical climax points, etc. It's more than a miracle that it works at all.

Intonation is at best a floating system-- we have to adjust constantly; major thirds need to be flatted a bit(12 cents, give/take), minor thirds raised, etc.

~d

 

[Cosmic]

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