Music Lane

It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes.

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Beethoven, broken strings, and modern pianos

Posted by Paul_A on April 15, 2005 at 10:14:09:
A comment that may be of interest:

"The piano on which Beethoven himself played, that for which he composed this concerto, was quite different from the modern piano on which it is generally performed today. Fortepianos of the eighteenth century had a softer, mellower sound, far less brilliant than that to which audiences are now accustomed, and the instruments themselves were far less forgiving of heavy-handed playing. Indeed, the light and graceful style of piano performance that Beethoven so despised had developed specifically to accommodate the limitations of the instrument. A firmer touch could lead to broken strings, as those who invited Beethoven to play their own fortepianos found to their dismay. Not until 1818, when he received his beloved and hearty Broadwood grand piano, would Beethoven have a piano equal to his imagination. At the time of the Third Concerto, he was making do with a gentler instrument, one that he often played with almost continuous pedal so as to produce at least a measure more resonance. No one would have been more delighted than he to hear the richness with which the work can be rendered today."