Topic by jackifus

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Topic: Instrument Ranges: Changeable?

I'm playing late Beethoven piano sonatas, and I wanted to try it on a Broadwood as that's the brand of piano Beethoven owned.

I just tried through the Demo, as I haven't bought it (yet).

The Broadwood here has a limited range (I'm sure reflecting its actual range at manufacture).

Quandary:
The score calls for pitches outside of the range of this instrument.

Question:
Do pitches sound outside of the range in the grayed-out areas of the keyboard?
I can hear them when I press, but MUCH fainter than those ungrayed keys even right next...
Can I alter the piano so that they sound normally (though contrary to the instrument's construction I understand). ?

Reply by _DJ_

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Re: Instrument Ranges: Changeable?

our Pianoteq 1796 Broadwood is completely the wrong instrument for late Beethoven (or, really, any Beethoven).  go with the Graf (which was the sort of instrument B owned and, unlike the Broadwood, actually used toward the end of his life) and you'll be soooo much better off!

incidentally, B's Broadwood was an instrument from 1817 gifted to him by the maker; however, B (as with most continental composers/performers of the day and indeed throughout the 19th century) is known (from various sources and for various reasons) to have had a lifelong affinity for instruments with the Wienermechanik (such as the Graf) as opposed to the "English action" employed by Broadwood and the other English makers.  sooo... the Walter for early Beethoven, the Graf for late Beethoven, and unfortunately we don't really have a "proper" instrument for the so-called middle period (a N. Streicher fortepiano would be the thing here and is sorely sorely missing from our stable of instruments!).

our Broadwood however is great! for all that charming London Pianoforte School repertoire (Clementi, Cramer, Dussek, Jansen, etc)... for example...

cheers,
dj

Last edited by _DJ_ (16-07-2018 02:57)
Matthieu 7:6

Reply by jackifus

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Re: Instrument Ranges: Changeable?

Thanks much -

I figured Beethoven owned a newer Broadwood - your counsel for the Graf is much appreciated.

cheers,

Jack

Reply by Gnusmas

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Re: Instrument Ranges: Changeable?

One Broadwood demo on the website renders Beethoven's Hammerklavier with some high notes transposed one octave lower. At the time he wrote the sonata, almost no instrument could interpret it as-is. In my point of view, playing on the Broadwood can someway simulate the restriction and maybe reflect the greatness of the composer :-)

Last edited by Gnusmas (03-08-2018 12:49)