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what's your opinion on the ever growing interest in playing music on instruments of the date of composition? I played a concert on a 1870 Pleyel, Brahms, Saint-Saëns, Tchaikovsky, Fauré, I had a hard time...parallel strings, narrow keys, tuning quite doubtful, sound, well, tacet

I love period instruments! The more, the merrier!
It helps if they're well-cared for - this can reduce a lot of frustration once you get used to the quirks of some of these instruments.

But there are times when the steel and wood monstrosity of today has it's appeal, as well.

They all have a place in music, I think.

I am generally a fan of 19th century pianos though of course much depends on condition and quality of the instrument. At home I have an 1881 Erard concert grand which is the instrument on which I do all my playing. I find that fine old instruments have a more expressive sound than the modern instrument .. less 'perfect' but with more of the quality of the human voice.
I also think that Steinway (and therefore virtually all makers since then) made a mistake in making cross-strung large instruments, particularly the concert grand as I find the bass of most modern concert instruments far too thick and dominant.

I'm all about period instruments. I collect and write about them (my specialty is brass). Modern instruments are LOUD, but they lack subtlety and nuance, definition and clarity.

Have a listen to Berlioz' Symphony Fantiastique played on period instruments, and compare that to versions using the modern orchestra.

http://www.amazon.com/Berlioz-Symphonie-fantastique-ORR-Gardiner/dp/B00000414P

This is one of the best recordings using period instruments, but there are others. All are better-sounding that the modern orchestra.

If you like, I could fill a few pages with details on why modern instruments sound, well, not so good.

fill a tiny bit for starters

I have played the College of William and Mary's fully restored 1816 Broadwood. It's the twin of one sent to Beethoven in Vienna. A few years ago all the 'modernization' was ripped out of it and the instrument was rebuilt to its 1816 condition, as best as modern scholarship could accomplish that.

To me, the instrument was a revelation. That doesn't mean that playing Beethoven on a modern instrument is somehow false, but it is different.

I am very interested in that pianodad, could you please tell more about it?

Oh, geez, let me look it up. I remember starting a thread about it a number of years ago, with pictures included.

Here's the old thread.

1816 Broadwood thread

Unfortunately, the photo link no longer works. I don't use that account any more. I could possibly rustle up the photos again, or at least one of them.

I would LOVE to have a Pleyel from Chopin's time...

mmhmm.... Stradivarius with gut strings.


***HEAVEN****


I like period instruments over modern. Old basses, pianos, organs and harpsichords. The older the awesomer!


Old baroque organs sound the best. Old french harpsichords sound the best. Old everything sound the best!


1855 Erard! Oh how I wanted it!

There are many differences between "period" and "modern" keyboard instruments, but for me the main one is the uniformity across the compass of the modern piano. I miss the varied tonal colours from bass to treble that pianos have up to the end, roughly, of the 19th century. Having had the privilege of playing Chopin - but only for a short while - on an 1840's Erard and an 1840's Pleyel, I experienced the "music coming alive" sensation that I also experienced way back when I first played Rameau and Couperin on a French harpsichord.
If I had the space and the money I would have a concert grand, an 1840's Erard, a Walther or Stein fortepiano and replace my long-sold copy of the 1769 Taskin. (The copy was so good that when I played the original I could not detect the difference)
The modern grand gives us so much that the older instruments cannot, but there is room for all. Our musical experience is enhanced by listening to (and playing if possible) both new and the older ones that composers wrote for.

Okay, well, here's an example: when brass bands started in the UK in the 1830's, they were a mix of keyed brass, valved brass, and slide brass (trombones). There were keyed bugles in Eb and Bb, valved Horns in Eb (or F Horn with an Eb crook), Bb "peashooter" trombones, G bass trombones, Bb cornopeans, Eb quinticlavs (a keyed instrument), Bb ophicleides (a keyed instrument), Eb contrabass ophicleides, Bb tubas, and percussion. Unlike the modern brass band, each of these instruments had its own very unique sound.

Here's an example of the sound. Go down to the Zampa overture by Ferdinand Herold, put your cursor over the title, and click "play":

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/overture-zampa/id218638876?i=

Compare that to the sound of the modern brass band. Here you can hear samples of the mighty Breeze Brass Band from Tokyo, directed by Kazuyoshi Uemera. Have a listen to the opening of Orient Express by Philip Sparke:

http://www.earfloss.com/band/8913203.html

The modern brass band, by comparison, is comprised mostly of saxhorns and cornets. The sound is big, homogenous and loud, but lacks subtlety, separation and definition.

out of curiosity, are there any pianists out there who choose not to play earlier music due to a few on performance practice? i've often thought about stopping to play bach's music on the modern piano - indeed, i have a friend who thinks that anything before late beethoven should be reserved for another instrument!

That was my beef with Glenn Gould. Can you say "musical anachronism"?

Here's the Berlioz played on modern instruments for comparison.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrezpUWIY98&feature=fvw

Here's what the ophicleide sounds like. Obviously nothing like Berlioz' disparaging, ignorant remarks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUS-NJ8nSnI

Here's what a solo ophiceide sounds like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGBmqthNjOs&feature=related

Here are some samples of serpent-playing from Doug Yeo's album le Monde du Serpent

Scroll down to Handel's March from Scipio to hear an exposed serpent part:

http://www.yeodoug.com/publications/le_monde_du_serpent/le_monde_du_serpent.html

Here's what the keyed trumpet sounds like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgYCmzgZdiQ

Here's what the slide trumpet sounds like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHwVtOJV5IA&NR=1

Here is what a natural (valve-less) trumpet sounds like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeO2EvyFWr4

Here's the keyed bugle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpxeMhh7rXg

Here's the Bb rotary trumpet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzHMp_ZdibU&feature=related

Here's the soprano trombone, which as you can see is differnt from the slide trumpet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENsvSBami4g&feature=related

Here's the piccolo trombone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQhVfYHnyp0

Pilgrim: Yes, I do not play any French baroque music on the piano, nor Handel. Bach and Scarlatti however I quite happily play on a grand because the music can sound perfectly OK, although very different. As a dyed in the wool early instrument enthusiast, dare I say that I probably prefer to play Scarlatti on the piano - gives me scope for anachronistic romantic cresc and dims. Not authentic, but a wonderful creative experience. Bach can be realised on pretty much any instrument or combination of instruments. Please don't let thoughts on authenticity stop you enjoying exploring his sublime music.
Strange about Handel, but I just cannot enjoy the sound of a piano producing his music. I love Handel (prefer Bach) but I have all his suites which lie unplayed now.