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Where ever is heard the discouraging word.

Karl

I have seen several stringing scales on Mason & Hamlin As, at least a couple of plates on similarly sized Knabes and Bösendorfers, so these things change more than one might think. It is amazing how little difference some of the things that you might think are major changes make.

Just read my signature...

It's a bit expensive I'm guessing. need to have a look at the age of the piano and the mat on behind

Ed A. Hall -

I had a few minutes this evening after I came from work (as our twin five year old girls were getting ready for bed) to record as requested Nicolai Orlov's AMPICO 67751 (7-1927) roll recording - on my 2013-era Mason & Hamlin BB via my PianoDisc SilentDriveHD system using a Peter Phillips MIDI emulation - of Chopin's Etude in F, Op.10 No.8. As the speed of reproducing roll playbacks can vary, this recording came out just a tad slower than yours... but it's not too big a difference. The tone of each instrument is indeed quite different between the new-era M&H BB and the Chickering 123. I like both for very different reasons! The Chickering has a lovely "bell-like" ringing tone in the treble that is not heard on any modern era instrument; not surprisingly the BB reproduces the bass with the great character and clarity it is known for. I didn't have time to fuss with mic placement etc - in fact, I just used the built-in mic's of my TASCAM digital recorder. I also wish my piano had been more recently tuned - it was done last January, and is scheduled to be done in the coming month - but this is the best I can provide as a comparison in short order. Enjoy!

Link to SoundCloud:
Chopin Etude Op.10 No.8 in F - Nikolai Orlov, pianist (7-1927)

Link to YouTube:
Chopin Etude Op.10 No.8 in F - Nikolai Orlov, pianist (7-1927)

Jason:

I hope you won't object to me pushing my oar in here - BUT
it seems strange to one who can't abide piano rolls OR Bruce Clark pianos that I should be so utterly smitten by BOTH. As for the tuning, I daresay that none of us have pianos that have survived the Summer with tuning so solid as yours.
Of course, it's impossible to know much about Orlov's playing from this other than the obvious: a beautiful, totally lyric, caressing tone, allied with a, for want of a better word, GRACIOUS style of music-making; the clarity and superb pedaling combing to achieve a kind-of ideal, at least from my vantage point. Sad to say, yet another example of a way of playing, a general approach that seems to have gone out of this present age.

Have to say that your BB is a gorgeous piano, especially when played in such a noble manner.

Thank you very much for posting this. Have you considered doing so in the pianists section ?

Karl Watson

wolfgangmeister,

Thanks for posting the recording. It was very interesting to hear the 2 pianos with the same roll. You have a very fine piano and I can most certainly appreciate them both.