Glinka with Blüthner

[lluiscl]

I am just voicing this 90 years old amazing grand...

[rachfan]

Hi Iluiscl,

That Glinka piece is charming and very well played with much expression.  Could you please tell us the title?  I've not heard it before now.

Also it would be nice to hear more about the vintage Bluthner.  The only thing about 90 or 100+ year old grands is that quite often the old soundboards take on a more woody sound, and that might be somewhat true here, although with the voicing you're doing now, it might also be the state of the hammers at the moment.  It would be interesting to hear another recording once the hammers have worn in a bit more following the voicing.  What is the grand's length?  Does it have the Bluthner aliquot strings for creating sympathetic vibrations from the regular strings?  I'm sure that this is a very interesting instrument indeed.

[rgh55]

It is Nocturne in F Minor - La Separation

[furtwaengler]

Yes I've heard this piece. I believe I heard it here: https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=37713.0

I love it; it sounds very good, piano and piece. 

[lluiscl]

Thanks for your comments. The Blüthner is from 1921, 190cms (about 6'3") con aliquot and Blüthner patent action. All in original shape, except hammers, replaced with Abel specifically for this old grands, which are very soft by design and give a mellow tone (may be too much, and it sounds woody?) and which I find them with some problems in the tenor region (some notes are nasal yet) and in the first treble section (dirty sound). Not sure if it's a hammer/voicing/oldstrings/scalestrings/soundboard question... Anyway the handcraft of these old grands is simply superb.

[rachfan]

Hi Iluiscl,

You mention the tenor section--that's where I most noticed the woody quality.  Yes, it may be the mellow quality of the hammers that contributes to it as you surmise.  But as the hammers groove in, that should improve.  When you hung the Able hammers, did you include new shanks and flanges?  Changing them as well can make a positive difference in the sound too.  My Baldwin L Artist Grand is also 6'3", but from 1984.  In partially rebuilding it a couple of years ago, I went with Ronsen Wurzen hammers, instead of the Baldwin-specified Renner hammers, and love the sound!  

On the Bluthner, if the piano had moderate use and if the strings are older than 25 years, it's possible that they're stretched out by now from repetitive tunings over the decades.  New strings might well add to the vibrancy of the sound.  If it were to come to that, probably you'd want to order Bluthner strings or strings from their recommended source.  For the Baldwin, I skipped the Baldwin SyncroTone strings and instead went with Arledge Bass strings and Mapes International Gold wire for the treble bridge and am most pleased with the results.  I believe the instrument sounds better now than when it was new.  What this showed me is that in rebuilding, it's not as important to replicate the manufacturer's choices of components as much as attaining the specific sound you want.  But with a 90-year old instrument, I understand that perhaps it's best not to get too far afield.

This Bluthner is quite a project for you!

[rachfan]

Hi rgh,

Thanks for that info!

[mistermoe]

Hi lluiscl

again i have to say i really like your playing a lot!

Thanks again for sharing.