yamaha C7 grand vs. steinway

[david456103]

hi guys
i need to make a (DVD) recording for an upcoming international piano competition, and was searching for recordings studios. I've narrowed down my search to two studios: one has a 6'11'' concert grand yamaha(I believe C7), the other a steinway D. the former is much closer to my home, and considerably cheaper.
My question is, what are the primary differences between the yamaha and the steinway? I've heard mixed reviews about the two, but generally people seem to like the steinway better. One of my audition pieces is Ravel's Ondine; is the action/brightness on a Steinway more suited to that piece?
Thanks for any input!!

[quantum]

It is difficult to say.  With concert instruments a lot depends on the individual piano itself.  These pianos may be voiced and regulated to a certain taste, and the only way to know if it is right for you is to play it in person. 

Do you absolutely need to do the recording in a studio?  Is it a requirement of the competition? 

Are there any halls or churches near you that have a piano you could use?  These places would likely have a livelier acoustic then a recording studio.  You could then hire a recording engineer to do a location recording. 

[david456103]

hi quantum,
thanks for the reply!  its not a requirement, but i would much rather record it in a studio than at home; my piano is a baby grand, and right now its not tuned. also i don't have good recording equipment.

[gvans]

I own a C-7 and it's 7'4". The piano you are referring to is probably a C-6. The Steinway D is a 9 footer. It will have correspondingly richer overtones in the bass, as will any full concert grand. Otherwise, I agree with quantum's comments. Each piano is distinct.

That being said, Yamahas are often brighter in the treble, and have a touch more amenable to pp playing, while Steinways often have--I don't know how to articulate it perfectly--a more powerful, iron-like metallic sound. That's my personal impression from owning one of each over the years.

Good luck.

[iansinclair]

Don't pay any attention to the "mixed reviews" -- on either instrument.  As has been said, at that level (they are both fine instruments) it's very much the individual instrument, the way it has been voiced and regulated, that you are looking at.

There is no way to determine which instrument is preferable for you, the way you play, and your repertoire, without trying both of them.

Myself, I'd take the Steinway D -- as has been noted, it's a concert grand and the Yamaha isn't.  And I am accustomed to playing Steinways.  But that's me.

[david456103]

@gvans: thanks for your input! im surprised you say that yamahas are better for pp playing, since the only one I have available to me occasionally(in my teacher's studio) is quite loud(aka the opening of Ondine is a pain to play on it lol). Most steinways i've played, including the one at my teacher's house, are quite soft. But maybe a C6/C7 yamaha is different?

@ian: i'm also leaning towards the Steinway D, just because I'm 100% sure that the style of the piano fits my pieces(I've played on a Steinway D before for a different competition). but the yamaha is more accessible. do you remember any experiences with yamaha C6/C7's?

[quantum]

I believe one of the reasons Richter played Yamaha was because of it's pp tone. 

There were C7's at my university.  No overly bright tone, as some would characterize Yamaha.  I've also played a CFIIIs that was an incredibly sweet instrument.  The harsher Yamahas I've encountered tended to be instruments that got a lot of beating: practice rooms, pianos in restaurants, etc.

Once, I turned pages for 2p4h concert.  They were both Steinway D's.  One was like meh, the other one was like the chocolate fudge you find in a really expensive restaurant. 

[gvans]

That was Richter's take on Yams, for sure. In general, they seem a bit more consistent, i.e, one C-7 is pretty similar to the next.

As quantum says, there are Steinways, and there are Steinways. I spent two hours in Steinway Hall in NYC playing a new B upstairs that was perfectly voiced and regulated, and, yeah, it was incredible. Any dynamic level I chose I could play, any color, any kind of articulation--the thing was amazing. And I've played many "meh" B's.

We had a D I played a lot as an undergrad, that was one sweet piano. It was rarely used, they kept it locked up in the chapel, and I wangled myself a key my senior year.

We had a Bosie Imperial, too, another fine instrument. Had a key for that, too, but preferred the D for some reason.

It's all in what shape the instrument is in.