THE STORY OF THE PIANO
Modern grand action: 1: At rest
2: Hammer strikes string
3: Hammer in check
A modern grand piano action is shown in this
The jack continues ro move upwards unril its roe
Wirh the key still held, the hammer bounces off
sequence, featuring Sreinway's Accelerated
encounters the see-off burton. The jack flicks off
rhe string and is grabbed by the check. The
Anion. As che key is pressed, rhe caps ran screw
the railer, leaving rbe ham met moving in free
process of the downward movement of rhe
rises, causing the jack to push up on the roller
flight cowards the string. Meanwhile the damper
hammer has caused the repetition lever co
through a slor in the repetitive lever.
has been lifted off the suing by rhe damper wire.
compress rhe repetition spring.
THE MODERN GRAND
The
Steinway
Model
D concert
grand
piano (shown here) is the instrument
by
most
performance
modern
concert
purposes.
in 1857, although
only after another
developed
f)
"
e
Sreinway
unique
technique
the entire
to the instrument's
between
countries,
since some raw materials
the
instruments
have a different
normal for pianos of this calibre to be adjusted
(USA),
to the individual
4D
period
16 moulded toe
171eg
18 leg cap
19 bent side
20 heel
21 rim or case
22 short stick
23 prop stick
24 front half, front top
2S top hinge
26 music rest
27 music desk
28 straight side
29 action
30 action standardl
hanger
(the
introverted
brighten
with
that
about
150
(Germany)
and
slight
differences
originating
in
the
two
source. At the same time, it is
player, in order
of the action are optimally
suited
user's musical preferences and way of playing.
Some players
Key
from
unique sound.
produced
to suit the individual
to ensure that both the tone and the responsiveness
rim
for
of wood - a feature
traditionally
York
it was
ten years that Sreinway
Model Ds each year in Hamburg
New
1 balance weights/key
leads
2 keys
3 front baize/key bottom
4 front rail
S balance rail
6 balance pin
7 back rail
8 cheek
9 lyre post
10 una corda pedal
11 sostenuto pedal
12 damper pedal
13 lyre
14 lyre brace
1S castor
piece
contributes
G
6)0
its
manufacturing
single
for
The first version of this
model appeared
~
used
pianists
like to express a preference
1920s
and
1930s),
which
for Steinways
made in the inter-war
are felt to have a slightly
darker,
more
expressive tonal character. This may well be a reaction to the tendency to
the tone of modern
the preferences
whose expectations
This characteristic
other respects,
now started
grand pianos generally,
of the recording
industry
are often influenced
is most ptonounced
concert-going
by what they hear on modern
public
recordings.
in Far Eastern pianos (eg, Yamaha, Kawai). In
however, such as the responsiveness
to rival the subtlety
to bring them into line with
and of a modern
that
of the piano action,
was once the sole province
these have
of the great
European firms.
Tonal purists
may even go Out of their way to obtain one of old 'patent
Bli.ithner grands - instruments
known for their exceptionally
tone - possibly with a view to having it reconditioned.
time
when
considered
beauty
above
instrument,
20
the manufacturer
inadequate
all else,
was using
and rather
or who
make
However,
only
this can represent an interesting
modest
choice.
action'
and beauty of
These pianos were built at a
a more primitive
unreliable.
subtlety
type of action,
now
for those who value tonal
technical
demands
of the
