A little while ago I mused on the general reaction to pianos such as the Stuart having more than the accepted ‘standard’ (i.e. convention) of 88 keys. I said at the time:
“I cannot for the life of me understand why pianists are critical of extended range pianos. Two reasons seem to be paramount:
1) there is very little music written for them, so what’s the point?
2) I get confused because the ends of the keyboard are not what I’m used to”
…and then proceeded to debunk both.
But it appears that even now, when opportunities are there, there is still a considerable inertia towards utilising the sounds and capabilities of these instruments. This is exampled by a letter in the Sydney Morning Herald by Richard Lynch, as follows:
“John Carmody (Letters, May 31) could add Ann Carr-Boyd's music to the list of Australian composers ignored by the Sydney Symphony. For her 70th birthday celebrations she was commissioned to compose what became her second piano concerto by Ars Musica.
Compared to the usual so-called contemporary stuff (composed in a century-old style) the work is rich and full of modern invention. Unfortunately, its modernity means the orchestra cannot realise the sound pallet due to its beloved short keyboard stock of pianos supplied by Steinway's distributor - one of its sponsors. The work was given its premiere by the Wollongong Symphony using a Stuart and Sons piano.
As modern music moves on and more is composed for an extended piano keyboard, the Sydney Symphony will be forced by financial imperative to turn its back on a rising sun of sound.”
I couldn’t agree more. I was privileged to record a concert at the Indepenedent Theatre a week or so ago by the Brazilian pianist Artur Cimirro. Artur is technically quite brilliant, and he used the extra keys on the Stuart piano quite brilliantly at times. Once again, it was a recital quite impossible to achieve with any other piano. The recorded sound is extraordinary.
This typifies the inertia and commercial interests inherent in protecting the status quo in music in general and piano music in particular. It is quite heinous that artists of the calibre of Prof. Carr Boyd are restricted in their art in this way. In fact, it could be argued (and I have in the past) that the status quo is stultifying to all musicians, not just pianists. Art needs to develop and expand, and it cannot whilst the Steinway mentality prevails in the way it does.
Don’t you just love
“short keyboard”?