A Good Piano Is Hard to Find

So . . . what IS that that makes one piano sound so good, and another (maybe very similar instrument) sound so lifeless and dull?

Well, obviously there are tons of variables--the quality of the instrument, the age of the strings and felts, and all that. But even given a well-maintained piano, I'm mystified sometimes by differences.

I vividly recall playing for a party at a very nice home in a very nice part of Atlanta---and there was a very nice K. Kawai grand in the living room. When I saw the piano, I was excited--a pleasant evening was in store, because I usually really like those pianos.

But it was not to be, and I just couldn't figure it out. The piano was in tune, clearly well-maintained, and the room was large with plenty of wood and reflective surfaces--but that was the one of the DEADEST pianos I've ever played. Maybe it was just a combination of things that I don't understand.

There is huge variety in pianos, and even very similar instruments from wonderful manufacturers can be dramatically different. You have to play it to be sure--the brand name only gets you started.

As always in these discussions, it reminds me of what Atlanta's dean of society pianists, Margaret Perrin, told me many years ago. "There is nothing," she said, "NOTHING, like a big old Mason-Hamlin grand." And, in my very honest opinion, she was exactly right!

Played this great Steinway last night in the Great Hall--there's no other way to describe it--in Glenridge Hall, an old (major) mansion in North Atlanta. This house is used for movies, but is an actual home.

The piano is perfect, and is perfectly maintained BUT it sounds so good in the room that I went looking for the reason. I play a lot of very good pianos, but this one sounds SO much better that I wondered why. It's not just the size of the piano---around 7 feet--tho that certainly helps.

I figured that the warm, full, almost perfect sound came largely from the wood in the room---the old wood--and from the high ceiling, but I think (after some research) that the enormous size of the hall helps. The wood adds richness and natural reverb , and the ballroom-sized room makes that a natural reverb. You just can't get that sound in a regular-sized room.

Here's a nice explanation of room acoustics and piano sound from the Beethoven Pianos website. Acoustics is an arcane science, but you sure know good acoustics when you hear it . . . so . . . I guess I need a living room that's roughly the size of my entire house!