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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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May 18, 2016 - 12:06pm PT
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John. I bought my wife a 1929 Steinway Model M some time ago. The soundboard looks like it was signed to me. Is your soundboard signed? I had to go underneath and look up to find it. Just curious.
Gary. Thanks. That one worked for me.
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Gary
Social climber
Where in the hell is Major Kong?
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May 18, 2016 - 01:05pm PT
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John, just go to the dealer and try one out. They won't mind.
Recently I went up to Larchmont to see the Bluthners at Kassimoffs. They couldn't have been friendlier. Mrs. Kassimoff reminded me of my grandmother, even had the same low German accent and wore the same kind of loose flower print dress.
Mrs. Kassimoff has been importing Bluthners since the Cold War. She gave me a little sales talk, and then turned me loose, saying play anything. She had one Bluthner upright which I wanted to try. About that time a a black gal walked in. If she wasn't homeless she had been at sometime in the recent pass, that's the way she was dressed.
Instead of rushing her out the door, Mrs. Kassimoff welcomed her in. She said she had sang gospel as a young girl and was hoping to do some recording. Mrs/ Kassimoff told us how the Bluthner was a singer's piano and pointed at a midsize grand for her to try. She played quite well, we all enjoyed it.
After she left I tried out my Satie on the Bluthner. What a terrific piano it is, the control of the dynamics is effortless, almost telepathy. It played ppp with no problem. A beautiful clear tone and even action. For a short upright it had a nice bass, too.
All I have to do is convince the little woman that's it's OK to spend a small fortune on a piano.
Reilly, that Fazioli is only $234,000, shouldn't be a problem for you.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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May 18, 2016 - 01:46pm PT
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Now you're bringing back memories, Gary. I remember Kammisoff's from my days in law school. I never played a Bluthner until I moved to Fresno. I see why East Germany declared them and the company a "national treasure." They are outstanding pianos.
I got my Knight new 42 years ago at Bernard Comsky Artist Pianos on Pico Blvd. (somewhere in the 5000's blocks), but I don't know if the firm still exists. They sold Knights, Grotrians, Rippens, Schimmels and, I think, at least one other European piano, plus lots of used Steinways. Here in Friendly Fresno, we've gone from about ten piano dealers to two. Piano manufacturing does not appear to be a growth industry.
John
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Gary
Social climber
Where in the hell is Major Kong?
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Amazing. She just turned 75 a day or so ago.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Watched "The Devil's Violinist" last night. It effectively portrays Paganini. The lead, David
Garrett, is something of a modern Paganini himself in both virtuosity and lifestyle. I highly
recommend it. The sound tract alone is worth the price of admission. The romantic lead,
Andrea Deck, has quite the voice to complement her looks and acting.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jun 13, 2016 - 09:33pm PT
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Well, Gary, I would hazard a guess that while there might be some truth in the hooker's story
it is highly likely it is suitably embellished and unless he was stupid enough to video their
sessions it will come down to she said/he said and she'll walk away with a nice pay day.
Whatevah, I enjoyed the movie and he has some chops, on the violin at least.
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Gary
Social climber
Where in the hell is Major Kong?
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Jun 14, 2016 - 08:38pm PT
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We did a bit of the PCT, starting at Kennedy Meadows then exiting out Olancha Pass. It was a great couple of days. driving back to KM to pick up the van the iPod was on shuffle and up came Glenn Gould playing the Prelude in C Major. The wife hears it and asks, "Is that you?"
My hats still don't fit.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
JB, TFPU, that was a nice piece.
Whatevah, I enjoyed the movie and he has some chops, on the violin at least.
I'll have to try to catch that one.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jul 16, 2016 - 04:33pm PT
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Just made my TGV resers to get to Sunday messe which will feature this
on le grand orgue du Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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Gary
Social climber
Where in the hell is Major Kong?
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Jul 27, 2016 - 07:30pm PT
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Reilly, have you heard the organ at St James in the City on Wilshire?
BTW, Happy Birthday to Ricardo Muti. I will listen to this tonight gin and tonic in hand.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jul 28, 2016 - 08:59am PT
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Olivier Latry, posted by Reilly above, played a concert on the organ at the Disney Concert Hall here in L.A. which I was fortunate enough to attend. He is among the very best concert organists I have heard (I am an aficionado).
One thing about Reilly's post worth noting. Pipe organs built back then had no electronics. So the mechanism connecting the keyboards and pedals, as well as the stops, swell etc., are all mechanical. This is called tracker action, and on a great instrument which can have as many as 10,000 individual pipes, such mechanisms are among the most complex and beautiful designs of their time. Air is supplied to the pipes by wind chests, reservoirs of air with floating weighted lids, so that as the chest empties and is filled (by choir boys working pumps bitd) the pressure remains constant. Today of course the pumps are electric, but in their original state the chests were kept full by manual work. And only on the big holidays did they have a full crew pumping, so only then could an organist use the full instrument without running out of air.
Latry's recital at Disney was brilliant. Here he is on home turf - his local crag as it would be for a climber - Notre Dame in Paris. Poser.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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Gary
Social climber
Where in the hell is Major Kong?
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Jul 28, 2016 - 09:36am PT
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TFPU!
We went to see Also Sprach Zarathustra at Disney Hall a while back. When it starts with that low C we felt it more than we heard it.
Here's something else.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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