Philip Poburka on sun 9 feb 03
sigh...
I am awash now in waves of nostalgia for Pianos...
For some years here, in sunny las vegas...I did have a
decent one...
It was a...oh hell, now I cannot remember the make!
(Chickering?... )
But it were a proper 'Parlour' Grand of about seven feet,
and change...
Was built 1892, and had gone 'round the Horn from it's East
Coast birth to Long Beach, California, where...it was
installed in ( I think...) the 'Stardust Ballroom'...sat
there all them years...
Untill the depression or so, when such closed, and said
Piano had been a sittin' on it's side in some forgotton way.
Came here...dusty...forlorn...no one wanted it at an
Auction...I made a deal...brung 'er home. Did some research
on it...titdied it up and regulated it and so on...but was
having to earn a 'living' by then and no time hardly to
play or practice, between eat, and sleep, and work...
The only thing as disappointed me was the Strings had been
renewed in the 'twenties or 'thirties...
The best...is 'original' strings.
Had once for some years a Upright Cabinet 'Grand' of the
striped African 'Ribbon' Mahhogany...Walrus Tusk
Ivory...made 1904 and had 'Jaguar' feet for it's
'legs'...had been put in stoirage in 1921...original as the
day is long...powerful! Angelic...sweet...brilliant deep
finnish (Varnish)...a very happy Paino indeed...
Had when I was in hi-school, a Brazillian Rosewood
'A.B.Chase & Co. - Norwalk' Grand...made 1906...and it had
the original Strings too...there is nothing like
seventy-eighty or hundred year old Strings IN a 'real'
actual sincere and well made Piano.
Piano technicions hate Painos, and are ever anxious to ruin
their charm...
The strings as were survived from...seventy or more years
before...Sounded like Angels...
You could play that Piano (The 'A.B.Chase' especially) at a
whisper...like a Clavichord...
Or make the neighbor's China Cabinets clatter and rattle.
No 'yamahah' can do that as I ever saw...nor ever will...
No modern 'steinway' either, so far as I recall...
Them days...be long gone, for Painos as were truely
'fine'...
Phil
el vee
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lily Krakowski"
To:
Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2003 6:57 PM
Subject: Trenchmouth and French Polish for beginners
Crazes are said to be breeding grounds for bacteria. So are
pinholes and
cracks. Bacteria from unclean eating utensils is said to be
able to cause
trenchmouth, a rather annoying disease. Is that tentative
and hesitant
enough?
As to piano lids. French polish, used on many pieces of
fine old furniture
is a difficult to apply shellac/alcohol and oil layered
finish. Glorious to
behold, hard to maintain, prone to water stains. I would
never put anything
remotely connected with water on a piano...but it is not a
worry, as I do
not have one. But any pot that "sweats" or "leaks" should
not be sold as
functional....unless the unmistakable function makes it
unsuitable for
containing liquid.
I enjoy sweeping generalizations by the way. Although I
generally vacuum...
Lili Krakowski
P.O. Box #1
Constableville, N.Y.
(315) 942-5916/ 397-2389
Be of good courage....
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