專業鋼琴調音師 湯 生 的私人專頁, 看音樂趣事, 聽好音樂, 作音樂交流, 更可以在這樣找到專業的鋼琴護理意見.
2013年11月11日星期一
2013年10月16日星期三
2013年9月18日星期三
Grotrian
如果說 Grotrian, 你 (特別是如果你有去出年的上海樂器展的話) 可能會第一時間想起:
其實, 這個品牌是 Steinway & Sons 的大哥.
以下是 Grotrian 的簡介:
其實, 這個品牌是 Steinway & Sons 的大哥.
以下是 Grotrian 的簡介:
Grotrian-Steinweg's history dates back to 1835 when the first Steinweg piano factory was built by Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later known as Henry Steinway after his emigration to the US where he founded Steinway & Sons). In 1856, Friedrich Grotrian became a partner; in 1865 his son Wilhelm Grotrian and two associates bought the factory and the right to market their pianos as successors to the Steinweg brand. Ensuing generations of Grotrian family members led the company to become one of the finest piano manufacturers in Germany. Grotrian-Steinweg pianos were preferred by some famous pianists, and they received accolades at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Grotrian-Steinweg operated an orchestra and a concert hall, and established sales rooms in a half dozen major cities in Germany, and by 1920, in London as well. At its peak in the late 1920s, Grotrian-Steinweg employed 1,000 people and made 3,000 pianos per year.
Economic depression in the 1930s and war in the 1940s caused Grotrian-Steinweg to decline severely and then lose its factory completely. The family rebuilt the factory and re-established its reputation for quality work. In the 1950s, an annual piano-playing competition was founded by the company, to identify promising young piano students.
Grotrian-Steinweg sought to expand into the US in the mid-1960s with the intent to benefit from the similarity between the trademarks "Steinweg" and Steinway & Sons. Steinway & Sons sued to prevent the practice, resulting in a 1975 decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The case set a precedent in describing "initial interest confusion": that the brand Grotrian-Steinweg could cause piano buyers to temporarily confuse its brand with the brand Steinway & Sons. The court ordered Grotrian-Steinweg to stop selling pianos in the US under the "Steinweg" name. Afterward, the company formed a business entity named Grotrian Piano Company, through which it sells pianos in North America.
在之前, Grotrian 的鋼琴是比 Steinway & Sons 好的.
但是為何 "小弟弟" 現在反而比 "大哥哥" 出名呢?
如大的原因是當 Steinway & Sons 作出了不少的技術設計改良和取得不少專利的同時, Grotrian 原地踏步了.
在之前, Grotrian 的鋼琴是比 Steinway & Sons 好的.
但是為何 "小弟弟" 現在反而比 "大哥哥" 出名呢?
如大的原因是當 Steinway & Sons 作出了不少的技術設計改良和取得不少專利的同時, Grotrian 原地踏步了.
2013年9月12日星期四
2013年9月11日星期三
Carl Sauter
The secret to tonal beauty.
A grand piano is much more than the sum of its parts. Tonal beauty arises from the harmonic interplay between countless details, blended with the love, experience and musical sensitivity of the piano maker. A peep inside our grand pianos reveals some of the secrets behind the tone.
The woods. Priming the tonal colour.
Wood accounts for 70 percent of the body of a grand piano, which is why this raw material deserves the utmost attention. Sauter uses nothing but the very finest quality woods from carefully chosen sources: alder, yew, red beech, hornbeam, maple, spruce, lime, walnut. All the woods are carefully stored and undergo a precisely controlled drying process.
The soundboard. The soul of the grand piano.
An 8 mm thin plate of young spruce from the central European mountain ranges is glued onto the sturdy back, stressed in a slightly convex shape. The soundboard is caused to resonate via the string and bridge, thereby amplifying the sound. Stabilising ribs are glued onto the back. Each rib has its own profile, aiding the membrane effect of the soundboard.
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Sauter Resonanzboden
The downbearing. The force of the strings.
The musical quality of the piano hinges decisively on the pressure which the string exerts on the bridge and, thus, on the soundboard. This is developed individually and with absolute precision on every instrument at Sauter.
The cast iron plate. Stability for sound dynamics.
The cast iron plate which can absorb the huge 20 tons-plus string tension without any hint of distortion creates the basis for the
powerful, dynamic sound with its lively spectrum of tonal nuances. Top-grade sand cast iron is used for the cast iron plate, as it is
the type of cast iron which is least prone to vibrating, thereby causing unwelcome interference.
powerful, dynamic sound with its lively spectrum of tonal nuances. Top-grade sand cast iron is used for the cast iron plate, as it is
the type of cast iron which is least prone to vibrating, thereby causing unwelcome interference.
The strings. Sound material made from the finest metal.
Sauter uses the finest steel strings and also operates rigid quality controls over its own string production. High-precision agraffes in the bass and middle registers help the strings to resonate in the right way.
The scale. The way of measuring tonal culture.
The scale, i.‑e. the lengths and diameters of the strings, has a major influence on the tonal culture of a grand piano. While the work on the complex material is eased somewhat by specialised computer software, obtaining a balanced and rich quality of tone still takes a great deal of research and experience.
The action. The heartbeat of any grand piano.
This is a genuine piano making art form, combining over 6,000 parts made of wood, leather, felt and steel to create a smoothworking action. This wonderful piece of work is only possible with the lucky blend of craftsmen’s skills and artistic flair, as well as with the steady eye and precise manipulation of the experienced expert.
Voicing. Breathing life into the grand piano.
The grand piano is endowed with its individual tonal character during voicing, the preparation and perfection of the hammer. The musical ear, ability and experience of our voicing experts are all-important here. We are in constant dialogue with pianists during voicing.
Official Website: http://www.sauter-pianos.de
2013年9月9日星期一
2013年9月4日星期三
沽神 37億 爭買鋼琴
「沽神」約翰保爾森做程咬金，競購百年鋼琴巨擘 Steinway Musical Instruments。有分析認為，這反映隨着富貴一族荷包腫脹，鋼琴製造商等奢侈品生產商成為投資機構的掘金目標。
Steinway 有160年歷史
Steinway 周一表示收到一份「優厚」的收購方案，但沒有披露收購者的來歷，僅表示對方為一間管理逾150億美元資產的投資公司，《華爾街日報》及《金融時報》則報道幕後買家是保爾森。報道指，該買家的出價為每股38美元或4.75億美元（約37億港元），較 Kohlberg& Co. 6月的出價每股高出3美元，按協議 Kohlberg 須於三日內提出新建議，消息刺激Steinway 股價周一扯上39.59美元，反映市場憧憬會有買家加價競購。
Steinway 上周四公佈季績時指，7月時接受 Kohlberg& Co. 的初步收購建議，但集團可在為期45日的「競購條款期」內，尋求或接受其他競購者出價。由於保爾森旗下的基金鮮有進行併購，沽神今次出手，反映奢侈品市場有利可圖。
Steinway 是一家有160年歷史的名牌鋼琴生產商，其產品亦包括其他樂器，其鋼琴的售價最高達21.8萬美元（約170萬港元）。
From:
Appledaily - 14 Aug 2013
Steinway 上周四公佈季績時指，7月時接受 Kohlberg& Co. 的初步收購建議，但集團可在為期45日的「競購條款期」內，尋求或接受其他競購者出價。由於保爾森旗下的基金鮮有進行併購，沽神今次出手，反映奢侈品市場有利可圖。
Steinway 是一家有160年歷史的名牌鋼琴生產商，其產品亦包括其他樂器，其鋼琴的售價最高達21.8萬美元（約170萬港元）。
From:
Appledaily - 14 Aug 2013
Steinway & Sons 正式被收購!
Steinway buyout: Piano maker accepts $438M deal
teinway buyout by Kohlberg & Co. will cost the private equity firm $438 million to acquire the storied piano maker. Following the Steinway buyout, Kohlberg plans to take the company private.
Steinway Musical Instruments, which has been in business for 160 years, said Monday that it has agreed to be bought by Kohlberg for about $438 million.
Steinway pianos have been a status symbol and a must-have luxury in concert halls for more than a century, but the storied company suffered during the recession. While it has recovered, its shares have not returned to their peak, reached just six months before the recession began.
Last week, the company closed on the sale of Steinway Hall just down the street from Carnegie Hall, its flagship showroom inManhattan where generations of pianists have taken pianos for a spin.
However, with the housing crisis fading and the U.S. economy picking up steam, Kohlberg is betting on a bright future for Steinway at home and abroad, says Burt Flickinger III, president of retail consultancy Strategic Resource Group.
A typical Steinway grand piano costs around $50,000, but can run much higher.
Kohlberg, which will take the company private, is opening a tender offer to buy all of Steinway's outstanding stock for $35 per share, a 15 percent premium to its Friday closing price of $30.43.
The board of the Waltham, Mass., company unanimously recommended that shareholders tender their stock.
The deal includes a 45-day "go-shop" period in which Steinway may seek out alternative bids.
Steinway & Sons was founded in 1853 by German immigrant Henry Engelhard Steinway in a loft on Manhattan's lower west side.Steinway was a master cabinet maker who built his first piano in the kitchen of his Seesen, Germany home, according to the company website.
Over the next 30 years, Steinway and his sons, C.F. Theodore, Charles, Henry Jr., William and Albert developed the modern piano. The company's products now include Bach Stradivarius trumpets, Selmer Paris saxophones, C.G. Conn French horns, Leblanc clarinets, King trombones, Ludwig snare drums and Steinway & Sons pianos.
"Kohlberg's long history of collaboration to grow and expand some of the world's leading consumer brands makes us an ideal partner forSteinway to accelerate its global expansion, while ensuring the artisanal manufacturing processes that make the company's products unique are preserved, celebrated and treasured," Kohlberg partner Christopher Anderson said.
The buyout is expected to close in the third quarter.
Flickinger says that emerging markets like China present a big opportunity for Steinway and for Kohlberg. "Families will want their children to play on the best piano," Flickinger said of China, the world's second largest economy, where incomes are on the rise.
Shares of Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. jumped $4.85, or 15.9 percent, to close at $35.28 Monday. Shares this year have risen close to 70 percent.
2013年9月3日星期二
中國第一台紀念版“龍韻” Steinway & Sons
“鋼琴之王”史坦威（Steinway & Sons）聯袂中國著名學者田家青先生、中國嘉德國際拍賣有限公司共同揭幕 “龍韻史坦威”特別紀念版鋼琴。
2012年，時逢中國龍年，許多世界品牌相繼推出裝飾有中國龍的設計產品。但與其他品牌不同的是，施坦威在與中國學者田家青深度探討磨合之後，發現原來中國遠古龍的形像神採奕奕、一身正氣，而且寄託著中華文化海納百川，飛揚升騰的美好理想。田家青先生將這種真正蘊含中國精神的龍形像用於施坦威鋼琴的“龍形徽標”設計當中，大氣、文雅、有神韻，圖案更具時代精神，又有中國“CHINA” 的“C ”和“Steinway”字頭“S” 的象形，令史坦威公司非常讚賞，雙方都認為找到了中國龍的真諦。而來自於中國古琴的命名靈感，結合史坦威在古典音樂界的地位，田家青先生為這台九尺音樂會鋼琴取名為“龍韻”。
田先生將家具設計理念和製作技藝運用到“龍韻史坦威”的譜架和琴凳上。譜架為扇形，琴凳則採用古琴桌的造型，二器分別由名貴的檀香紫檀和檀香木製成，體現著“家青制器”的風範。
中國古琴素有將題記刻於琴身的傳統，田先生將鋼琴譜架兩側平台設計成了可以掀啟的冊頁，使用任何筆都可以在木製的頁面上書寫，使此琴具備了給今後收藏者、演奏家簽名題跋或記錄重要演出活動的條件，筆跡沁入木紋，不會隨時間湮滅，而成為歷史傳承的見證。
中央美術學院龔繼遂教授評價說：此琴的成就在於精神層面的創意和理念的創新，其境界高於從形體色彩變化的設計。 “龍韻施坦威”鋼琴的設計和製作，在中西樂器之王的對話中兼收並蓄，參酌取捨，在形而上的寓意上融會貫通，使這架鋼琴成為了可傳世的當代文物。從宏觀上講，田家青的創意方式為西方諸多文化藝術產品與中國文化的結合上開創了新思路。
中國嘉德國際拍賣有限公司市場總監孫杰先生表示：“中國嘉德2012秋拍將首次推出“靈感”設計專場，這架獨一無二的鋼琴更是全場矚目的焦點。藝術品收藏和鑑賞正在逐漸成為當今人們生活的組成部分。這次中國嘉德與施坦威的合作，正是這種趨勢的一次經典體現，相信會給大家帶來一次全新的藝術體驗。”
史坦威歐洲公司總經理兼亞太區總裁胡斯曼先生認為，田先生的設計包含了明式家具理念，並藝術性、思想性、開創性地使用了龍的主題，這是中華文化的象徵。同時，鋼琴與琴凳的組合顯示出一種完美、大氣、引人入勝的設計之感。適逢中國壬辰龍年，此琴成為了中國第一台紀念版史坦威鋼琴。這台施坦威鋼琴，極致融合中國豐富的思想文化與博大悠久的歷史，是當代鋼琴製作的典範，更將是世代傳承的珍寶。
此次史坦威與中國學者的合作無疑取得了巨大成功，並開創了邀請學者來設計的先例。史坦威認為，學者更加註重精神層面上的開掘與運用，這對於鋼琴設計來說，是內在氣質的塑造，是精神與實物的完美結合。田家青先生將設計由物象拓展至氣韻，將給予這台史坦威鋼琴更永久的生命力。
“龍韻史坦威”即將參拍中國嘉德國際拍賣有限公司10月31日下午3點的“靈感——藝術設計專場”。中國嘉德2012秋拍將於10月25日至27日預展，10月28日至31日拍賣，地點均在北京國際飯店會議中心。
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