Re: Piano pedal gradual release

[Andrew Bernard]

Hello Phil,

I don't write this stuff, I am merely the harmless drudge that tries to 
engrave it!

Although I think it's somewhat stupid, I will say, speaking as somebody 
who has made harpsichords most of my life, and messed around with many 
keyboard instruments, it is possible to hear very, very small sound 
differences as the dampers get closer to the strings. But it's 
microscopic, if present at all and I doubt any audience would ever hear 
it. But I have seen other composers write the same thing also. I think 
it's a type of modernist composer shared delusion.

The things we engravers have to put up with!

Andrew


On 30/11/19 9:24 pm, Phil Holmes wrote:
> What on earth does a gradual piano pedal release achieve?  Either the 
> dampers are touching the strings or they're not, so it's in effect a 
> binary choice.  So a gradual release simply makes the time the sustain 
> ends somewhat arbitrary.