Commodo Theme 3:

Theme 3: Concert 3 8th June 2011
The differences in piano tone in the third theme are clearly audible. The higher key transposition to C major of the 1st theme played with more pianissimo than theme 1, has brought out ‘brightness’ in the Stuart sound, and a more ‘round’, ‘mellow’ tone of the Steinway.

Theme 3: Concert 6 11th April 2012
In the first melodic phrase of theme 3, the Stuart is played with more legato than the Steinway. The Stuart’s ascending chromatic line is rounder in tone than Steinway. As the line crescendos the tone of the Steinway ‘brightens’ more than the Stuart. At the return to the A major key, the lower register, the left hand quavers of the Stuart are more pronounced than on the Steinway. The balance between the treble and bass is more subtly enunciated in the Steinway sound, as it was in theme 1.

Conclusion Commodo concerts 3 & 6

With the same pianist performing identical music on the Stuart and Steinway pianos, a range of timbre was exhibited which supports the range of perceptual audience responses. In Commodo both pianos produced a more mellow (less bright) tone when the left hand quavers were played more prominently. The louder attack of the Stuart notes in the tenor register, the left hand quavers of theme 1, was a distinctive difference in the piano sounds. The playing of theme 2 of Commodo in concert 3, displayed a difference in how the pianist accentuated melodic quavers, possibly in musical reaction to the difference in piano sound, with more detached shorter notes being played on the Stuart piano, and a more cantabile interpretation played on the Steinway. The playing of theme 2 at both concerts 3&6,