Pianists of

Hello group, Often I see descriptions of A.B. Michelangeli calling him a 'masterful colorist' or something similar. Other times a writer will refer to Richter's distinctive 'sound'. While I can distinguish elements of style, basically all piano players have the same basic timbre to my ears. As I am not as experienced listener as many here, could somebody shed some light on this idea? How is a pianist able to change the timbre or color of his/her instrument? I assume the main factors must be the attack, the dynamics, and use of pedal - how correct is this? Also, any suggestions for comparing and contrasting recordings to demonstrate this concept would be greatly appreciated. This has been bugging me for a while. I know there is a piano newsgroup somewhere, but since I read this group regularly, I decided to post here. Thanks,

In Michelangeli's case, he changed the timbre of his instrument by having a team of professionals prepare it to absolute perfection before he deigned to play a single note. Richter, on the other hand, would readily play whatever was available. He seemed to be able to command any and all pianos to breathe fire. Similarly, Rachmaninoff in his recordings didn't always have the choice of the best instruments. The early Edison records were made on a shoddy upright, and his sound is still golden. Some of the best Messiaen I've ever heard was played by my friend Steve Shuck on a cruddy, out-of-tune Yamaha grand in Dascomb Lounge at Oberlin. A great pianist can render the humblest piano majestic, it seems.

If I knew their secrets, believe me, I would use them.

Oops!

First we need to understand what are your listening habits. That might shed some light on the reason(s) you have not been able to discern color in pianists' playing.

What repertoire have you listened to