Through the Night

[kernelbogey]

28.1.25 05:44 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791): Piano Concerto no 26 in D major, K.537 'Coronation'
Christian Ihle Hadland (piano), Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Pietari Inkinen (conductor)

There was a curious extraneous noise in this performance - only during passages in which the piano was playing. A knocking noise, sometimes in time with the music, sometimes not. In the end I decided that a microphone had been placed in such a way as to pick up the soloist's pedalling. Anyone else notice this? Any pianists' views?

[Aotearoa]

It's Through the Day for me in NZ and Shea and Swain are impeccable pronouncers of the foreign word - commendable

[Ein Heldenleben]

28.1.25 05:44 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791): Piano Concerto no 26 in D major, K.537 'Coronation'
Christian Ihle Hadland (piano), Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Pietari Inkinen (conductor)

There was a curious extraneous noise in this performance - only during passages in which the piano was playing. A knocking noise, sometimes in time with the music, sometimes not. In the end I decided that a microphone had been placed in such a way as to pick up the soloist's pedalling. Anyone else notice this? Any pianists' views?

It’s probably pedal related -as it seems to be happening from time to time on chords and not during scales ( a bit of a pedalling no-no in Mozart) . The piano is closely miked . It could be a noisy pedal or even the sound of the dampers coming off the strings as the pedal is depressed. . Pedalling isn’t always in time with the music ..it’s a bit of a dark art really. Went to see Elizabeth Brauss play Mozart No . 9 on Thursday and was amazed how much she used the pedal - half bars , even every crotchet. There even seemed to be a bit of half pedalling. What’s superb pianist she is .

PS Yep the noise is pervasive in the Andante where you’d expect to get more pedalling . It’s in time with the harmonic changes and you can hear the pedal release and damper move during the scale/decoration passages. A shame really as it’s a nice performance.
Also a tremendous cougher in the audience. Who would be a concert pianist ?

[kernelbogey]

It’s probably pedal related -as it seems to be happening from time to time on chords and not during scales ( a bit of a pedalling no-no in Mozart)...
PS Yep the noise is pervasive in the Andante where you’d expect to get more pedalling ... It’s in time with the harmonic changes and you can hear the pedal release and damper move during the scale/decoration passages. A shame really as it’s a nice performance.....

Many thanks, EH. It's only the second time I've heard a TTN performance that wasn't quite the full shilling technically.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Many thanks, EH. It's only the second time I've heard a TTN performance that wasn't quite the full shilling technically.

To be honest the pedal shouldn’t be audible unless the microphones are placed really close to it or the dampers. It’s maybe a tiny fault on the piano possibly the rods that connect the pedal to the rest of the mechanism. I think technicians carry piano pedal grease for squeaks as a matter of course. It’s possible it wasn’t even audible to the player.
As for technical faults live recordings tend to be full of them but most “normal “ people don’t notice them especially on TV.