I read with interest the comments made by Douglas Henderson concerning
the Yamaha e-competition.  My interest is heightened by the fact that
I downloaded all the competition files and have recently had the
opportunity to hear these on a brand new C7 Disklavier Pro.

Compared to most solenoid pianos, the Pro uses a different arrangement
to play the notes in that each key solenoid is controlled throughout its
entire stroke.  The system also incorporates "feedback", so a sticky
key is no longer a problem, as the electronics will still ensure the
note is played at the correct velocity.  Therefore, the Pro gives key
aftertouch and the most magical soft playing.

I have been listening to piano rolls, solenoid pianos and live piano
music for over 25 years, and in some ways nothing surprises me anymore.
Until I heard the e-competition files on the Pro.  I was gobsmacked at
the high level of performance, not only of the contestants, but the
Pro.  I could observe some keys rising more slowly than others (usually
the key played by the fourth finger), all trills just as the pianist
would have played them, crescendos and diminuendos to die for, and a
totally clear focus with all notes sounding as they must have been
intended to.

I can understand a professional pianist being "under impressed" at
having to judge a pianistic performance electronically.  But if the
judges heard the same sort of reproduction as I heard, I feel sure they
would be able to make an excellent appraisal of each performance.
Although not a concert pianist by any means, I play the piano to a
sufficient level to be aware of the many factors that need to be
reproduced.  In my opinion, the Disklavier Pro is pretty close.

Certainly nothing beats the "real thing", but I believe there is merit
in competitions such as this one.  In a conventional piano competition,
judges watch the pianists as they perform, but I have often wondered
how much this affects the judgements.  In an e-competition, judges hear
only the music.  If this is all that is to be judged, then perhaps an
e-competition is fairer.

I have attended most of the Sydney International Piano Competitions
since their inception, and the level of performance of the
e-contestants was, in my view, as high as I've heard in any piano
competition.  The mistakes were there, but so was a feeling of
excitement.  I could feel that the contestants were putting their
all into each performance, the emotions, all I would expect to hear.
Except I heard it in Sydney Australia.

I heartily applaud Yamaha's attempt to promote young talent in a
setting that uses technology.  I also thank Yamaha for allowing people
to freely use the competition MIDI files for personal enjoyment.  As a
publicity stunt, it has won me.  I own a C7 Disklavier (not the Pro),
and after hearing the e-competition on both, I agree the Pro is the
better performer.

I would certainly prefer to hear these contestants on a conventional
Disklavier or a Pro rather than through loud speakers.  There is no
speaker yet made that can make a recorded piano sound real.  And few
sound systems can drive the sound level to equal that of a full-on
concert grand playing FFFF.  I enjoy listening to recordings, but for
real pleasure I go for a reproducing piano, because only then are you
getting as close as you possibly can to reproducing the original sound,
and on a Pro, virtually every aspect of the performance.

Peter Phillips - Electronic Editorials NSW
Sydney, Australia