Pumped-up piano

I recall my enthusiasm after receiving an invitation to play Horowitz’s Steinway in 1993 [“As Barry Bonds, so Mr. Horowitz,” June 18]. I vividly remember my amazement after touching the ivory keys and discovering the exceptional beauty of tone and utmost sensitivity of the action of this great example of a classic Steinway grand. One of the author’s statements attracted my attention: “Obviously, Horowitz took most of his sound to the grave.”

Fortunately that is not the case. Researchers in the 20th century observing piano playing and listening to the sound of great pianists of the past (Horowitz among them) were able to unlock many of the secrets of their playing. With seemingly effortless approach, with minimal motions of hands and arms, these performers could achieve lightning-fast speed, orchestral sonority and projection of the quietest sound to the last row of a concert hall. In their playing, the piano never sounded as a percussive instrument but always had attractive singing quality that touched the hearts of audiences.

In the 1980s and 1990s, my husband, Mikhail Niks, inspired by the precision and perfection of the physical approach of Horowitz, discovered the role of the shoulder muscles in supporting the arm without stiffness of joints, the phenomenon responsible for the powerful sound in piano playing.

INESSA NIKS

Redlands