Madam, - Sean Ó Mordha's documentary on the piano (screened on RTÉ1 on Tuesday, January 7th) was as splendid a piece of television as we have come to expect from that gifted film-maker. However, a central theme of the documentary, an assertion that the piano is the king of instruments raised my - admittedly biased - hackles.
Hugh Tinney's love and enthusiasm for the instrument of which he is such a distinguished exponent is indeed understandable, but it was no less an eminence than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who bestowed on the organ the monarchical title which Mr Tinney seems so anxious to arrogate to the piano. I quote from a letter of the composer to his father of October 17th, 1777: "'What? [Herr Stein said.\] A man like you, so fine a clavier player, wants to play on an instrument which has no douceur, no expression, no piano, no forte, but is always the same?'
'That does not matter,' I replied. 'In my eyes and ears the organ is the king of instruments.'"
I rest my case! - Yours, etc.,
Prof GERARD GILLEN,
Titular Organist,
Pro-Cathedral,
Dublin 1.