, spanning exactly seven and a quarter octaves.
The note was sharp, pure, and piercing. It cut through the fading rumble of the bass notes like a single star appearing in a dark night sky. It did not linger; it lacked the heavy copper windings of the lower strings to sustain a long vibration. It rang out brilliantly and then vanished into the silence of the hall.
were the steady, warm melody of his middle age. Clear, resonant, and balanced. Here lived the memory of his late wife’s laughter and the frantic, joyful chaos of raising their children.
were the heavy thunder of his youth. Guttural, booming, and full of raw, untamed power. He pressed the keys hard, feeling the thick bass strings vibrate straight through the floorboards and into the soles of his shoes.