It's Alive!!!!

Roger Jolly roger.j@sasktel.net
Wed, 03 Dec 2003 11:02:16 -0600


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Hi Wim,
                 Comments like, "It is stiffer".  Is all too often tone 
related.  Just last weekend I had this comment from Vladimir Viardo, who 
was playing Rach2, sprayed the strike points with hair spray, and he 
thought I was a genius.  He thanked me for making the action more even and 
lighter.   (Chuckling)  All I did was spray the hammers.5 mins work 
tops.  Next time I see the piano, buff off the Hair Spray crust with 400 
grit paper.  Now how do I charge for  for a full voicing job?

Since you are getting these comments from visiting performers of out 
standing quality, it really sounds as if the piano needs more tone 
building,  Are your Profs  in the league of Misha Dichter?    OMG 
University politics.  <G>

Walk carefully and carry a big stick.
Roger



At 03:19 PM 12/1/2003, you wrote:
>Well, actually, it's dead. At least that is what Olga Kern told me last 
>week. She was here to give a recital. I prepped our new D, and put it in 
>the middle of the stage. At 6:30 I stopped by to see if there was at i 
>wasnything she needed. She said, "This piano is dead." I said it was only 
>a year old, and had probably only been played about a dozen times. She 
>said, it sounded like it. I should have kept my mouth shut, but I offered 
>her our 14 year D, which was sittting off stage. After playing just 3 
>chords, she said she wanted to play the recital on that piano, but only 
>after warming up on it. I had 15 minutes to tune it before the doors 
>opened. Unfortunately, by the end of the fist half, there were several 
>notes that didn't make it.
>
>But that is not what I'm here to complain about. Olga was not the first 
>pianist to complain about the new piano. Last March Misha Dichter had the 
>same complaint. (but at least he gave me 2 hours to prep the older piano). 
>My question is, how do I put more "life" into a new piano? As I said, the 
>piano only comes out of it's hiding place for special occasions. (No, sun 
>down is not a special occasion here in Alabama, especially not on 
>Sundays.) Since we got the piano in August of last year, there have been 
>about 12 performances on it. The piano is voiced, regulated, etc., so I 
>don't quite understand when a performer says there is no life in the 
>piano. Not even our piano faculty agrees with that, although they do think 
>the piano is a little stiffer than the older one.
>
>Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
>
>Wim
>Willem Blees, RPT
>Piano tuner/technician
>School of Music
>University of Alabama

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