Fred: Just musing here, but I do think a "reliable" regulation has some merit. I've regulated pianos to the gnat's eyelash and had it go south on me making blocking hammers, or double striking hammers. Generally, when you go back to fix that you say something about fine regulation being very close to blocking. I don't think the customers are impressed at that point. You regulated, you had to come back and fix it. In their mind it was wrong. I heard Bill Garlick once tell a class that if you're going to regulate it that close make sure to hang around for the concert! I live 17 miles from the school so I do tend to like a "safe" regulation. I don't set it at 3mm but I don't like it so close that you can kind of feel the hammer letting off on the string. In addition, in a recital hall seating 500 there is seldom any playing done at the pppp level such that the note would miss. Most recital playing is pp to sfffffff! I enjoyed his perspective and his comments on voicing. I too mainly worry about the striking surface though I understand that this is somewhat controversial. Whatever floats your boat! dave __________________________________________ David M. Porritt, RPT Meadows School of the Arts Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX 75275 ----- Original message ----------------------------------------> From: Fred Sturm <fssturm@unm.edu> To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org> Received: Sat, 29 May 2004 14:11:26 -0600 Subject: Re: Practical Concert Work >--On Saturday, May 29, 2004 1:00 PM -0500 "David M. Porritt" ><dporritt@mail.smu.edu> wrote: >> Richard: >> >> In Part 1 of the series he states "....I never imagined I would spend ten >> years as the technician for one of the big five American Orchestras." >> He is a member of the Chicago chapter so unless he travels A LOT I'd have >> to guess that he is the tech for the Chicago Symphony. >> >> dave >> >> >> __________________________________________ >> David M. Porritt, RPT >> Meadows School of the Arts >> Southern Methodist University >> Dallas, TX 75275 > That is probably the case. I don't like to run down any fellow tech - he >probably is found to do reliable quality work. But Ron Coners told me last >fall that David Barenboim insists on flying Coners out to Chicago to prep >the piano any time he (Barenboim) plays it. Barenboim being the conductor >of the Chicago Symphony, and a remarkable pianist as well. So who knows? > I do hate to see anyone giving out what I consider to be misinformation, >though. Maybe his system works for him, but my experience says that >pianists appreciate the "finer and finer circles of refinement." Maybe you >can get by with that kind of attitude - which I would describe as avoiding >complaints rather than seeking perfection - but noone will leave a note for >you thanking you profusely for a "wonderful instrument that almost plays >itself" or the like. I'm not a starry-eyed idealist, but I do try to put >out the special effort for those concert instruments, in hopes of helping >someone "create magic." I don't think you can create much magic on an >instrument prepped as he describes. >Regards, >Fred >_______________________________________________ >caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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