[CAUT] Keith Kirchoff

[David Ilvedson]

I have the most problems with latin pianist who use the piano as a rhythm instrument, especially with a montuno for 20 minutes as hard as can compete with the timbale's...'-[

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "Jim Busby" <jim_busby at byu.edu>
To: caut at ptg.org
Received: 3/22/2010 11:18:01 AM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Keith Kirchoff


>All,

>Keith played here 2 weeks ago. Nice enough fellow. I've never seen a piece like this 
>before, and I wish I would have known because I would have preferred that he NOT 
>play that repertoire on our #1 piano! We have another piano that we bring in for 
>prepared things and more "inside the piano" stuff. I'm very open minded about new 
>music, but am also very protective of certain pianos. Aside from demolishing a piano 
>onstage etc. we try to accommodate most anything we can... within reason.

>But, where and how do we draw lines here? The stage managers had no idea until 
>she witnessed the concert. Do you question each performer beforehand, "Now, 
>what is your repertoire, and will you be smacking the heck out of the piano?" We 
>usually don't tune Friday nights, and our Hamburg D is usually pretty good for the 
>Saturday recitals... Boy was that not the case here! 

>Like David S. said, the composer and composition need to be considered. The bottom 
>line for me is in our piano policy;

>"Extreme volume. There is a fine line to be drawn between passionate musical 
>expression and outright banging on a piano. Please use good judgment when playing 
>above a forte. Harsh playing is damaging and will not be tolerated."

>But how do you approach this with an artist????

>And we were told afterwards that Keith may have "tuned" the piano... Another no 
>no to me. But what can we do?

>Jim Busby
>BYU