Piano out of tune on recording

[Kent Swafford]

Bill Bremmer wrote:

>Dear List,
>
>Today I got a remastered version of the classic Jazz recording "Time Out" 
>made in 1959 by Dave Brubeck.  It is the album with the well known cuts, 
>"Take Five" and "Blue Rondo A LA Turk".  While listening to it on my 
>computer, I noticed particularly on the cut, "Strange Meadow Lark" that the 
>piano is out of tune.  It would not be acceptable today at all.

You are right, of course. But there is no end to the recorded history of 
untuned pianos.

I just typed out some examples I have heard of bad pianos on recordings, 
but I hit the delete button. The magic is in the musician, after all. 
Isn't it remarkable that moving and timeless musical performances happen 
in spite of everything working against their ever happening? I would a 
say poorly-tuned piano is only one of uncountable adversities that 
pianists must face in order for them to do what they do. It is amazing 
what great musicians accomplish in spite of it all.

Kent Swafford

PS -- OK, one example. The classic 1963 jazz recording of Bill Evans' 
"Conversations With Myself" consists of Mr. Evans playing piano with 
recordings of himself playing the same piano. But I think the recording 
sessions went on long enough that the piano drifted. The piano is out of 
tune with its recorded self. Great music though.

KES