The link to the recorded interview quoted in the Berg letter David refers to is incorrect. The correct link is: http://freshair.npr.org/guestFA.cfm . Search for "Keith Jarrett". Listening to the interview, I would agree with David's interpretation. David Skolnik skolnik@attglobal.net At 09:46 AM 01/24/2001 -0500, you wrote: >Dear List, > >Many of you may have read the article "Future Piano" in the September 2000 >issue Keyboard Magazine in which the installation of Precision TouchDesign >in Keith Jarrett's piano is mentioned. > >You may also have heard the interview on NPR's "Fresh Air" with Jarrett in >which he mentions special work done on his piano by Stanwood and makes >comments about the voicing of his hammers which many misconstrued to mean >as a problem with his action. (Chris Solliday has since taken care of >these problems by voicing Jarrett's hammers and adjusting the touch of his >action to suit his changing needs.) > >You may have also read the letter in the December Keyboard Magazine by a >Mr. Berg in which he gives misleading comments based on the interview. > >In defense of my work, which is for the general benefit of all piano >technicians, I am sharing with all of you the text of the letter by Mr. >Berg along with my response to the editors of Keyboard Magazine: > >Regards, > >David C. Stanwood > >******************* >Letters to the Editor >Keyboard Magazine December 2000 > >Re: Piano Mania > >In the September issue on page 38 you refer to Keith Jarrett having had >work done on his Steinway by David Stanwood. On NPR on Sept 11, Terry >Gross interveiwed Jarrett, and he said he now thinks this work has to be >redone. This interview can be retrieved at: >http://whyy.org/cgi-bin/SAshowretrieve.cgi?2965 > >John A. Berg >Seattle WA >******************* >Keyboard Magazine >January 23, 2001 > >Dear Editors > >I read the letter by John A. Berg in the December issue of Keyboard >Magazine regarding David Stanwood's installation of Precision TouchDesign >on Keith Jarrett's piano. Mr. Berg states incorrectly that Jarrett said >"he now thinks this work has to be redone." I listened carefully to the >portion of the Terry Gross/Fresh Air interview on NPR from which Mr. Berg >draws his conclusion. Jarrett talks about recording "The Melody At Night, >With You". This is where the confusion comes from: > >Jarrett: "So it (his piano) had these two major modifications, (New Hammers >and Stanwood's work) and it was settling in. It was very green when I >recorded that music. And since that recording, it's gotten worse and >worse. In other words, it was meant to happen when it happened. It.. you >know, pianos actually change a lot over time and it was at a certain little >phase of its new-bornness that must have coincided with my newborn >relationship to the keyboard." GROSS: "So can you not use it anymore?" >JARRETT: "Well, I wouldn't. I'd have to have it worked on to.. if I wanted >to do any more music like that, I'd have to have it.. some attempt made >at.. I don't know what. I wouldn't even know how to explain to someone >what would make the sound right." > >Jarrett's comment: "I wouldn't even know how to explain to someone what >would make the sound right." clearly refers to changes in the tone related >to the new hammers. Furthermore when I first heard this interview I >telephoned Chris Solliday in Deleware Water Gap, PA to check if Jarrett was >happy with my work. Solliday is the piano technician who takes care of the >piano in question, a 1974 Hamburg Steinway C in Jarrett's studio. He >reports that Jarrett is presently happy with the piano. > >David C. Stanwood >Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts > >P.S. - Many listeners were left confused by the radio interview. >The best way I can respond is to share with your readers that portion of >the interview in which Jarrett discusses my work: > >Excerpt from "Fresh Air" on National Public Radio, September 11, 2000, with >host Terry Gross Interviewing Keith Jarrett. > >JARRETT: Now there's so much to say about each song (on the Album "The >Melody At Night, With You,"), because of the way the piano.. I had had my >piano overhauled with a special action.. a major change in the action. It >gets technical if I try to describe it, but all the things that happened >that were a part of that recording, without one of them, it would have >failed. I would have, maybe, had something to give to my wife, but I >wouldn't have listened to it and thought it would translate into everyone's >home. > >GROSS: So what you did was change the action on the piano so that you could >have a lighter touch and still have the piano resonate? > >JARRETT: Well, no. It's actually more complicated than that. There's a >thing called the breakaway, which is like surface tension on water. Every >piano.. that's stock from any company that I know of.. has a breakaway. In >other words, when you first push the key down, it's harder, and then it's >not. So if you wanted to play very, very soft, you still would be taking a >giant risk because you'd have to press hard first, and then you'd have to >let up before you hit the string. > >GROSS: Mm-hmm. > >JARRETT: And that's what every pianist is dealing with all the time. And >there.. I heard about someone(David Stanwood) who was able to, using little >springs and a whole barrage of ideas, including taking all the parts out of >the piano, and weighing them all, and making them exactly the same weight.. >every little piece of wood and metal, I guess.. all the bushings. >Everything had to be the same exact weight first. Then he has a way where >that breakaway doesn't exist, but the action's the same weight.. resistance >against your finger. So it's a more liquid action when you press down. If >you want to play loud, you can still play loud, but there's not that >initial snap. You don't need to snap the key. So if you listen to "The >Melody At Night, With You" on a good system, you notice the dynamic range >is pretty wide for a piano recording that sounds so closely miked. And I >think that's a lot to do with that action.
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