tuning for the dead

[Tvak@aol.com]

Sunday AM got a call from the music director of the Court Theater in Chicago. 
 The play presently in previews at that theater is a play-with-music called, 
"The Dead".  They rented a piano from a local dealer and the dealer sent a 
tuner with whom they were not pleased.  Seems there's a harmonium used in the 
production and the piano sounds horrible with the harmonium.  So, at the drop 
of a hat, I drove down to the theater. 

First I checked the piano.  It was 25 cents flat and it was tuned just 5 days 
earlier!  No wonder it didn't sound good with the harmonium which was at 441.

Then I went to the harmonium and measured every note of the temperament 
octave with RCT.  A4 was above 440, while most other notes in the temperament 
octave were below 440.  I offset all the pitches to match the harmonium and 
tuned the piano to those settings.  Definitely not an equal temperament, but 
nothing too far out to cause trouble.  (At the same time, I don't think I'll 
be saving those settings for use on other non-harmonium-linked pianos.)

All in all, I felt that this strategy was a risk, and I shared that with the 
music director;  that if he preferred, I could simply tune the piano to 
itself, but that I was sure it would blend with the harmonium the way I tuned 
it.

Anyway, long-story-long, they loved it.  I'll be tuning that piano twice a 
week through the end of the year, so it was certainly worthwhile for me to 
jump in the shower that Sunday AM and traipse downtown.  

I did miss the first three quarters of the Bears game, but was back home in 
time to see Jim Miller take over and win the game in OT.  (Overtime, and 
Off-Topic, too!)

Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Tom S