This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Ed Carwithen=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: February 20, 2003 2:23 PM Subject: artist's touch His performance was of the highest caliber, and he deserved the = standing O that he got. In rehearsal and in performance it was obvious = that he is highly gifted and dedicated, as well as knowledgeable to the = point of obsession about the Tchaikovsky concerto. It is just that his = concerns about the piano were curious to me. As an expert on the Tchaikovsky concerto, Mr Atamian is surely aware = that the Piano Concerto No. 1 was written in 1875, a time of transition = for the piano. The pianos available to Mr Tchaikovsky would have had = quite soft and resilient hammers and the instruments on which he would = have played would have had, by today's standards, relatively light = actions. With few exceptions, the actions would have been light and = quick. They would not have produced sounds anywhere close to the = threshold of pain, indeed they would have produced a tone that was = relatively light and dynamic but not overly powerful. If he is to be = truly obsssive about this, perhaps his performance should reflect his = obsession. What steps could a tech make to put more resistance in the piano? = Especially between Friday night and Saturday afternoon? Is this a = common complaint with artists? How about the business with the keys = being dry. I thought that artists wished the keys to be clean and dry = so their fingers didn't slide. That is the opposite of what he wanted. For Rubenstein we sprayed hairspray on the keys to give them some = additional texture. After the performance it would wash off fairly = easily with water and a bit of Ivory soap. Del ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/ad/34/1c/4a/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC