This is way off topic,but what does NPT stand for?Or NRP for that matter. Robin Olson RPT ----- Original Message ----- From: Sarah Fox <sarah@gendernet.org> Date: Sunday, May 25, 2003 12:46 pm Subject: Re: Ahmad Jamal > Hi Rich! > > I wonder if some of the difference might be that jazz pianists are > so often envelope pushers -- in the same sense that Franz Liszt > was an envelope pusher. What they are able to write/perform > depends very much on the technology beneath their fingertips. > Classical pianists, on the other hand, are performing what has > already been written -- within the limitations of existing piano > technology. I suspect there may be more enthusiasm on the part of > a jazz musician when his instrument is suddenly able to "do" more > than it did before. In the world of jazz, including composition > and improvisation, that means expanding the "vocabulary" with > which they can work. For a classical pianist, that means being > able to play better what has already been played before. > > I'm also captivated by the expressiveness of jazz piano. (As a > classical pianist, I'm rather envious of the jazz masters and wish > I could "do" the things they do! But I'm also that way about all > forms of expression, like opera -- wow!) I wonder if the abundant > "enunciation" and "punctuation" of jazz piano requires more of the > instrument. Or perhaps it only requires *different* things of the > instrument. I'm not versed in jazz performance, so I don't really > know. > I've often wondered why performance pianos don't ship with > multiple actions for different performer preferences. Take out > one, slide in the other. Different piano! Two pianos at far less > the cost of two. It would make sense to me... > > Peace, > Sarah Diane Fox, Ph.D., NPT > Columbus, Ohio, United States of America > > I spent some time reflecting on your post re: an appreciative > Ahmad Jamal (' nothing improves hearing more than praise' ) and > the marked difference in 'attitude' you have experienced between > classical and jazz pianists. One of the reasons I am studying > posts on list (and attempting to share my own > experiences/perceptions) is to educate myself (as a pianist) about > my instrument. Learning about the instrument helps me to > understand limitations imposed by design and materials, condition, > regulation, artist ability, and artist preference, and to be able > to distinguish one from the other. Accurate articulation and > realistic expectation of my preferences is a benefit of this > education. It is a humbling process. I am hopeful that performers > and technicians will become more willing to collaborate in each > others education. > > For an artist/performer to vent their frustration toward a > technician (especially in public) is not only ill mannered. It is > very likely unproductive. > > Some perceptions/observations (not the same as justifications): > > Historically, jazz artists acquire (they have to in order to > survive) a wider intonation tolerance. > Historically, classical pianists are coddled & too many people > put up with the outbursts. > In general I think jazz artists are more acclimated to a variety > of performance distractions. > I think classical pianists experience (real or perceived) > greater pressure for 'note perfect' performances than jazz pianists. > There are 'strictly solo' classical pianists than 'strictly > solo' jazz pianists. (A jazz pianist likely has much broader > ensemble experience > than solo classical pianist. If you throw a fit at an ensemble > gig you distract and piss off other colleagues, and likely get > direct feedback about it!) > > Hope you enjoyed the party. > > and oh yeah, thank you for graciously sharing your > knowledge/experience. > Best, > > Richard Lawrence Olmsted Jr. NRP > > > > > > > Hi folks > > Just got back from tuning this beautiful nearly new Hamburg D > for Ahmad > Jamal who's in town. He asked me if the piano was sent up from > Paris specially for him. Very nice fellow, made a point out of > telling his > bass player and percussionist to quite down when he called "the > technician" on stage. Smiled at me and said "theres a > difference you > know". (technician visa vi tuner) > > Struck me, as more and more I get a sense that Jazz pianists > are much > more in touch with their instrument and what it can and cant > do, what to > expect from a piano tech and what not to, and in general being > able to > relax and make music.... get << that sound >> they are after, > to a > significantly greater degree then classical pianists. I find > classical players very often to be easily disturbed by the > slightest things and > very willing to lash out at the nearest and best potential > recipient of > wrath... quite often the piano tech, quite often venting > frustration with their own inability to live up to their own > expectations. > I heard a story not long ago about a former professor (from > Bergen) who > upon visiting a conservatory in Sweden, lashed out at the > technician in > full public and demanded she make certain adjustments before > he would > play. He left the room for a while and she took out her tool > box and did > basically nothing for 10 minutes being consoled by a few > onlookers who > obviously had understood the situation. Upon returning the > fellow sat > down and played a bit and smiled hugely " MUCH BETTER" !!! > > You know... I have run into exactly one such similiar story > about a jazz > pianist in near 30 years of work now. Keith Jarett, and my own > personal experience with him on one occasion was quite > eventless. I'm sure it > happens more often then this with jazz players.. but still.... > there is > a marked difference. > > Anyways.... I have to admit... I've learned a lot about pianos > from working around classical pianists. And thats good as I > have an awfull > lot yet to learn, but it is so refreshing to run into these > fellows with > such a positive attitude from time to time. > > I dont get to sit in on his concert as I am at a 50th birthday > party this evening, but I did get to hear about 45 minutes of > warm up / sound > check. Nice !!! > > Cheers > RicB > > -- > Richard Brekne > RPT, N.P.T.F. > UiB, Bergen, Norway > rbrekne@broadpark.no > http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html > http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > >
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