Happy Easter !

[Richard Brekne]

Hi folks

Just got back form a nice long Easter vacation and wanted to send along 
my best to one and all.  The spring season is upon us, and here in 
Bergen that means festival time and exams times.  I've been blessed this 
year with getting to take over the full contract for the Festspillene in 
Bergen. Its a very large classical music festival with 50 + piano 
concerts.  Big job really along with the jazz festival, but I'm looking 
forward to it. 

I had a long <<think>> about the last round of soundboard discussions, 
and ended up with lots of mixed feelings.  I find it so hard to 
understand why it seems so difficult for some to be content with just 
doing the best they can, being as creative as they can,... without being 
at the same time compelled to insist on the superiority of their own 
ways and means compared to others who pursue separate  ideas and 
beliefs.  On the other hand, I surely recognize the desire to feel 
acceptance and positive response for ones efforts,... especially in the 
light of a market situation where the cards are most assuredly stacked 
against any newcomer.

Still... its against my grain entirely to mix tastes with facts,  to 
justify ones subjective preferences by appealing selectively to some set 
of facts that fit the bill.   Its funny.  Just a couple days back, a 
young pianist here in Bergen asked me my opinion about two comparatively 
sized grands sitting in one of the professors rooms here at the UiB .  
One a Petrof with brand new Wurzen hammers and a full action balancing 
just done, another a Seiler with a similar job done a couple years back. 
He asked me which one was <<best>>.  Those of you who know me well 
enough probably know how helpless I felt in answering the fellow. 

How does one really answer these charges or questions about what is best 
?  Does one simply stay quite and let each answer the question for ones 
self ? Does one get involved and risk all manner of passionate debate ?  
I guess Ed Foote really got me started on all this train.....  I came to 
learn from his input that a good tuning was simply nothing more then a 
measure of how well a tuner accomplished his/her declared goals.  How 
does one place a value judgment on this or that temperament as being 
inherently better then another ?  And does not that same quandary apply 
to most of what we do? 

Well anyways.....  I trust you all had a nice Easter, and are looking 
forward to the rest of the spring and and then on to whatever your 
summer brings.  For me it will be a very busy time indeed.  All the best.

Richard Brekne