[CAUT] Nice sound can carry

Barbara Richmond piano57@flash.net
Thu, 5 May 2005 09:03:33 -0500


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Hi all,

Last Friday night there was an concert at the big (nearly 3500 seats), =
acoustically marginal, auditorium I work for.  This was the first =
*major* performance for this Steinway D, since I rebuilt the action.  =
When I was hired on there, we had (or I thought we had) an agreement =
that the piano would always be amplified.  Keeping that in mind while =
voicing, I just made it the most musical instrument I could.  When a =
local professor came to test the piano, I did notice that it had no =
problem filling the (empty) hall on its own.

So, along comes the orchestra and its soloist, a Russian fellow from =
Birmingham (Hey, Wim, I took extra time on that una corda!), playing =
Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini.  As the rehearsal set up =
started, I went to talk to the orchestra's stage manager about miking.  =
"Nope, we never use amplification."  I just about fainted.

I was at the back of the hall for the performance.  The piano could be =
heard (though I wouldn't have minded if it had just a bit more power).  =
Which proves to me that one doesn't need hammers voiced like granite to =
carry--a belief, I'm afraid, that prevails around "these parts."  =20

A pianist I know was also sitting in the last row (I had told her this =
was the new action's maiden run).  After the performance she came up to =
me and said, "The piano sounded fabulous----what nuances!"   God Bless =
her--those nuances, that's what I shoot for!  When I went backstage, I =
also had compliments from some orchestra members.  The soloist didn't =
say much (and I had been told that he doesn't say much), but he did nod =
at me when I saw him at intermission, so I guess it was acceptable.


Whew!

Barbara Richmond, RPT
Braden Auditorium at Illinois State University

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