[CAUT] Adams 1/4 tone sharp piano

[Jeff Tanner]

On Mar 23, 2006, at 11:36 AM, Wolfley, Eric ((wolfleel)) wrote:

> I found out this morning that the piece they are doing is “On The  
> Transmigration of Souls” whichAdams wrote for the NY Philharmonic  
> after the 9/11 attacks. Premiered Sept., 2002.
>
>

Does anybody have any insight into just exactly WHY John Adams  
thought the pitch needed to be 1/4 step sharp?
Me thinks that would put unnecessary risk to the stringed instruments  
as well.  And wouldn't you just about have to have wind instruments  
custom made to tune that sharp?

I just pulled the piano up 50 cents with no protests or breakage. I  
wore eye protection.

I'd have probably worn some kind of helmet too, and hoped somebody  
saw me and realized how silly it was to put a piano tuner in that  
kind of danger just because a composer thought it might be cute to  
tune everything up a 1/4 step.

I’ve never tuned a piano this sharp before, but so far - so good.

Anybody calculated what the new tension would be on that piano?

Jeff


Jeff Tanner, RPT
University of South Carolina



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