[CAUT] Touch ups.. (and I ain't talking about makeup)

[wimblees at aol.com]

Michelle

Pianos are one thing. But harpsichords are another story. They do go 
out of tune at the drop of a hat. If one is used in both halves of a 
concert, like a baroque recital or opera, then I would definitely go on 
stage and do a touch up.

Wim
Willem Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
School of Music
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL USA

-----Original Message-----
From: Michelle Stranges <stranges at oswego.edu>
To: College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Mon, 8 May 2006 16:29:42 -0400
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Touch ups.. (and I ain't talking about makeup)

Hey Alan and everyone else who chimed in..

Thanx very much for all of your posts.
I think this is very interesting reading and intermission touch-ups 
aren't something I see much of anymore.
(And I think I used to????)

The college I work at rarely has an occasion where I'd need to go up 
during an intermission- but I'll be honest here...

The reason I sorta posted this subject was because of my recent 
experience touching up a harpsichord during an all- baroque recital in 
our concert series.

Thank heavens I had tuned the harpsichord PLENTY up to and right before 
the concert so that the tuning was quite solid and held well throught 
the concert..

But CLEARLY, when it was touch-up time at intermission it was almost 
comical how more time was spent showing the art chairperson what was 
going on, what the instrument was, and how I *would* try to cook 
asparagus like she had explained to me earlier that day at lunch.
(And they set up for the cantata then too...)

 and yeah...

when I was done, three goons I knew in the audience gave me a darn good 
standing ovation.

Heck yeah I bowed.

:B
her


On May 8, 2006, at 3:59 PM, Alan McCoy wrote:

> Hi Michelle,
>
> Ditto lots of these comments. Earplugs do help you focus on the > 
task at hand
> as well as protect your ears. I use Westone plugs with 9 dB filters.
>
> But it is an impossible situation. It is definitely possible to > 
make an
> improvement, but it is equally possible to make things a bit worse > 
than they
> were before you walked on the stage (to steal the spotlight, geez > 
Dennis,
> you must be kidding!!).
>
> I only go out if the artist's contract requires it or if I am > 
otherwise
> asked to. Our orchestra usually schedules the concerto in one half > 
or the
> other, but not both. I go to lots of performances, by choice, and I > 
have
> adopted the "what will be, will be" approach. These days I'm less > 
concerned
> with unisons going out, than the voice. I have the luxury of tuning > 
and
> voicing these instruments (at school and for the orchestra) often > 
so unisons
> are normally very solid but the voice does change amazingly fast. 
Also
> listen for zings to attend to next time.
>
> Alan
>
>
> -- Alan McCoy, RPT
> Eastern Washington University
> amccoy at mail.ewu.edu
> 509-359-4627
>
>
>> From: Michelle Stranges <stranges at oswego.edu>
>> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" >> 
<caut at ptg.org>
>> Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 14:24:59 -0400
>> To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" >> 
<caut at ptg.org>
>> Subject: [CAUT] Touch ups.. (and I ain't talking about makeup)
>>
>> I would like to read some chit-chat on how everyone handles
>> intermission tuning touchups if you have such an occasion to do so.
>> How many of you do them?
>> Only at solo piano recitals?
>> (Does the stage manager bring a curtain across for privacy/quiet.)
>>
>>
>> Welp?
>>
>> :B
>> A concerned citizen
>>
>