In 25+ years of university service, I see less and less prepared piano all of the time. Is it in decline? Or perhaps those who practice it are more well-educated about damages and are also leaving pianos cleaner? I am also hearing a significant amount of creative new music which is utilizing the almost unlimited possibilities existing within traditional tonality. -Mike Jorgensen On 5/16/07 7:46 AM, "reggaepass at aol.com" <reggaepass at aol.com> wrote: > Charles and List, > > Our video, "Non-Traditional Piano Use" uses the Bunger text Charles referenced > as the point of departure (doubly handy as the book has long been out of > print). > > Charles, you are so right about extended piano techniques being "here to > stay." Here at CalArts, no one can get a degree without "crawling inside the > belly of the beast" (so to speak) at some point. So, it's not a question of > IF it is going to happen but HOW it is going to happen. That's where we come > in. > > And I couldn't agree more about your "constructive engagement" approach. I, > too, have taken it, and have had similarly positive results, including a > surprising degree of faculty and student support when somebody really does > step out of bounds with their piano (ab)use. > > Regards, > > Alan Eder > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: ckball at mail.utexas.edu > To: caut at ptg.org > Sent: Tue, 15 May 2007 1:23 PM > Subject: Re: [CAUT] Agraffes and dampers > > Dear Colleagues, > > There is an excellent text called The Well-Prepared Piano, by Richard Bunger > (The Colorado College Music Press, 1973), which offers many helpful > instructions for performers. Actually, it is the player who often needs the > most "preparation". > > After a couple of generations of so-called "Extended Techniques", I have > concluded that these practices are here to stay. At one time I took a > prophylactic and obstructive approach to this type of music making. It didn't > seem to help much. I also denigrated this type of music making, which also > seemed to be counter-productive. The students and faculty simply ignored and > circumvented the piano technicians. Several years ago I decided to take a > different approach, and give training and support to the students and faculty. > I have been invited to speak to our composer's forum, and have frequently > worked with individual students who had to do preparation for their recitals. > I would now estimate that 80% or 90% of those who need to perform these > practices come to me first for guidance, and sometimes for mutes and screws > and bolts. At UT we do not have dedicated instruments for extended techniq! > ues, and cosmetic or other damages are rare indeed. In general, I would have > to say that the University Technician will have a happier career if they love > music, are dedicated to musical education, and cultivate a collaborative, > rather than an adversarial, relationship with the faculty and students. > > It is not appropriate for us to officially pass judgment about the value of > different kinds of music making and performance. It is our job to support > performance and instruction and to repair the damage--and to point out any > unfortunate consequences, preferably in advance. Even traditional performance > practices take a toll on instruments, and it is very difficult to keep > institutional instruments in pristine condition at all times. It is > frustrating when damage does occur, and I have produced more than my share of > tantrums and angry memos over the past 40 years, but we do have to remind > ourselves that institutional pianos are somewhat like a NY taxicab, compared > to a home piano, and have a limited life span. > > Regards, > Charles > >> I'm sorry. I must disagree to some point. >> >> Performers seem to be of the opinion that the composers of this music are >> more the authority of piano design than are manufacturers and technicians. >> >> Fuddy-duddie or not, there must be some education that much of this stuff is >> quite damaging to the piano. Some of it doesn't even make sense - like using >> a wedge mute for single unisons -- even the largest ones just fall through to >> the soundboard. I don't care how much some of you respect some of the >> composers or how "cool" some of that music sounds, it is my opinion that >> those who compose this type of stuff are guilty of negligent vandalism, if >> there is such a thing. When some music departments require some form of this >> stuff for composition students to graduate, so that framming on a $100,000 >> piano with a beer can is all one can come up with to meet the requirement, >> there are serious problems with this form of composition. >> >> Jeff >> >> >> On May 15, 2007, at 11:55 AM, reggaepass at aol.com wrote: >> >>> Hi List, >>> >>> David has made a crucial point about how we are perceived within the >>> environment in which we work, and how that impacts how respected we are (or >>> are not). Taking an, "Ours not to reason why; ours but to do or die" >>> attitude (at least publicly), helps keep us from eroding our own >>> credibility. >>> >>> Alan Eder >>> >>> P. S. David, thanks for the endorsement of our video. It IS in the libraries >>> of many schools of music across the land and, apparently, has helped >>> facilitate the dialogue that must take place between pianists and >>> technicians about specific pieces and techniques. You check is in the mail! >>> >>> ae >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: dporritt at mail.smu.edu >>> To: caut at ptg.org >>> Sent: Tue, 15 May 2007 8:36 AM >>> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Agraffes and dampers >>> >>> Paul: >>> >>> >>> Get Alan Eder's video of how to prepare a piano. It's good, comprehensive >>> and should be in every university's library. We have a resident ensemble >>> that only does contemporary music and naturally they prepare pianos a lot. >>> I've never had any real damage in the 21 years I've been here. This can be >>> done carefully, without damage and expands the range of piano music. When we >>> disparage this it makes us sound like fuddy-duddies who are out of touch >>> with life in the 21st century. >>> >>> >>> dp >>> >>> >>> David M. Porritt >>> >>> dporritt at smu.edu >>> >>> >>> ________________________________________________________________________ >>> AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from >>> AOL at AOL.com. >>> =0 >>> >> >> >> >> Jeff Tanner, RPT >> Piano Technician >> School of Music >> University of South Carolina >> Columbia, SC 29208 >> (803) 777-4392 > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20070516/65967106/attachment.html
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