[CAUT] Toughest piece for piano stability?

[Paul Milesi, RPT]

I agree with those who point to the pianist and the piano as most important
variables, not repertoire.

I tune for more jazz artists than classical, in both clubs and concerts.
Only a few are excessively heavy-handed, but those few are very challenging.
Among the few, Eric Lewis (ELEW) causes me the most frustration and
³disappointment,² in terms of both stability and damage (broken strings and
hammer wear).  There have been posts including video clips on this list
previously.  I have tuned for Eric in the DC area for about 2 years now,
including every other month in a club (rebuilt Yamaha C7), in NPR Studio 4A
(2-year-old Yamaha C7), and at the home of Vernon Jordan (older Steinway).
He¹s playing a rock-jazz bag now, dispenses with the piano bench, and comes
down with straight elbows...much to the detriment of tone and tuning.  My
frustration is that I know Eric and have heard him play and touch the piano
absolutely beautifully!  He¹s an amazing pianist, but currently isn¹t
playing a lot of piano, if you know what I mean.  He¹s found a
commercially-viable performance style that is taking him around the world.
To each his own; I guess that¹s what¹s special about art.  :)

Following the thread¹s notion that the piano has something to do with it:
there¹s no doubt in my mind.  The club C7 is not terribly stable, being gray
market and having been rebuilt as a hybrid with a Delignit pinblock and Abel
hammers less than 2 years ago.  I had, perhaps, slightly better luck at NPR,
but maybe because Eric played solo, and only for a couple of hours rather
than four.

The pianists approach and attack, their ³touch,² have everything to do with
it.
-- 
Paul Milesi, RPT
Staff Piano Technician
Howard University Department of Music
Washington, DC



From: Paul T Williams <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu>
Reply-To: <caut at ptg.org>
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 2010 14:47:35 -0600
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Subject: [CAUT] Toughest piece for piano stability?

Hi All, 

I'm listening to Rach's 3rd.  I'm not sure if there is a tougher piece to
prep for.  Pounding all the way, mostly.  Great piece! Who of you prepped
for this one?? 

Fortunately, I'm not doing it this year, but Rapsody in Blue is coming up in
December with the new NY hammers/shanks I mentioned a few weeks or so ago.
I'm getting a good sound, so far, on this, but not enough "bite" to carry
over an entire orchestra.  It was pretty good for the solo doctorate Liszt
recital, but needed more bite in high and low end.

I've done some more juicing from the trouble treble to top and some in the
bass.  Now, I like it better than the mid-section, which our piano dept
chair thought was very cool.  As I play chromatically, it, sure, is pretty
good in the mid, but changes in volume drastically into the mid and top
treble, but not "pingy" (is that a term?) and I now like the middle upper
and top better than the middle!! Go figgur...back and forth, back and
forth......Where do I call it "juuuussst right?"

Now that he likes the middle...do you venture a thought that he's thinking
it was just the top and bottom he heard as so so and the rest too weak?  I
can't tell, and can't get him to come in and listen while this process in
going on.? (too busy and off on a concert tour)

I did too much voicing of a faculty Baldwin R this week who wanted it
"dark"!!  (He loves it, BTW)  I'm giving it (the Steinway) a few days out of
my ears, and will get on it next week.  I would love thoughts on this!

Now: How do you handle voicing new hammers to deal with Gershwin's RIB,
while not overdoing it? Paul Barnes is a very powerful pianist, but also is
able to squeeze out the nicest of ppp's with a good, clean piano.

What is the most powerful piece you've ever voiced/tuned for?  Just
interested, but an educational thought...

Thanks, 
Paul T. Williams RPT
UNL 



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