[CAUT] How long is too long?

[McCoy, Alan]

Hi Paul,

Mr Feltsman has come and gone. He plays too hard for my taste, but he didn't break any strings. His Brahms 2nd was a powerful, but not a sensitive interpretation. He was here a few years ago and I would say the same thing about his Tchaikovsky 2nd. Listening to that concert from the second row I wondered if the piano would be left in a heap of rubble after he was done (lesson learned from that one - never again sit so close to the piano for a piano concerto). I wouldn't characterize it as abusive; just hard and heavy playing. He likes a bright piano and he likes a low sitting position. We had a spare set of legs, which I shortened by one inch for him. Being a short guy I had to bring out the other bench while I tuned the piano. Way too low for me.

Good luck. I hope it goes well.

Alan


________________________________
From: Alan McCoy <amccoy at ewu.edu>
Reply-To: CAUTlist <caut at ptg.org>
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:21:51 -0700
To: CAUTlist <caut at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: [CAUT] How long is too long?

Hi Paul,

It's been a couple years since he was here. I'll get back to you Monday after I've had a refresher.

Alan


________________________________
From: Paul T Williams <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu>
Reply-To: CAUTlist <caut at ptg.org>
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:48:46 -0700
To: CAUTlist <caut at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: [CAUT] How long is too long?

What can you tell me about him?  I hear he gives the piano a real work out!

Paul



From: "McCoy, Alan" <amccoy at ewu.edu>
To: CAUTlist <caut at ptg.org>
Date: 10/20/2010 03:37 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] How long is too long?
________________________________



Funny you should mention this. I'll be working with Vladimir Feltsman tomorrow night. But, whew,  for us he's playing only one concerto - Brahms 2nd. He's always interesting. Worth stressing over, I think. Good luck and enjoy the concert.

Alan


-- Alan McCoy, RPT
Eastern Washington University
amccoy at ewu.edu <amccoy at ewu.edu>



________________________________
From: Paul T Williams <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu> >
Reply-To: CAUTlist <caut at ptg.org <caut at ptg.org> >
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:30:23 -0700
To: CAUTlist <caut at ptg.org <caut at ptg.org> >
Subject: Re: [CAUT] How long is too long?

Yes, Susan, I get overly anxious about these things when so many other things are happening at the same time.  Feltzman is at Lied next week, using all 3 of their grands...Two B's and the D over there for master classes, practice and performance.  There is also the student grad and undergrad concerto competitions happening Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday-using 2 pianos tuned together each night.  My favorite DMA student has a performance Tuesday eve on this new Steinway project, the same night as Feltzman. I'm not freaking out over one piano, but 6. So, I'm not stressing out about just one performance!  You can understand the pressure, I'm sure. It's not as bad as our Liszt Fest last spring with our central west regional conference was happening and to top it all off, my father in law passing away all the same week, but it's close.  This kind of stuff happens about twice per year.  The rest of the time, I'm pretty laid back and unstressed.

Paul






From: Susan Kline <skline at peak.org <skline at peak.org> >
To: caut at ptg.org <caut at ptg.org>
Date: 10/20/2010 12:13 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] How long is too long?
________________________________



On 10/20/2010 5:42 AM, Paul T Williams wrote:
That would be in a perfect world!  The piano is being used on Saturday.  Now that fall break is over, I have until noon today, then just a couple hours on Thursday morning and Friday morning.  It should work. (unless it doesn't!)  Worse case scenario would be that they have to use the Baldwin D on Saturday, but it's a fine piano and these aren't piano majors performing, just accompanying.  Paul

Have you ever noticed that so often we tend to run on anxiety, fighting deadlines, as if something is crucial, but in retrospect, all "FAILURE"  would mean was that someone would play an accompaniment on a Baldwin D which was not a bad piano either?

You know, every time we stress out several days over nothing much (and I surely do that as often as anyone!) we lose a little health and longevity? Cortisol has its price.

Susan Kline





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