> >I think it has been about 2 years ago that Mr Bilson was here at IU and (snip) Phil, Sounds like you had a doubly negative experience. I have had dealings with Malcolm Bilson on several occasions - some very cordial, but I have seen him be bullheaded-unreasonable. IMO there really isn't any damned excuse for artists addressing those who are there to help them with their performance in the way that he spoke to you. Especially after *he* banged the tuning apart. He can just sit in the wings and let the technician do his job. It certainly won't hurt an audience to hear a little tuning.......rather educational, I would say. I can assure you and others though that it is quite possible to tune fortepianos in historical temperaments or in equal temperament just as can be done with a modern piano. And, although they do usually require some tuning at intermission it doesn't have to be as you described. For one thing, just isn't necessary for pianists to bang tunings apart. I know, they just think that they are such big Power-Weenies! But, the music doesn't require this approach. If a person *wants* to destroy a tuning they can do it, even on a big modern piano..... it is just a lot easier on a fortepiano. Early keyboard instruments that are trucked around and must adjust to new climates over and over again are even more prone to the kind of tuning problem disaster that you have described. They are also extremely sensitive to stage lighting....the board reacts immediately. They are prone to false beats, and buzzes and other interfering noises just like modern concert grands which can make tuning them difficult. These problems have to hunted down and corrected just as on a modern instrument. Again, if the piano is on the road and being treated by an artist who thinks that he knows something about piano technical work, those problems just accumulate. If you were to have one of these instruments in your care on a regular basis and were able to 'get to know' the instrument, and could feel that you were in control of its care and feeding, I am sure that you would have a more positive outlook regarding fortepianos in general. I would hope it would put this negative experience into a better perspective. Well, enough frothing! Regards, Bill Darst Music Dept UC Santa Barbara
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC