The frustrated Pianist

[Warren Fisher]

Not quite technical, but germaine anyway!

Warren


A Humid Recital Stirs Bangkok

                     Kenneth Langbell, The English Language Bangkok Post

     THE RECITAL, last evening in the chamber music room of the Erawan
Hotel by US Pianist Myron Kropp, the first
appearance of Mr. Kropp in Bangkok, can only be described by this
reviewer and those who witnessed Mr. Kropp's
performance asone of the most interesting experiences in a very long
time. A hush fell over the room as Mr. Kropp appeared
from the right of the stage, attired in black formal evening-wear with a
small white poppy in his lapel. With sparse, sandy hair,
a sallow complexion and a deceptively frail looking frame, the man who
has repopularized Johann Sebastian Bach approached
the Baldwin Concert Grand, bowed to the audience and placed himself upon
the stool. 
     It might be appropriate to insert at this juncture that many
pianists, including Mr. Kropp, prefer a bench, maintaining that
on a screw-type stool they sometimes findthemselves turning sideways
during a particularly expressive strain. There was a
slight delay, in fact, as Mr Kropp left the stage briefly, apparently in
search of a bench, but returned when informed that there
was none. 
     I HAVE mentioned on several other occasions, the Baldwin Concert
Grand, while basically a fine instrument, needs
constant attention, particularly in a climate such as Bangkok. This is
even more true when the instrument is as old as theone
provided in the chamber music room of the Erawan Hotel. In this humidity
the felts which separate the white keys from the
black tend to swell, causing an occasional key to stick,which apparently
was the case last evening with the D in the second
octave. During the "raging storm" section of the D-Minor Toccataand
Fugue, Mr. Kropp must be complimented for putting up
withthe awkward D. However, by the time the "storm" was past andhe had
gotten into the Prelude and Fugue in D Major, in
whichthe second octave D plays a major role, Mr. Kropp's patience was
wearing thin. 
     Some who attended the performance later questioned whether the
awkward key justified some of the language which
was heard coming from the stage during softer passages of the fugue.
However, one member of the audience, who had sent his
childrenout of the room by the midway point of the fugue, had a
validpoint when he commented over the music and
extemporaneous remarks of Mr. Kropp that the workman who had greased the
stool might have done better to use some of
the grease on the second octave D. Indeed, Mr. Kropp's stool had more
than enough grease and during one passage in which
the music and lyrics were both particularly violent, Mr. Kropp was
turned completely around. Whereas before his remarks
had been aimed largely at the piano and were therefore somewhat muted,
to his surprise and that of those in the chamber
music room he found himself addressing himself directly to the audience. 
     BUT SUCH THINGS do happen, and the person who began to laugh
deserves to be severely reprimanded for this
undignified behavior. Unfortunately, laughter is contagious, and by
thetime it had subsided and the audience had regained
itscomposure Mr. Kropp appeared somewhat shaken. Nevertheless, he
swiveled himself back into position facing the piano
and,leaving the D Major Fugue unfinished, commenced on the Fantasia and
Fugue in G Minor. 
     Why the concert grand piano's G key in the third octave chose that
particular time to begin sticking I hesitate to guess.
However, it is certainly safe to say that Mr. Kropp himself did nothing
to help matters when he began using hisfeet to kick the
lower portion of the piano instead of operating the pedals as is
generally done. Possibly it was this jarring or the un-Bach-like
hammering to which the sticking keyboard was being subjected. Something
caused the right front leg of the piano to buckle
slightly inward, leaving the entire instrument listing at approximately
a 35-degree angle from that which is normal. A gasp went
upfrom the audience, for if the piano had actually fallen several of Mr.
Kropp's toes if not both his feet, would surely have been
broken. 
     It was with a sigh of relief therefore, that the audience saw Mr.
Kropp slowly rise from his stool and leave the stage. A
few men in the back of the room began clapping and when Mr.Kropp
reappeared a moment later it seemed he was
responding to the ovation. Apparently, however, he had left to get a
red-handled fire ax which was hung back stage in case of
fire, for that was what was in his hand. 
     MY FIRST REACTION at seeing Mr. Kropp begin to chop at the left leg
of the grand piano was that he was
attempting to make it tilt at the same angle as the right leg and there
by correct the list. However, when the weakened legs
finally collapsed altogether with a great crash and Mr. Kropp continued
to chop, it became obvious to all that he had no
intention of going onwith the concert. The ushers, who had heard the
snapping of piano wires and splintering of sounding board
from the dining room, came rushing in and, with the help of the hotel
manager, two Indian watchmen and a passing police
corporal, finally succeeded in disarming Mr. Kropp and dragging him off
the stage.
-- 
Home of the Humor List
Warren D. Fisher
fish@communique.net
Registered Piano Technician
Piano Technicians Guild
New Orleans Chapter 701