Crumbling pianos?

[Joel Jones]

On 8/26/02 12:46 PM, "Blaine Vesely" <bvesely@kent.edu> wrote:

> List,
> Anyone have experience with "Music for a Summer Evening" by George
> Crumb?  Music director says "No nuts and bolts in this one, more like
> strumming and plucking at specific nodal points on the strings."  I am
> interested in how others have marked plucking points on strings.  The
> performance is in 3 1/2 weeks so I need to formulate a plan.  One of the
> pianists indicated he has used chalk; he also has put small pieces of tape
> around the string.  The instructions in the score indicate using
> crayon.  What are the chances that the bass strings will develop "delayed
> onset metallitis"?
> 
> Blaine Vesely
> Kent State University
> 
Blaine, 
Use the waverley dots.   Come in different sizes and colors.  They leave no
residue and don't cause buzzing on the strings. Easy to pull off agraffes
and dampers.   We marked and dedicated one piano with white pin stripes on
the dampers of the sharp keys.   Using different colors for two sharp group
and the three sharp group.  It's hard to distinquish if there isn't this
easy marking. 
    The dots are great for marking nodes.  They also work in bass strings.
DEFINITELY    no chalk, white out, crayon, masking tape, dry markers,
because no matter how lightly you put these on the strings, performers
always need more and heavier marking .
    Anecdote:  In my early days I painted the dampers white and left the
sharps black.  Took hours to make it easy to see.  Performer came in and
immediately wrote C D E  etc.  on the white dampers.  Oh, well.
    Do you have  the William Bunger book.  There was a class in Arlington
about interior performance.  Right now I don't remember the instructor, but
she had a great hand-out.  If you need more info I'll do some searching.
    Keep in tune. 
Joel
-- 
Joel & Connie Jones
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