Les Noces

[Joel Jones]

> Hello fellow cauts and caucts,
> 
> We have an interesting scenario here and since it well may be a situation
> unique to our environments, I am interested in everyone's opinion on the
> subject. Our Chamber Choir, Chorale and Percussion Group are performing
> Stravinsky's Les Noces this weekend. I'm not familiar with this piece (yet)
> but it calls for 4 pianos. As it turns out, we can place 4 concert grands
> onstage our large auditorium without any hassle. The interesting aspect of
> this setting is that the 4 pianos consist of a Steinway D, a Yamaha CFIIIs,
> a Kawai EX, and a Baldwin SD-10. I'll bet everyone can guess the next
> question: How would you tune these pianos to each other? My assistant
> Lawrence Becker is the lucky guy assigned to that hall and is up there
> tuning right now for the first rehearsal using his Accutuner III. With
> instruments this dissimilar, my instinct is to pick the file of the piano
> that seems the most middle of the road and tune all 4 pianos to the same
> tuning file. In the past, I've experimented matching up 2 similar pianos in
> various ways (I use a cybertuner) with equally adequate and interesting
> results, but have not encountered a challenge like this before. What would
> you do?? I'm sure Lawrence will appreciate any input when he returns from
> his investigations.
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Eric Wolfley, RPT
> Head Piano Technician
> Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music
> University of Cincinnati
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 

Eric
We have a 'piano play together' sponsored by the local Piano Teachers
Association.  They get 12 spinets & verticals from a dealer.  The range is
green out of the box to trade ins, Baldwin, Wurlitzer etc.
    What I do ,  and everyone who's turn it is to do this job does,  is to
pick a piano that has a respectable scale and tune all pianos to the one
piano. 
    It is amazing when played together they sound as one.   Played
individually the octaves, intervals are beating and would never be tuned
like that.
    My vote is to pick one piano, and tune the other pianos to that scale.
My goals would be to match the frequencies precisely so all 4 sound the same
herz.
    Joel
-- Joel A. Jones
Senior Piano Technician
1501 Humanities Building
455 North Park Street
Madison, WI  53706
FAX 608 - 262 - 8876
608 - 263 - 1887
http://uwpianos.music.wisc.edu/