It's Alive!!!!

[David M. Porritt]

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Roger:
What kind of hairspray?
dave

__________________________________________
David M. Porritt, RPT
Meadows School of the Arts
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275


----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
From: Roger Jolly <roger.j@sasktel.net>
To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>
Received: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 11:02:16 -0600
Subject: Re: It's Alive!!!!


Hi Wim,
                Comments like, "It is stiffer".  Is all too often=
 tone related.  Just last weekend I had this comment from=
 Vladimir Viardo, who was playing Rach2, sprayed the strike=
 points with hair spray, and he thought I was a genius.  He=
 thanked me for making the action more even and lighter.  =
 (Chuckling)  All I did was spray the hammers.5 mins work tops. =
 Next time I see the piano, buff off the Hair Spray crust with=
 400 grit paper.  Now how do I charge for  for a full voicing=
 job?

Since you are getting these comments from visiting performers of=
 out standing quality, it really sounds as if the piano needs=
 more tone building,  Are your Profs  in the league of Misha=
 Dichter?    OMG University politics.  <G>

Walk carefully and carry a big stick.
Roger



At 03:19 PM 12/1/2003, you wrote:

Well, actually, it's dead. At least that is what Olga Kern told=
 me last week. She was here to give a recital. I prepped our new=
 D, and put it in the middle of the stage. At 6:30 I stopped by=
 to see if there was at i wasnything she needed. She said, "This=
 piano is dead." I said it was only a year old, and had probably=
 only been played about a dozen times. She said, it sounded like=
 it. I should have kept my mouth shut, but I offered her our 14=
 year D, which was sittting off stage. After playing just 3=
 chords, she said she wanted to play the recital on that piano,=
 but only after warming up on it. I had 15 minutes to tune it=
 before the doors opened. Unfortunately, by the end of the fist=
 half, there were several notes that didn't make it. 
 
But that is not what I'm here to complain about. Olga was not the=
 first pianist to complain about the new piano. Last March Misha=
 Dichter had the same complaint. (but at least he gave me 2 hours=
 to prep the older piano). My question is, how do I put more=
 "life" into a new piano? As I said, the piano only comes out of=
 it's hiding place for special occasions. (No, sun down is not a=
 special occasion here in Alabama, especially not on Sundays.)=
 Since we got the piano in August of last year, there have been=
 about 12 performances on it. The piano is voiced, regulated,=
 etc., so I don't quite understand when a performer says there is=
 no life in the piano. Not even our piano faculty agrees with=
 that, although they do think the piano is a little stiffer than=
 the older one. 
 
Any advice will be greatly appreciated. 
 
Wim
Willem Blees, RPT
Piano tuner/technician
School of Music
University of Alabama


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