Practical Concert Work

[David Love]

I have to agree with this.  Trying to regulate letoff to 1/32" is dangerous
in a concert situation, or any other for that matter.  It doesn't even take
a change in humidity to create blocking or bobbling.  Just playing into the
keys sometimes (toward the fallboard) will create a situation in which the
key doesn't fully depress and you won't get adequate escapement.  I would
much prefer to err on the side of a bit too much than too little as long as
it's uniform.  Not being able to get ppppp is much less important than
getting bobblebobblebobble on occasion and unpredictably.  

David Love
davidlovepianos@earthlink.net


> [Original Message]
> From: David M. Porritt <dporritt@mail.smu.edu>
> To: <caut@ptg.org>
> Date: 5/29/2004 2:25:13 PM
> Subject: Re: Practical Concert Work
>
> Fred:
>
> Just musing here, but I do think a "reliable" regulation has some merit. 
I've regulated pianos to the gnat's eyelash and had it go south on me
making blocking hammers, or double striking hammers.  Generally, when you
go back to fix that you say something about fine regulation being very
close to blocking.  I don't think the customers are impressed at that
point.  You regulated, you had to come back and fix it.  In their mind it
was wrong.  I heard Bill Garlick once tell a class that if you're going to
regulate it that close make sure to hang around for the concert!
>
> I live 17 miles from the school so I do tend to like a "safe" regulation.
I don't set it at  3mm but I don't like it so close that you can kind of
feel the hammer letting off on the string.  In addition, in a recital hall
seating 500 there is seldom any playing done at the pppp level such that
the note would miss.  Most recital playing is pp to sfffffff! 
>
> I enjoyed his perspective and his comments on voicing.  I too mainly
worry about the striking surface though I understand that this is somewhat
controversial.  Whatever floats your boat!
>
> dave
>
>
> __________________________________________
> David M. Porritt, RPT
> Meadows School of the Arts
> Southern Methodist University
> Dallas, TX 75275
>
>
> ----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
> From: Fred Sturm <fssturm@unm.edu>
> To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>
> Received: Sat, 29 May 2004 14:11:26 -0600
> Subject: Re: Practical Concert Work
>
> >--On Saturday, May 29, 2004 1:00 PM -0500 "David M. Porritt" 
> ><dporritt@mail.smu.edu> wrote:
>
> >> Richard:
> >>
> >> In Part 1 of the series he states "....I never imagined I would spend
ten
> >> years as the technician for one of the big five American Orchestras."
> >> He is a member of the Chicago chapter so unless he travels A LOT I'd
have
> >> to guess that he is the tech for the Chicago Symphony.
> >>
> >> dave
> >>
> >>
> >> __________________________________________
> >> David M. Porritt, RPT
> >> Meadows School of the Arts
> >> Southern Methodist University
> >> Dallas, TX 75275
>
> >	That is probably the case. I don't like to run down any fellow tech -
he 
> >probably is found to do reliable quality work. But Ron Coners told me
last 
> >fall that David Barenboim insists on flying Coners out to Chicago to
prep 
> >the piano any time he (Barenboim) plays it. Barenboim being the
conductor 
> >of the Chicago Symphony, and a remarkable pianist as well. So who knows?
> >	I do hate to see anyone giving out what I consider to be
misinformation, 
> >though. Maybe his system works for him, but my experience says that 
> >pianists appreciate the "finer and finer circles of refinement." Maybe
you 
> >can get by with that kind of attitude - which I would describe as
avoiding 
> >complaints rather than seeking perfection - but noone will leave a note
for 
> >you thanking you profusely for a "wonderful instrument that almost plays 
> >itself" or the like. I'm not a starry-eyed idealist, but I do try to put 
> >out the special effort for those concert instruments, in hopes of
helping 
> >someone "create magic." I don't think you can create much magic on an 
> >instrument prepped as he describes.
> >Regards,
> >Fred
>
>
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>
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