<html> <body> Here's some info that came from Keith McGavery that I'd saved from a discussion about this quite a few years ago. Avery =========================================== <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>...How long prior to the performance where these pianos tuned? Any idea what brand/model(s) these were?... Rob Goodale, RPT</blockquote> Here's more of the story (condensed): Piano Technicians Journal September 1985, page 13 Olympic Tuning Tests Technicians' Endurance Industry News +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Reuter was managing the placement of 84 Kimball grand pianos to be featured in George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" performed during the opening ceremony.  "...Everyone--from our truck drivers who delivered the pianos, to people who installed the grands, to technicians who faced a potential nightmare--was up to the challenge." (Reuter) "...Once we had installed the 84 grands, we still had to final-tune them. To do that, five tuners from the Los Angeles area who I had worked with before were hired: Teri Powell, Bob Cloutier, Mark Wisner, Alan Slater and Emily Goya," Ray said. Reuter and Powell arrived at 6AM...Reuter commented, "Teri and I used the new Accu-Tuner, a computerized tuning mechanism, to tune one string from bass to treble.  We left the unison tuning for the others who were to follow..." Two hours later, Cloutier, Wisner, Slater and Goya joined the pair of technicians..." The pianos were kept under the Coliseum arches so few were exposed to direct sunlight...each piano was covered with a space blanket... After tuning via an "assembly line"... They tuned without a break until noon and counted about 40 ...pianos behind them...It was almost 7PM when the last instrument was tuned as well as conditions allowed... "After a week and a half of preparation--moving all those pianos into the Coliseum, rehearsing for four days, plus a marathon tuning session--we were exhausted, but I was pleased with a job well done." (Reuter) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ There is much more interesting information about what was going during the day of tunings.  A truly spectacular feat performed by some incredible people.  By the way all 84 pianos were blue! Keith McGavern <x-sigsep></x-sigsep> ______________________ Avery Todd, RPT Moores School of Music University of Houston Houston, TX</body> </html>