<html> <body> Hi, Wim, At 03:21 PM 3/7/2005, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">The above named pianist played the Beethoven C minor on the new Steinway, (the one I've been telling you about), with the Alabama Symphony in our concert hall several weeks ago. Unfortunately, after the concert, Mr. Wolfram supposedly made the comment "I will never come to Tuscaloosa again if I have to play on this instrument". What didn't help is that our local paper's critic heard about the comment, and trashed the instrument in the paper. </blockquote> Yup. <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">   Although I don't think the piano is as bad as it is being made out to be, I am taking a lot of heat from the some of the faculty members. I reminded them that 5 previous concert artists didn't say anything about the piano. In fact, two of them had their choice between our two grands, and chose the new one.</blockquote> They will never remember the good reviews, only the "bad" ones. <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">   My question to you guys is this. Have any of you had any experience dealing with Mr. Wolfram? I don't know the man, but have heard he is young and inexperienced. I've heard, from you guys, that the better players know how to play on any piano, but the less experienced are more critical.</blockquote> Sadly, this latter is not always necessarily the case...in quite this sense.  The better player may/may not know how to play on any piano, _and_ they may or may not be more critical than a lesser one.  It sounds to me as if it is time to do some thinking about where things are. Concert work is a crap shoot, no matter how good/bad one might individually be as a technician.  You/one/_anyone_ is only as good as your/their last tuning...period.  Further, survival is not at all necessarily reserved for the most fit.  There is a very simple bottom line which must be addressed before getting too deep into concert work (beyond the point of it being a relatively occasional service for the local MTA/whatever); and, that is, just how thick is your/anyone's skin?  Doing "real" concert work is brutal...not at all the way it is seemingly idealized by so many.  One either learns to live with the inevitable slings and arrows, or, wisely, one chooses to leave the field to those whose egos either need and/or can withstand the onslaught. As only one small example, I know of one exceptionally well-known technician who, years ago, lost a major account because - in spite of all their careful instructions to the auditorium staff, up to and including leaving a large sign on top of each of the relevant pianos (e.g., "Use this one"...."Do NOT use this one".) - someone rolled out the wrong piano...and, the lyre fell loudly to the floor at the opening chord of the recital.  This is, in part, why it is so important to be personally present for major uses of instruments for which we are responsible.  Charge accordingly.  The accounts worth keeping will pay (in some fashion).  Those that are not, will not.  College and University work does, at times, provide for some variations on this, largely because there is a degree of insulation from the immediate vicissitudes of the commercial market.  At the same time, not being around for recitals performed by major professors can be a very bad career move. Hmmm...well...you'll get at least as many opinions on this as there are subscribers to this list...time for me to get out of the way and let others speak. With every best thought and wish, Horace </body> </html>