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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi all,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Last Friday night there was an concert =
at the big
(nearly 3500 seats), acoustically marginal, auditorium I work for. =
This
was the first *major* performance for this Steinway D, since
I rebuilt the action. When I was hired on there, we had =
(or I
thought we had) an agreement that the piano would always be =
amplified.
Keeping that in mind while voicing, I just made it the most musical =
instrument I
could. When a local professor came to test the piano, I =
did notice
that it had no problem filling the (empty) hall on its own.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So, along comes the orchestra and its =
soloist, a
Russian fellow from Birmingham (Hey, Wim, I took extra time on that una =
corda!),
playing Rachmaninov <EM>Rhapsody on a theme of =
Paganini. </EM>As the
rehearsal set up started, I went to talk to the orchestra's stage =
manager about
miking. "Nope, we never use amplification." I just about
fainted.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I was at the back of the hall for the
performance. The piano could be heard (though I wouldn't have =
minded if it
had just a bit more power). Which proves to me that one doesn't =
need
hammers voiced like granite to carry--a belief, I'm afraid, that =
prevails around
"these parts." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial =
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A pianist I know was also sitting in =
the last row
(I had told her this was the new action's maiden run). After the
performance she came up to me and said, "The piano sounded =
fabulous----what
nuances!" God Bless her--those nuances, that's what I shoot
for! When I went backstage, I also had compliments from =
some
orchestra members. The soloist didn't say much (and I had been =
told that
he doesn't say much), but he did nod at me when I saw him at =
intermission, so I
guess it was acceptable.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Whew!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara Richmond, RPT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Braden Auditorium at Illinois State
University</FONT></DIV>
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