I appreciate the pun, and I send this with some hesitation, but I just can't resist a comment on Bilson. He was also here last fall playing the new Graf "copy" by Reiger in an all Beethoven recital. He does indeed push the instrument to its limits, and is obviously an extremely fine player. My criticism (and what also started some discussion on the earlym list at the time) is that how does a performer who specializes in performance on early pianos justify using equal temperament considering all of the information that is available now to the contrary? The average listener goes to hear him play thinking (and for good reason) that this must be as close to the "authentic" Mozart or Beethoven that we can get. I don't loudly object to 20th century tuning on a modern piano for 18th and 19th century music, but it is completely inappropriate for a musician of his caliber, status and example (as a teacher) to be so disinterested in this profoundly effective element of authentic musical interpretation on period instruments. This situation is even compounded by the fact that he tunes it himself. I am glad that he has a basic understanding of the tuning process, with which he can tune at home. Concert tuning however, for paying customers, should be left to the professionals. I don't really mean to start up anything about historical temperaments, (which is easy for me to do) but what is worse than a sloppy, instable equal? An appropriate tuning is such a small and simple step to complete the package after purchasing a $30,00+ fortepiano, and bringing in an "expert" in authentic performance to play it. I feel that at least he owes some worthy qualification for his choice of 20th century tuning on early 19th instruments in "period" performances, but we get nothing. And the observation that most people in the audience probably wouldn't know the difference anyway, entirely misses the point. The word is that Bilson liked that Reiger so much that he is negotiating to come back and record some Beethoven on that piano, and naturally, in equal temperament. Thanks, I'll shut up now. Dennis Johnson St. Olaf College
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