Prepared Piano

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

On Wed, 17 Apr 1996, Joseph Vitti wrote:

>
>                State University of New York at Stony Brook
>                        Stony Brook, NY
>
>                                             Joseph Vitti
>                                             Piano Technician
>                                             Music
>                                             516 632-7330
>                                             17-Apr-1996 12:10pm EDT
> FROM:  JVITTI
> TO:    Remote Addressee                     ( _Pianotech@byu.edu )
>
> Subject: Prepared Piano
>
>
> I have lots of trouble convincing the piano faculty here that preparing our new
> Steinway Ds ( plucking, using stickers on the dampers and strings, using
> chisels on strings etc.) will cause them to deteriorate. Does anyone else have
> this problem and is there anything in writing I can use to convince them that
> it would be better to use a piano designated for prepared use.
>
> Thanks
>
> Joe Vitti
>

>From Jim Coleman (formerly of ASU Tempe,AZ)

Joseph,  we used an unfortunate event to dramatize the need for a special
piano to be used for inside playing and prepared piano work.

During a piano recital at the very end of a movement there was to be a
very loud staccato single note. Unfortunately, the damper didn't land
right and a harmonic just kept ringing and ringing.  The Drama of the
moment was lost and there was snickering in the audience.  This spoiled
the audition tape that was being made.  Needless to say, I used this
incident to punctuate the need for a special piano.  The piano faculty
and I made up a set of guidelines for piano preparation for the future.
No one was to put tape on the dampers of our #1 piano.  No inside
strumming or touching of strings was to be allowed etc.  Only on the
piano designated for special preparations was there to be any inside
touching, and this only after an interview with me.  Just imagine what it
does to a trichord damper when a screw is placed between the 1st and
second strings only.

Yes, I do believe that there is a place for "prepared piano music", but
nowhere near our finest instruments.