Hello Larry and list. One is prompted to ask if this has been an ongoing problem with other piano concertos, or did it just get noticed with the Gershwin? As piano tech for our local symphony a few years ago, we had a similar experience with Loren Hollander playing Gershwin's Concerto in F. While there were always complaints from some quarters, ie: it's too bright, to mellow, too this, too that, I only recall the one instance when it was deemed too soft for the orchestra. The Gershwin was the case in point, with its unrelenting thick orchestration and loud dynamics. We did hear a noticeable improvement in carrying power once the piano was taken off the "Y" truck and put back on its casters. It's been on them ever since. Just my $.02 Steve >>> Horace Greeley <hgreeley@leland.Stanford.EDU> 10/30 8:08 AM >>> Larry, At 07:12 AM 10/30/1998 -0700, you wrote: >At the Symphony last night Thibaudet performed Gershwin. Unfortunately >our symphony's piano is gutless. It got me thinking, has anyone ever >tried an under lid to direct more sound toward the audience? Yes, in fact there is now a patented mechanism (based, yet again, on earlier concepts) which does exactly that. On the other hand, what's up with the instrument your symphony has now? What is it's environment? (Hall, etc.) Does your conductor understand the concept of accompaniment? (E.G. - does the performance work like concerto for piano and orchestra, PIANO and orchestra, ORCHESTRA and piano, etc?) Further, since with pianists like Thibaudet, you are dealing with folks who make no secret of their preference for Hamburg, as opposed to NY instruments, ....? Where are you located? Best. Horace Horace Greeley, CNA, MCP, RPT Systems Analyst/Engineer Controller's Office Stanford University email: hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu voice mail: 650.725.9062 fax: 650.725.8014
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC