<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Richard,<div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>I like the quilting analogy, it's pretty right-on. I witnessed a lot of this sort of editing by the staff recording engineer while working at a conservatory in the States. Your description of it as a "completely different art form" makes sense. As in so many other fields (piano tuning not excluded), digital technology has drastically changed the prevailing practices. It's hard to imagine people not taking advantage of the editing possibilities for putting that sheen of "perfection" on the final product of a piano recording; it would require a deliberate decision similar to the kinds of choices that historic performance players make regarding the instruments they play. One might imagine a future school of performers who make it a point of pride in declaring that their recording is a "one-take, authentic" performance" rather than a digital cobbling-together exercise in complete control!</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>This sort of control puts me in mind of how composing and recording have morphed (due to the incredibly sophisticated software technologies available now) into one simultaneous practice (at least in electronic music) which we could call "composing/recording" or maybe "sound production". And in this discipline (which I'm engaged in myself as a serious avocation) the possibility for complete editing control over EVERY aspect of the process is mind-boggling, and very heady indeed. And although this is entirely a different kind of creative process, it's equally valid, in my opinion, as the old way of writing scores by hand and using live performers; not better or worse, just different - but with equally powerful aesthetic possibilities.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>So although new is not necessarily better, it's different, and offers new possibilities. And the clock probably won't be turned back anytime soon, will it?</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Sincerely,</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Allen Wright, RPT</div><div>London, UK<br><div><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37px; text-indent: -37px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); min-height: 14px; "><b></b><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37px; text-indent: -37px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Richard Brekne <<a href="mailto:ricb@pianostemmer.no">ricb@pianostemmer.no</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 34px; text-indent: -34px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">January 26, 2008 10:30:47 PM BST</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 21px; text-indent: -21px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 50px; text-indent: -50px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>performance practice</b></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 58px; text-indent: -58px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Pianotech List <<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Hi Alan</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Boy is this a timely post.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This past year I've been doing a lot of exactly this kind of work with Simax here in Norway.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>On my initial meet with this practice I could not help but raise the question .... how much of the final CD is the pianist... how much is the producer... and how much is the editor ?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And where in all this does the concept of <<music>> in the usual sense of the word come in ?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">These concoctions (I guess that word applies) are like digital quilting where literally every passage is played 10 - 15 times and the end result any one of a subjective collection boarding on randomized plastering of 100 passages... Ok.. thats perhaps overstated but you get my point.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>In the Grieg Ballade I just helped out on there must be a total of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>10^50th possible combinations.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>That would be 50 passages played in 10 different variations each if I dont forget my basic combinations maths.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">In anycase... the creative endeavor that goes into this kind of a production is way different then a pianist sitting down and simply playing the piece from the heart and soul.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Its a completely different art form I'd go so far as to say.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>No pianist could actually duplicate this kind of play in real life situations.... so whatever spontaneity, expressivity, and passion there is in the piece is a conglomeration of moods over a 5 day (in the case of the Ballade) recording session.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Interesting to say the least. :)</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Cheers</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">RicB</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div></blockquote></div></div></body></html>