… people’s attitudes to various things surprise, and not often positively either. I’ve always felt that it is very difficult to convince people that something new is worthwhile since people are normally stuck inside their own little square and nothing you say or do will convince them to change that in any meaningful way.
I’ve found this to especially true with the Stuart piano – people tend to have entrenched positions when it comes to discussing the pros and cons of the beast, and quite often I’ve found these positions are ‘protected’ as it were by an attitude and demeanour bordering on arrogance and in no way based upon any meaningful or intelligent thought.
Wayne dropped in last week to make sure the piano was in good shape since I’m getting into recording mode again. Apart from replacing one hammer which was ‘clicking’ and probably a bit loose, the rest of the voicing required very little adjustment and the tuning was still spot on. The overall stability of the piano never ceases to impress. But I digress …
He had just come back from the Canberra International Music Festival, which amongst other things showcased some outstanding piano music by the contemporary Dutch composer Louis Andriessen, of the clan of the same name. What was just as impressive in his view was the way the two Dutch pianists took to the instrument and used them (this was for two pianos) to their maximum advantage to bring out the power, complexity and at other times subtlety of the music. The musicians’ considered view was that no other piano could do nearly as good a job at the Stuart, and I can believe that – their views are not unique by any means.
Contrast this with some of the other pianists on show who seemed to think that you can transpose how you play a Steinway onto a Stuart and came up so far short it just wasn’t funny, and then, ignoring their own limitations which were obvious to all who listened, blamed the piano. Particularly disturbing was the Canberra piano student who, never having either seen, heard or played a Stuart piano before, rubbished the whole thing – “You can keep the piano – it’s no good”. Politeness prevents me from responding in print.
It is very sad when peoples’ minds are so closed and shuttered that they are unable to see either side of the straight and narrow. Even more so, when students of a reputable school of music disparage works and instruments which are at the top of the tree and at the forefront of classical music making in the modern world.
… but that doesn’t mean I’ve been idle – far from it in fact. I’ve been continuing the practice of the pieces I’ve recorded previously, and will start to rerecord them next week, all going well.
I’ve also got back into some ‘mainstream’ repertoire, and the Schubert Sonata in B Flat, D960 is beginning to take on some serious shape – although with a work of this magnitude and complexity it will be a while before I’m even remotely satisfied with what I’m doing. But at least I’ve made a start and there is no doubt that the piano suits the music (and vice versa!) to a tee. The piece covers a magnitude of emotions and moods but I’m finding, as I would expect, that I’m able to use the full dynamic and tonal range of the Stuart to its best advantage here.
Once again, a poke in the eye for all those people say ‘You can’t play such and such on the Stuart’ etc etc.
I’m also doing a one-off show with my brother-in-law’s band to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Buddy Holly. I wouldn’t consider myself a rock musician by any stretch of the imagination and the majority of ‘pop’ music in general leaves me cold, but the music is not complex and being very experienced as I am in playing in bands and accompanying singers and other musicians, fitting in is not a problem.
Anyhow, it’s fun.
Unfortunately I can’t take the Stuart piano with me, so I’m stuck with the Kurzweil keyboard. You can’t have everything, I suppose.