My left eye is not quite what it was, but I have a new glasses lens for it and whilst I don’t use it for reading (I use my right eye which is still perfectly OK) my distance vision is good. So which eye I use depends upon distance, and as a result I find that I need to use my right eye to play the piano. This is a trifle awkward since my brain stubbornly refuses to change its old ways and still tries to look at the left hand side of the keyboard through the left eye. This does not necessarily result in any degree of technical accuracy, as might be expected.
I must admit that I’m now quite sensitised as may be expected to potential visual acuity issues and when I woke up this morning I had flashes and floaters in my
right eye – the one that was not operated on. Alarm bells with a vengeance. I was somewhat relieved when about half an hour later the flashes etc had disappeared but nonetheless I hightailed it to my surgeon who had a good look at the eye and informed me must to my relief that the eye was perfectly OK (as was the left still) and what I had experienced was a slight readjustment in the vitreous gel within the eye.
Back to the piano…
By and large I’m pleased with the way I’m adjusting and I will test this out in a short recital I will give for a friend of mine in two weeks time. The Chopin mazurkas opus 24 are on the menu, and also possibly a piece by William Baines (Drift Light from Pictures of light) depending upon timing and I may also play Alexander Siloti’s transcription of a Bach Prelude in B minor which is quite delightful.
The problem of course is that I won’t be playing a Stuart piano but nonetheless I’m sure the piano will be up to my limited skills. It will be interesting to see (or hear, actually) how I play since I will not be able to use the touch or pedals etc that I am now quite familiar with on the Stuart.
Don’t think I’m being snobbish here, but I have made the point in previous posts in this blog that I will not be able to play other pianos the same way as I play the Stuart (and vice versa of course). That is a fact of life and I have to guard against my expectations here and accept that I am playing on a different instrument. The Baines piece in particular comes out spectacularly well on the Stuart’s very clear and sustained bass, and I shall need to adjust my playing accordingly. The Chopin mazurkas require very careful touch in a number of places – I have been practicing without using the
una corda to prepare myself for a piano without one (!) and I think I’ve got the tone reasonably right.
So I hope things go off well. Once again it’s a step towards bringing my sense of self confidence back to a reasonable level.
On another note I’m beginning to get the hang of European cut cor anglais reeds. I recently had my cor anglais serviced by one of (if not the) best technicians in the business and it is now so much easier to play its not funny.
So if my eyesight eventually does turn pearshaped (and that is not beyond the realms of possibility given what has happened to me over the last few months) I have a possible musical alternative. You never know, I may have to rename this blog…
But not yet.