Played the GG pianos, they were sublime!!!

[deborah dana <deborah_dana75093@YAHOO.COM>]

Dear Listfolk!

I just returned from Toronto this afternoon. It was a
wonderful wonderful experience I shall never forget
for so many reasons. Let me say first and foremost
that persistance pays off. I was able to play both the
chickering at CBC studio and the yamaha at roy thomson
hall! It just so happened that I played them both on
the same day....Oct 4, which is the day that GG passed
away! I think there must be some significance in
this....I felt very moved by the coincidence at any
rate!  Both Mr. Shipton of the CBC studios and  Ms.
Hermanson of the Roy Thomson Hall were very gracious
in there efforts to accomidate me.

I played the chickering from 10 am until about 11:30
am. Mr. Shipton left me to play as long as I wished,
basically. I was alone in the GG studio w/ the
chickering. Occasionally someone would wonder through
and "applaud" my efforts....an employee, I assume. The
chickering was very unusual to play on, I enjoyed it
very much.  The touch was challenging, some notes
seemed less responsive than others, but on the whole,
I enjoyed the quality of the sound I was able to get
from the instrument. It did have an almost
harpischordish quality to it.  very very interesting,
i can see how gg would have loved it so.

I played a number of goldberg variations, english
suites, preludes and fugues from WTC book II and a few
movements from one of the french suites that i enjoy.
i played the pieces over and over, really got into it,
as if i were practicing at home....forgot where i was
almost. it was wonderful.

i didn't want my hands to get too sore, as i had my
appoinment w/ the yamaha at 2 pm, so i took a break
and got a bite to eat at a greek restaurant in the
neighboorhood.  first though, i got my picture taken
w/ the gg statue, hope it comes out!

playing the yamaha was an incredible experience! i
basically played the same pieces i played on the
chickering. but what a difference! everything i played
was almost effortless! i could sustain the trills
forever.....it was incredible.  the hall where the
piano was located was being prepared for a reception
that evening, and so there were janitors  vacuuming
and making all kinds of noise while i was playing.
this only served to focus and increase my
concentration, as i know it would have done for gg, as
he played w/ the vaccum cleaner running etc.

Again, various employees applauded me and gave me
compliments on my playing which I enjoyed. But the
real enjoyment was from playing the instruments
themselves. I will go to my grave w/ a smile on my
face, it was an unbelievably uplifting experience!

I am exhausted and can't write any more tonite...but
if anyone wants anymmore details, feel free to write
me. the pianos are not as inaccessible as you might
think, you just have to be at the right play at the
right time, that's all there is to it. and pray alot
too. that helps.

yours truly,






=====
Deborah Dana

"To Forgive is human, to err is computer"

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