CONCERT pianist Gary Graffman discovered during his career that changes of temperature and humidity, plus his own sweat often caused the keyboard to attain the consistency of cod-liver oil.
The problem first came to his attention at an outdoor concert when he descended on the low E-flat in the opening cadenza of Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto.
Although his aim was impeccable, the E-flat was rapidly followed by an unintended E-natural and then a momentary absence of any sound at all as his finger slipped off the keyboard. He now arrives well before curtain time and washes each key with alcohol or water. "Even the best plans can be foiled, though," says Graffman. "Once, a stage hand had been instructed to polish the piano, which he did, including the keyboard.
For 15 minutes before concert time I scrubbed the keys with everything in sight. Finally, someone told me to dust them with powdered resin. By the time I walked out to play it had combined with the residue of furniture polish and the keys felt like melting asphalt mixed with used bubble gum. The only thing I can say about my performance that evening was that I was stuck with it."
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