Introducing New CA Contributor Kathy Geisler

New Zealand<br />

<br />

<br />

Cheers,<br />

<br />

Bill

...from Brasil Kathy!<br />

<br />

As the high-end audio scene mainly is a "guys thing", I am looking forward to read about your point of view and experiences. <br />

<br />

Regards,<br />

Peter<br />

<br />

Hi Kathy,<br />

Welcome! I am from Hong Kong, China.<br />

Grateful if you would, as an oboist, shed light on Just Intonation and Equal Temperament, and your personal view on the subject. This was raised recently in General Forum in these pages under the thread, Superior Sounding Recordings.<br />

A couple of days ago I went to a concert of Chinese instruments in a gallery. When playing in ensemble, I could hear the artists tuned their instruments in the backstage. When father and son played a duet with Erhu, I could hear they tuned them to G,D with strings pressed down. During intermission, I went near the stage to peep at the scores of the Zheng. 5 lines stave but very intense markings with some in red that I could not figure out what they were but definitely not the traditional Chinese scores in characters.<br />

I'm also curious about the general view in Juliard on the two systems of tuning.

One more welcome to add to the ones above. Chris can fill you in our sordid history (joking). <br />

<br />

Seriously, it's good to see Chris achieving the success that this is indicative of and it will also be good to have someone around to keep an eye on him. <br />

<br />

Best wishes<br />

<br />

Rick Milam

Kathy,<br />

<br />

Welcome!! <br />

<br />

Matt<br />

Hi Ted,<br />

<br />

You are very fortunate to have the Cleveland Orchestra at your doorstep.<br />

<br />

This is one of the few orchestras that has transcended the ensemble issues that plague most large groups. Szell made them want to play together and the winds started a trend, rather a tradition that gets passed to each new player entering this group, of blending their sound. It is remarkable to hear on those old Szell recordings. Oboe, flute, clarinet, bassoon, all able to get completely inside of each others sound. The strings are outstanding, almost to the point of some of the better European orchestras. Lucky you. <br />

<br />

Kathy<br />

<br />

Hi Francis,<br />

<br />

I'm not an historical player. This said, there is an excellent book called 'Temperament' by Stuart Isacoff that deals very nicely with the history of tuning and how scientists such as Galileo, da Vinci and others have had a hand in what has become the current system.<br />

<br />

I produced an album once of Georgian vocal music. When they first submitted a tape to me I thought it was the worst sounding thing I had ever received. But I went back to it for some reason and realized that I wasn't hearing that they were using these odd (to me) relationships of tuning. It is one thing to do this on an instrument, but to train yourself to hear it during singing is even more of a challenge. The stretched intervals are not pretty at first and then you begin to 'crave' them because the ear wants some stimulation, some diversion. But just a little.<br />

<br />

I'm pretty modern in my tastes. I love listening to Konstantin Lifschitz play Bach on the piano, and I like the modern instruments of the orchestra. <br />

<br />

I'm not sure what the current view is at Juilliard. I think that in general when you are studying a work, you want to be aware of what some of the challenges were at the time that the work was composed, but then you have to integrate that knowledge into your own artistic voice. Otherwise there is no life for that music if it stays in the past. <br />

<br />

I know there are many people who enjoy hearing in the various temperaments. I'm not one of them. I'm very sensitive to intonation and I really like hearing pitch that is alive and in motion, that has direction. Pitch as a concept is thought to be a uni-dimensional idea, as if you could take a snap shot of sound, but it is not that at all. It has to move, breath, have direction, life. Then it is music. Even a great pianist forms line that gives intention to pitch on an instrument where you have no control of it.<br />

<br />

Listen to a great orchestra, like the Russian National Orchestra and hear the way they play a long note with various instruments going in and out of the line. This is how I understand pitch, as a moving element within the music.<br />

<br />

As Casals said: 'Intonation is a matter of conscience.'<br />

<br />

I'm sorry if I was not able to comment directly to your good questions.<br />

<br />

Kathy

Hi Peter,<br />

<br />

I think there are some 'non-guys' who are interested in different aspects of good sound. There are several women who went to CCRMA at Stanford and are themselves leaders in the research field of sound. But that is another subject.<br />

<br />

Personally, I'm interested in the content, how you make the good sounds that go into the good equipment, and some of that is about the recording gear, some about the instruments, some about the musicians themselves, and then you have to have great material to work with (composers). I'm less an end user in that respect. <br />

<br />

Right now I'm sitting listening to Konstantin prepare for a five concert Bach festival here in Kansas City. If you are interested, just google Konstantin Lifschitz Kansas City.<br />

<br />

Today we visited two of the three instruments he will be performing on, of the three halls that are presenting the festival.<br />

<br />

One was at this brand new Kauffman Center which just opened in September. I'm looking forward to hearing the hall. He will play two concertos there next week and then another recital of the Goldberg Variations.<br />

<br />

I spent some years going for making recordings sound as if you are there in the room. Now I've switched gears a bit and am working in the live music arena. But I'm working on launching a festival where we will record and video everything. I'm just glad to be working on productions that are live-based. This is much cooler than 85 takes that you have to pick which one is the best. Trust me on that.<br />

<br />

Thank you again for writing.<br />

<br />

Kathy

Dear Bill,<br />

<br />

Hi to New Zealand.<br />

<br />

I wonder if you ears a little less cluttered being over that way. <br />

<br />

kathy

Hi Awayalways,<br />

<br />

I've played in that hall, the old one. I have very subjective feelings about it that maybe have nothing to do with the acoustics, more of a personality thing. It is one of the more intimate halls, and then the image of Alice sitting there in the audience. But you are right. I should go and hear the new hall. Now I would just need a reason to go. That could be more difficult since I very rarely attend events that I am not somehow involved with. <br />

<br />

Thanks for writing,<br />

<br />

kathy

Dear Mercman,<br />

<br />

I grew up in NY, and I know what gutter speak is. It is not going to offend me. <br />

<br />

It isn't as if this is a (men's) locker room, or have I missed something? <br />

<br />

Chris, what have you gotten me into?<br />

<br />

kathy

what have you gotten me into?<br />

<br />

"The deep end"<br />

<br />

Welcome Kathy<br />

<br />

DigiPete<br />

<br />

(Pete the Wicked Viking among friends)

<i><br />

"It isn't as if this is a (men's) locker room, or have I missed something?"<br />

</i> <br />

<br />

Oh I don't know about that. <br />

<br />

<i><br />

Chris, what have you gotten me into?"<br />

</i><br />

<br />

I think forum administration/moderation can be a thankless job. Everyone is at least semi-anonymous so many will write anything or make remarks which create controversy. Though, I find this forum better than most in that respect.<br />

<br />

Maybe you're experiencing the new teacher syndrome.

Hi Kathy - Thanks for taking time from your busy schedule in Kansas City to write!

Hi Kathy,<br />

Many thanks for your answers. They are ample for my amateur level.<br />

By the way, your review of the Sonata software is very good, comprehensive whilst straight to the points.<br />

Arising from your answers, particularly your statement about your sensitivity to intonation and your preference for hearing pitch that is alive and in motion, I would like to post a follow up question. I actually have two but do not want to bother you too much.<br />

Background in brief to the question. Last week I attended a chamber music performance by players coming from the second tier local orchestra. They are professional players and the orchestra gets annual subvention from the government to supplement inadequate income from ticket sales. The concertmaster of the orchestra was there to lead the group comprising 18, including principals of the second violin etc. In the Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings, I heard on a number of occasions "saw-teethed" notes from the first and second violins when all played loud in tutti. I do not know how to describe the issue precisely. It is something like edgy, not in harmony whilst the proper sound should be all those strings sounding as one but with individuals being identifiable roughly if one listens hard enough with focus. I also hear similar issue occasionally from the strings of the main local orchestra though less prominently. However I have not come across the same issue in recordings. Also I did not hear it last month when attending two performances of the Chamber Music Festival and the players were enlisted from various places for the occasion.<br />

As you are a musician and have taken part in numerous recordings, I would like to ask whether you hear similar issues or not. If so I guess the conductor, producer would substitute the problematic passages with alternative takes before releasing the recording. I guess the issue has to do with technical skill, quality of the instruments and perhaps also tuning. What is your experience and view of this matter? I could not raise the question even if there were questions and answers sessions following performances as it would be offending to the players in front of the crowd and also as I was not sure whether the majority of the players and audience heard the same thing or not.

Thank you for the great story. This is perfect. Yes, when it sounds muddy like that it means they are not playing the same pitches together. This is more common than finding groups that can play in tune together. It is great that you hear this. So now when you have a chance to hear one of the best orchestras play Tchaikovsky or Brahms or Beethoven, you can enjoy the first violins really playing together. The Russian National Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Concertgebouw, Cleveland, maybe a few others. <br />

<br />

Many recordings are very edited unless you are listening to live concert recordings, although they often will do patching sessions to correct glaring issues. But not always. Not everyone hears the differences, if they did than there would be fewer of these instances. I had dinner with a famous piano technician tonight and he works on pianos for some of the most prominent artists in the world. There are so many peculiarities to how various people like their instruments tuned. It was interesting hearing about this after having had your previous question. So thank you again for asking.<br />

<br />

kathy

Hi Kathy,<br />

Many thanks for pointing out that the issue is quite common and this clears the doubt in my mind whether I am being too critical, to the point of imagining the problem that may not exist.<br />

I have only heard the Cleveland in the days of Mazaal. The Berlin and Concertgebouw did come but I passed them. This had to do with another weird preference of mine. I would rather listen to a second or third tier orchestra in a good seat than to a top one in a bad seat. Next month I already have my choice seats for Yo-yo Ma (cellist) and Hamelin (pianist). Occasionally we have top orchestras performing here principally as a detour on their way to Tokyo or Beijing. But good seats are reserved for sponsors, powers that be etc. Eagles came here as well. <br />

When you have settled down and your schedule being less hectic, I will post the second question to you, that has to do with purposely adjusting the sound of my audio beyond natural live sound. <br />

Thanks again.