Amid the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street on an autumn Saturday morning, more than 60 participants arrived at Westminster University’s Fyvie Hall on 29 September 2007 to attend the latest ISM seminar, held under the auspices of the Private Teachers Section – Music in Mind: Images and Reflections. We were about to embark on a day of discovery and to gain an insight into the skills of craftsmen past and present.

We were welcomed by the Warden of the PTS for 2007-08, Charlotte Ellis, who then introduced her first speaker, Gary Branch from Finchcocks, the museum of historic keyboard instruments at Goudhurst in Kent. Finchcocks is regularly open to the public and offers workshops, master classes, student days and an outreach programme. Anyone who had not already visited this wonderful collection was urged to do so and to take their pupils too.

For the next hour we were treated to a fascinating insight into the history of Steinway pianos by Ulrich Gerhartz, chief technician at Steinway & Sons. We saw in detail the construction of this world-class instrument and the choice of materials used, particularly the bent hardwood frame, made from eight metres of maple, which makes this piano a favourite in concert halls everywhere, because of its resonance and tone quality.

The Steinway model had been developed from early keyboard instruments through the pioneering work of Heinrich Steinweg, who produced his first piano in 1836 in Germany. In 1850 the family moved to the USA, where the name was changed to Steinway and the famous reputation was born, thanks in no small way to the drive and entrepreneurial skills of Heinrich’s son, Carl.

Inspired by work experience in the Steinway workshop in Hamburg, and with some skill in cabinet-making, Ulrich gave up a place at university and began an apprenticeship which led to his eventual appointment as chief technician. He is undoubtedly a master of his craft, and in his role as technician and consultant to many of the greatest exponents of the art of piano playing, his role is vital to the concert pianist. The instruments used in concert halls are in service for approximately eight years, after which they are retired to good homes!

Ulrich works with almost all the great concert pianists on a regular basis, often putting in a seven-day week. Before a concert, he will spend two or more hours with the artist to ensure that the instrument is satisfactory for them in every way. Concert pianos are tuned once or twice daily. On a recent visit to the Verbier Festival, Ulrich had to tune eight Steinways, at a high altitude and with huge variations in temperature! The Steinway concert grand is capable of a beautiful singing tone, and artists such as Alfred Brendel actively encourage young pianists to visit the workshop to learn to appreciate the quality of the design.

The lecture-demonstration was informative and fascinating, and demonstrated above all Ulrich’s comprehensive knowledge of the instrument which he describes as ‘Formula One’, and to which he has devoted his working life. This first session of the day was extremely well received by the audience and touched on an essential part of the musical world so often taken for granted by pianists.

After a welcome coffee break and a chance to catch up with friends and colleagues, we reassembled for a talk by Jeanne Dolmetsch about the pioneering work of her grandfather, Arnold Dolmetsch.

Although his is a familiar name to most of us, it is probably true to say that we were unaware of the fascinating story of Arnold’s work in tracking down early examples of instruments such as viols, the viola d’amore, early clavichords and harpsichords and the various members of the recorder family. It is difficult for us today to imagine a time when these were available at auction for next to nothing and were not played because no-one knew how to play them!

Arnold Dolmetsch grew up in a family of musicians at Le Mans in Normandy, and came to England to study as Student No. 17 at the newly opened RCM. Sir George Groves was the first principal, and a source of support for Arnold, who had developed an interest in early music and was able to benefit from the RCM’s wonderful library. There he discovered A Brief Introduction to Music by Playford, and gleaned information on how to play fretted instruments. His first viola d’amore, found in an auction room, had seven strings and was lovingly restored by him.

Arnold encouraged his family and violin pupils to learn to play the new instruments, and set about restoring a clavichord and a chamber organ to accompany them. The first independent concert of early music took place in 1891. Research continued, and through his skill as a craftsman he restored an entire family of lutes. His concerts were packed out with enthusiastic supporters, and he began a lecture series at 20 Fitzroy Square which became known as the ‘Fitzroy Settlement’. In 1893 the family moved to a new home, ‘Dowland’, and from there they put on ‘Home Music Concerts’. George Bernard Shaw was a frequent visitor, as was Edward Burne-Jones, who brought William Morris to hear the music which he was to describe as ‘something I understood at once: I had found the lost art’. Arnold found himself making instruments for a whole group of well-known artists and musicians, including Ezra Pound, William Morris, poet laureate Robert Bridges, Henry Wood and Ralph Kirkpatrick, to name but a few.

Coincidence and accident played a huge part in Arnold Dolmetsch’s story, but it was his drive and persistence that brought the hitherto forgotten music from the past back into the concert halls and music colleges of this country.

It was fascinating to hear the family history from Jeanne Dolmetsch, who continues the tradition of playing the recorder, viol and harpsichord. She is a specialist in interpretation and performance, and maintains and promotes her grandfather’s pioneering work. He brought about a renaissance of early music which is still celebrated today through the Dolmetsch Early Musical Instrument Workshop, the Haslemere Early Music Concerts and the Dolmetsch Summer School.

After an excellent lunch we returned to the hall for an introduction to Meditation, Music and the Brain. Dr Warwick Onyeama has been a specialist in adult psychiatry since 1976, and is a member of the Spirituality in Psychiatry special interest group and a practising member of the Academy of Experts. His life-long interest in mystical states had led to a recent study of the roots of Christian spirituality within the World Community of Christian Meditation. He practises meditation himself on a regular basis. The study of the brain is at the forefront of bio-medical research. Magnetic resonance imaging picks up patterns as if they are solid structures, and makes possible a direct study of brain function. We now have the technology to understand how the brain works and how it governs all the body’s activities.

In musical activity the brain adapts and changes. If an activity is performed continually, the brain shows evidence of enlargement, and this is greatest in musicians who began playing at a very early age. A trained brain is actually physically different. This is known as ‘opening up connections’. It was disturbing to learn that most of us use no more than 1% of our brains. It is now known that everyone is born with the capacity to process musical patterns and with the readiness to perform. A nine-month-old baby will respond to changes in a melody line in the same way as an adult. Children will enjoy composing if they receive encouragement, and will use the same brain responses as a professional composer. This ability lies dormant in most people. Enhancement can occur in adults, but not to the same degree as it does in children. If you don’t use it, you lose it!

In addition to the ‘Baroque Response’, a belief that listening to music of this period is particularly relaxing, there is also wide interest in the so-called ‘Mozart Effect’, in which listening to music is said to increase the brain’s learning activity more than any other pursuit. There has been conflicting evidence from research, and the current opinion is that there are benefits, but only if the listener is actively enjoying the experience.

Dr Onyeama’s talk stressed the importance and relevance of the study of the brain: in his view, it will be more vital to our future than space exploration! After some extremely interesting questions which showed that the audience was still awake and alert, we adjourned for tea.

What better way to end the day than a delightful recital of recorder and harpsichord music? Jeanne Dolmetsch was joined by harpsichordist Nigel Foster in a charming programme entitled Ornaments, Graces and Divisions, introduced with the words: ‘hopefully our ornaments will never lack grace, humour and good taste’! The programme ranged from Greensleeves to a Ground by Finger (1660-1730), through baroque composers Purcell, Handel, Corelli, Pergolesi, Couperin, and the master J S Bach, to Hotteterre (1674-1763) and finally Rubbra (1901-86), a piece written for Carl Dolmetsch entitled Meditazione sopra ‘Coeurs Desolés’ for treble recorder.

This conference was particularly imaginative in its choice of speakers and players, conjuring up images of the past, reflecting on two pioneering families and in some way seeking to explain why we as human beings do what we do!

Charlotte’s closing remarks included well-earned thanks to ISM Head Office staff Alison Pickard, Fiona Macleod and Vicky Hunt for organising such a successful day.

Beth Fagg GRSM LRAM is the ISM Councillor for the Home Counties Region. She belongs to the ISM’s St Albans Centre, and is a member of the Society’s Specialist Sections for Musicians in Education and Professional Private Teachers.  

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