Pianists, is there a legitimate reason to play Marcato Tenuto Fortissimo during Mass?
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 841
    I’m debating whether or not to go to my parish’s Mass for the Feast of the Assumption today. Last Sunday I left Mass feeling like I got beat up from the the piano. It took me 6 hours of bed rest to recover because the substitute pianist kept playing Marcato Tenuto Fortissimo at the start of each phrase and random bars. Normally it’s only my parish’s digital piano in the choir loft that leaves me feeling beat up by sound, and acoustics don’t bother me at all provided they’re fairly in tune and not being banged on by people’s unsupervised children.

    Is there a legitimate reason for playing like this? I’m debating whether or not to go to Mass today given that it’s a Solemnity and I don’t know if our MD is back from his vacation yet (Assumption is hit and miss each year). I don’t have time today to fit in 6 hours of recovery, but I’d still like to attend Mass. I’m trying to see if I can mentally prepare to endure the musical pain of attending Mass. Sometimes earplugs and an understanding of “why they do that” can be helpful.
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 407
    I sympathise. On vacation, I went to a parish whose symphony of LED lights were not only turned up to the max, but which also featured a microphone right up against the out of tune piano which amplified the fortissimo percussive playing as much as possible. Words were hard to discern amidst the cannonade.
    Thanked by 1SponsaChristi
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 841
    amplified the fortissimo percussive playing as much as possible.

    I believe our piano has pick ups (or whatever the piano equivalent is for amplifying the sound) build into it. I’m not sure if they ever get used. Last week they just opened the piano top all the way, which was way too loud. Sound carries in my church. I don’t think people realize that. The conversations I’ve heard at the front of the church from the back and the choir loft... I’ve even heard heard entire phone calls.
  • lmassery
    Posts: 453
    This is what often happens when trying to accompany a church full of people with an instrument not at all designed to do so. I say that as someone for whom piano is my first love.
    Thanked by 4tandrews SponsaChristi irishtenor ServiamScores
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 841
    This is what often happens when trying to accompany a church full of people with an instrument not at all designed to do so. I say that as someone for whom piano is my first love.

    Unfortunately the pipe organ was down for major repairs so we got stuck with the piano. Much to my surprise and joy today our MD returned and so did our pipe organ. Looks like the soundboard got an upgrade as well.
    Thanked by 2lmassery Abbysmum
  • amindthatsuits
    Posts: 897
    I have nothing particularly to offer in this discussion except this observation. In my archdiocese, there is a good Catholic music program, and recent graduates from that program who stayed in the area, frequently went to the last available mass in the archdiocese, which was at 7 o’clock on Sunday night. This was not because they were young, and it had taken them that long to recover from Saturday night, although in a couple of particular instances that I know, that was part of the motive . I’m sure. rather the main motive was this there was no music.

    Which inspires the thought that I think even Cardinal Dolan raised at one point, and that’s why not begin a push to bring back the Low mass. if The music is going to be intolerable. Why not do away with the music. just a thought
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  • AbbysmumAbbysmum
    Posts: 213
    I’m sure. rather the main motive was this there was no music.


    I love this, because it's so true. I love the weekday Mass when there's no singing (unfortunately, there often is because someone has decided to start singing a cappella, usually a 3rd too low and not in tune).

    I am a music minister and would go to a Low Mass anytime one is offered.
  • TCJ
    Posts: 1,071
    My one and only time playing a piano at Mass was because the breaker tripped on the organ. I was pretty much brand new there and wasn't the main organist and I didn't know where the breakers were, nor did those around me. So, off to the piano. I probably played it way too loud, but from my perspective it seemed I had to hit the keys hard to get the sound to carry through the entire church and support the singers.
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 841
    Which inspires the thought that I think even Cardinal Dolan raised at one point, and that’s why not begin a push to bring back the Low mass.

    We have a low Mass, but that’s not much better because it’s too quiet and I get overwhelmed by all the ambient background noises (lights, sound system, etc).

    My issue is disability related. It’s about finding just the right amount and kind of noise. I know it will never be perfect, but between all the cacophony of people standing around visiting, parents ignoring their children banging hard objects on the pews or kicking my pew and the sound resonating through the oak pews and through my body, Mass can be a very painful experience.

    I wear earplugs, but they can’t help with sound resonating through me, and I can’t sing with them. They also make the problem worse in the long term. I find the organ at Mass non-intrusive and like being wrapped in a weighted blanket and removes the physical pain I feel from noise.

    I’m not anti-music at Mass. I just don’t want low quality painful music at Mass.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 12,096
    When the organ was out for re-leathering, I played an electronic piano. I tried to not call attention to it or myself. I have heard some pianists who are actually friends, play everything 4-octave and loudly. That doesn't work for all music. In a large church the piano's percussiveness stands out and in some cases it doesn't have the power to accompany a large congregation. I have had better results with organ and the congregation rejoiced when the organ returned to service.
    Thanked by 2SponsaChristi CHGiffen
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 3,368
    This is what often happens when trying to accompany a church full of people with an instrument not at all designed to do so. I say that as someone for whom piano is my first love.
    Not infrequently I am asked to play for funerals at a nearby parish when they occur mid-week. It is a large asymmetrical room that seats over 600, where the front has a 40’ ceiling, and the back half of the room is under a low ceiling (former parish hall that was blasted open to extend the church) that requires amplification to hear anything at all. They have a 4’6” baby grand in a corner that is somehow supposed to support singing in this enormous space. It simply isn’t fit for purpose at all. So yes, sometimes you have to be aggressive, especially with downbeats to keep people together. Discretion is required, of course, but refined playing is not really at play here. It’s a limitation of physics as much as anything. To be clear, I’m not hammering everything the whole time, but I definitely am playing strong down beats and other emphases, especially the bass line.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,785
    I just…low Mass only.
    Thanked by 1AnimaVocis
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