Dave U

Watching "The Last Night of the Proms" yesterday I noticed an instrument in the BBC Symphony Orchestra I've never seen before. It appears briefly at 31:25 in this clip

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01mm5cf/BBC_...

Several years ago I watched this film, then forgot the title and have never been able to identify it since. I think the main character was an elderly James Stewart or someone of a similar appearance. He had a glass eye and was on a train journey ending up in some town. That's all I can really remember.

Any ideas?

I give encouragement and advice to a 13 year old intermediate level piano student who is keen to develop her technique and has asked my opinion of "Hanon - The Virtuoso Pianist". Her teacher says he does not believe in books like this as "the only thing Hanon teaches you is how to play Hanon" and that there is a real risk of bringing on RSI, or muscle strain if overused. The best way to develop technique is simply to learn pieces of increasing difficulty and tackle problems as they arise.

Another teacher (and concert pianist), who I know personally, insists on her students rigorously working through Hanon and another book "Beringer - Daily Technical Studies For Piano" to a point which, I feel, may be excessive.

I'd be interested to know the thoughts of others more experienced than myself as to the merits, or otherwise, of these type of exercises. Is there some happy middle ground here, or are these books just a dull waste of time?