I heard the end of an interview today on the radio - I never heard who was speaking, but it was a concert pianist. He recalled how in the '60s piano manufacturers were replacing ivory with other materials for the keys, and how in those early days some of the alternatives were not well tested. One concert he was allergic to the piano keys and his fingers swelled slightly, becoming desensitized! This was understandably problematic for playing!

Imagine being allergic to the piano!

Or maybe he was allergic to something that he ate, or was otherwise exposed to elsewhere, or just blamed his lousy playing on the piano keys because he thought, "It must be because the piano is not good enough for me. I am so important that I can only work with a piano which is expensive and wasteful. Other pianists can play lesser pianos, but I cannot!"

The really good pianists can play anything. It is the nutty pianists who make these excuses.

I agree with BDB. Sounds like he was making excuses for an off day.

Gaby Tu

I don't know anything about the technical developments in plastics during that period of transition, but it sounds entirely credible to me based on the potential of synthetic materials especially to provoke allergic reactions.

I got one once from a crimson-colored "simulated leather" steering wheel wrap in my car. It caused a rash on the palms of my hands, but it took quite a while for me to realize the source of it.

I'd assume the comment was made in good faith. I doubt the details of the performance were relevant enough after 40 or 50 years to make excuses for it!

Steven

I became allergic to the black rubber dust caused by the hammers on my Fender Rhodes. After 10 minutes of playing I'd have a sore throat. After many experiments I found cutting a hole in the top and fitting an extractor fan worked! The pipe then led out a hole I had to make in the wall. Drastic? Not when the alternative is no practice.