These are Moldovan music stands. They are handmade and maintained by a man who comes to the Academy of Music occasionally to fix them. I love them because they epitomize what I love about Moldova. People take time to care for each other and for their surroundings.
Each music stand is made from slats of wood, held together with small tacks and bits of glue. There are two essential parts in each one that must be hand carved to fit and serve its purpose. The cloth one in the photo is especially good for performing while seated. The others can be adjusted by moving the parts up or down. Any of them can be made taller by being placed on a chair.
There is a set of these stands in the Sala cu orgă and the Filharmonic Hall. Sometimes they use the more expensive folding stands similar to the ones I used to take with me to All-City Band in Denver in the 1960s, but I think the musicians have a special love for the handmade Moldovan ones.
Care and maintenance of these stands is intensive. While there is a tradition of taking a music stand home after graduation from my university and other places I have studied or taught in the US, no one would ever think of stealing one of these very special Moldovan stands.
People perform quite a lot from xerox copies. These sheets of music have to be put on the stands and kept there using whatever means is possible.
As spring finally comes to Moldova the crews are out in the parks preparing for a good growing season with handmade brooms and tools for digging. And the music stands are being repaired and made available for the many wonderful musical events accompanying the change of seasons.
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