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TH
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
A NEW ASPECT OF THE PLAYER-PIANO
Will Probably Result in the Creation of an Advanced School in Musical Expression—Overcomes
Limitations of Ordinary Orchestras—Composers May Specialize in Music for Player-Pianos
— A More General Understanding of Instrument in Prospect—Gottfried Galston's Views.
A few weeks ago Gottfried Galston made some
remarks about the player-piano which are highly
illuminating and suggestive. We all know that
musicians in general are still very much inclined
to talk about the player in a manner which may be
termed anything but complimentary. One of the
great difficulties which the trade has had to con-
ftont has been, in fact, that of persuading musi-
cians to take even an intelligent viewpoint. Mr.
Galston, however, goes a great deal further than
just this. He has not only thought intelligently
about the player-piano, but has made a suggestion
quite new in its way and in the highest degree
suggestive. Among other things, Mjr. Galsiton
says: "The possibilities of player-pianos are
scarcely realized. When the player comes to be
recognized altogether as a new instrument, and
not as a piano, then will its remarkable possibili-
ties be seen. . . . In the future there will be
composers, maybe great ones, who will write es-
pecially for the player-piano. Then we shall get
wonderfully beautiful music, compositions that
would have to be played by twenty hands, were
such a thing physically possible. Then we shall
have a truly marvelous instrument, giving us har-
monies such as we have not heard before."
The Player a New Instrument.
"Altogether a new instrument!" That is the
meat of the whole matter. We have been accus-
tomed for a very long time to think of the player-
piano as merely a piano with a playing mechanism
attached to it. Only incidentally lias there been
any recognition of the fact that an instrument of
this sort is in effect a new instrument, for the
reason that its range and power far transcend the
possibilities of an ordinary piano. The point to be
considered is that an instrument of which the
range is not limited to the capacity of two, four
or eight hands, puts into the hands of the com-
poser, for the development of musical expression,
powers simply enormous.
Of course, the grand orchestra has a similar
power. But this power is by no means identical.
For the tonal capacities of the various instruments
which comprise it are so unequal that the number
of possible parts in which a composer can write
with any decent audible effect is very far below
the number of instruments. The strings of a great
symphony orchestra may number from sixty to
seventy, but to write in more than five parts for
this array is hardly ever an effective means of
musical expression. Similar objections may be
made with regard to the wood-wind, the brass and
the percussion instruments. For instance, it is
possible to write effectively for the horns in four-
part harmony, but to write for the full brass choir
in such a way as to assign a separate part for
each instrument would be altogether ineffective.
The number of parts, therefore, into which the
orchestra may be effectively divided is compara-
tively small.
Offers Great Opportunity for Composers.
Now with the player-piano, on the other hand,
every note in the whole range from top to bottom
is measurably equal in dynamic effect. Chords
may be written for the manual piano containing
as many as twelve separate parts, each of which
can be heard in relation to all the others. With
the player-piano we are by no means limited to
twelve parts, though this number is the utmost
that can be written simultaneously for the manu-
ally-played piano. Indeed twelve parts can only
be played by the hands when one finger can strike
two keys simultaneously, although by breaking the
chords and holding them with the pedal this diffi-
culty may be overcome. With the player-piano,
however, it is possible to write in just as many
parts as we please—and not only so, but to in-
vent if we wish chord combinations which would
be quite impossible for the hands to grasp, but
which would have been long ago written into piano
music, had it not been for the mechanical diffi-
culties mentioned above. In fact, a field is thrown
open to the composer who will consider the player-
piano as a means to his hand, of which the extent
can hardly be conceived on paper.
It is not necessary to prolong the discussion thus
briefly outlined, except by saying that the composer
who knows all the resources of his art can, without
a doubt, make use of the player-piano for the ex-
pression of musical ideas in a manner infinitely
more rich and elaborate than has ever before been
possible. There is not the slightest doubt in the
world that if composers will begin to write music
to be performed upon the player-piano with full
recognition both of the fundamental tone qualities
peculiar .to the piano, and of the unlimited range
capacity of the player-mechanism, they will find
themselves able to produce compositions endowed
with a wealth of harmonic expression which will
take the whole musical world by surprise. It only
remains for some composer to take the first steps.
Let this once be done, and the whole field of com-
position will be broadened and enriched beyond
our present conception.
Are the Powers of the Player Limited?
If this were a newspaper devoted to musicians
the writer might occupy an indefinite amount of
space in giving concrete illustrations of the har-
monic possibilities which inhere in the player-
piano ; but for our purposes it is better for us to
consider another phase of the question, one which
will have more interest for our readers. This
phase may be expressed in the following question:
Can the expression devices of the player-piano be
considered competent to care for the interpreta-
tion of music at once so elaborate and so har-
monically rich? If they are not so competent at
the present time, is there any possibility that they
can be developed to that point?
Given the right sort of roll and some develop-
ment of the expression devices in reference to the
power of accentuation, there can be no doubt that
the question must be answered in the affirmative.
I: might as well be understood at once, however,
that this higher development of the player-piano
will become possible only through parallel develop-
ment in the art of the player-pianist. Little by
little the independent position of the player-pianist
is becoming recognized, and the time is rapidly ap-
proaching when the world of music must definitely
acknowledge him as one of themselves.
The Practicability
of Control
Devices.
Every man who has a thorough knowledge of
pneumatic piano playing mechanism is well aware
that there is no great mechanical difficulty in pro-
ducing a device which will give complete control,
at the will of the player-pianist, over every single
individual tone with respect to every possible means
of evoking it. The obstacles in the way of realiz-
ing these possibilities are, in fact, not at all me-
chanical, but entirely commercial. As things stand
to-day, it would be perfectly ridiculous to build a
player-piano which permitted absolute control over
every tone, for the simple reason that not one pur-
chaser out of a hundred would be willing to give
the necessary amount of study to master the tech-
nic of its expression devices. Moreover, not one
purchaser out of a hundred is to-day sufficiently
musical to care, or even understand. What, how-
ever, is necessary is that those few who have ele-
vated pneumatic piano playing into an art should
co-operate with the inventors on one hand and the
composers on the other hand, to the end that an
artist's player-piano may be developed and a place
found for it. Such a consummation is devoutly
to be desired, but one may well hesitate before
attempting to predict that it is likely soon to be
brought about. There are very few real player-
pianists at the present moment. That is to say,
there are very few men who have learned the secret
of producing good tone and delicate touch who are
sufficiently good musicians to be able to conceive
their readings of music in a sane, well-balanced
and musicianly manner, or who have sufficient
musical education to apply to their playing the
same standards as are naturally applied by other
workers in the world of tone. The higher de-
velopment of the player-piano, in fact, along the
lines which Mr. Galston has suggested, must come
about through a» triple alliance between inventors,
composers and player-pianists. While saying this,
however, it is well to repeat what was said above,
viz.: that any obstacles which may exist in connec-
tion with the further development of the player-
piano in its expressive capacity are not mechanical
obstacles. A dozen experimental departments have
from time to time worked upon these develop-
ments. If their secrets were exposed to the gen-
eral gaze it would be seen that much which has
been carelessly deemed impossible is, in fact, only
uncommercial. It is not fair to expect player
manufacturers to take the lead in producing in-
struments of the highest musical efficiency, so long
as there is no demand for them. When that de-
mand arises, however, experimental rooms will
quickly give up their secrets, and we shall have
player-pianos which are, in truth, altogether new
musical instruments.
Room for Development in Playing.
By way of epilogue one might do worse than
lay stress upon the present growing necessity for
a higher development in the art of pneumatic
piano piaying. With all due respect to the small
band of player-pianists, it must indeed be said
that even among those who practise the art pro-
fessionally the standard is by no means high.
Throughout the trade at large it is lamentably
low. Some people, it is true, will tell you that
the man who sells player-pianos at wholesale or
retail ought to be very careful lest he allow him-
salf to be carried away too far on the musical
side and thus come to think of himself too much
as an artist and not enough as a salesman. If by
this is meant that the gesticulations and postur-
ings to which many demonstrators are prone are
thoroughly absurd, doing, in fact, more harm than
good, the criticism is sound; but it is to be ob-
served that such absurdities are not only not the
sign of mastery, but on the contrary, indicate the
lack of it. The master player-pianist needs no
such advantitious aid.
That these developments must in course of time
be brought about is certainly not a matter of
doubt. That, on the other hand, the development
will be slow is equally true. No one. however,
who is thoroughly familiar with the situation can
for a moment be doubtful that the player-piano
will take its place as an entirely new instrument,
with its own literature, its own peculiar powers,
and its own rightful field of activity.
BEHNING PLAYERS TO INDIANAPOLIS.
Large Shipment Made for Display at Opening of
Steinway & Sons New Store—Behning Pres-
tige Becoming Great Throughout Country.
A large shipment of Behning player-pianos was
started from the Behning Piano Co., Alexander
avenue and l'Wd street, New York, last week for
Indianapolis, where they will be displayed at the
opening of the new store of Steinway & Sons in
that city on January 1, 1913. This is the fifth
time the Behning player-piano has had the dis-
tinction of being placed side by side with the illus-
trious Steinway in an opening of an exclusive
Steinway & Sons wareroom.
That the makers of this world-renowned piano
have appreciated the value of the quality of the
Behning player is shown in the steadfast policy
of the firm to have it represented in all its branch
stores. Already it is being handled in Cincinnati,
Dayton, Columbus and Louisville, and now it will
have the same strong representation in Indian-
apolis. The Behning player is making a name for
itself not only through its representation with the
highest grade instruments in the world, but also
on its own merits. Its ease of operation, respon-
siveness, repetition and tone have been praised by
many well-known player experts and musicians,
with the result that it now has a following of the
most cultured and critical people in the country.
W. H. Howard has re-entered the piano trade in
Atlanta, Ga., as head of the W. H. Howard Music
Co., with warerooms at 72 North Broad street, that
city. He will handle the Smith & Barnes pianos.