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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
A Broad Consideration of the Player-Piano From an Art Standpoint—
The Attitude of the Musician, the Composer and the Performer—Player
Rightly Regarded as a Real Instrument of Music—The Critics Criticised.
There is no doubt that the last five years have and succession is in any case determined by the himself with precise thoroughness in all directions
printed score. The whole question, then, of the except the one which has to do with the selection
seen a veritable revolution in the attitude taken
of the tones. He cannot change a note at will. He
toward the player-piano by those persons whose art in playing is a question of how far the char-
must even play out trills, accaciaturas, appoggia-
acteristic touch effects are rendered stiff and
musical opinions are entitled to respect. Indeed,
turas and grace notes in general as they are writ-
mechanical by means of the roll, and how. far the
it would be true enough to say that the greater
manageable qualities are actually in practice con- ten in for him. But even this is not* of itself a
musical minds from the first have seen that the
crime. Every day we are getting finer and finer
trolled.
player-piano had enormous possibilities; but it is
results in piano player design. Every day we are
Finger Versus Action Work.
equally the case that the mass of teachers, stu-
approaching closer and closer to that ideal time
It is a great mistake to suppose that the finger
dents and performers of music were from the first
feverishly opposed to the whole business. The method, mechanically speaking, furnishes anything 'when each and every note in a piece of music can
be separately conceived and separately manipu-
second-rate music mind, as one might collectively more than :nechanical means at any time. The
lated. The time is coming when these things will
finger work, so far as relates to the actual finger-
think of it, has always been slow moving, of
ing of the keyboard, is purely mechanical, and the be so; and because they are not to-day entirely so,
course, for if it were not so it would probably not
be second rate. It is therefore not specially a mat- supposition that there is any mysterious quality we should not try to refute the claims of the
ter for surprise that at the present time there is inherent in the fingerwork comes from mixing up player-piano with a sneer.
the mechanical' part of the creative or expressive
Player-Piano Has Won Its Place-
still much opposition and much prejudice.
In another direction, and one not less important,
Much of this opposition, of course, is founded part. In other words, the fingers of the pianist
should rightly be regarded as being partly ma- the player-piano is destined to make for itself a
on something more than mere blind bigotry. Much
of it is due to the absurd claims that have been chines and partly immediate vehicles of thought. place among legitimate musical instruments. The
In the first respect they are no better than the
attention of composers is being gradually directed
made for the player-piano by makers and sellers
bare
pneumatics
of
the
player-piano,
and
the
sup-
toward the possibility of writing piano music for
densely ignorant of the very rudiments of musical
the player-piano exclusively; that is to say, piano
art. In no diction has the attack been more strongly position that there is any virtue in fingering as
such, and without regard to other considerations, music which takes advantage of the enormous
pressed than against the claims made for the ca-
technical capacity of the player-piano and is writ-
pacity of the player as an interpreter. It has been illustrates a lovely case of illogical thinking.
ten on a scale of breadth altogether impossible for
In very fact the real objection to the player as
a commonplace of player advertising that personal
the ordinary piano. When we consider what the
interpretation is legitimately possible, and, in fact, an art instrument arises from the fact that the roll
modern piano really is, and what an enormously
is more of a fixed proposition than is the printed
that the value of any player is to be predicated
powerful instrument it has come to be, we cannot
largely upon this capacity. And exactly here has score. Pianists can, and frequently do, modify the
weight of the professional musical attack been' notes of the score; but when a perforation repre- but feel regret that its technical capacities have al-
senting a note has once been put into a roll there ways been so limited. The player-piano provides
delivered.
us with a way out of this difficulty and soon we
In fact, upon this point has rested the general it stays permanently. But is it not very much of
may expect to see that instrument taking up a new
an
open
question
whether
this
"freedom"
allowed
basis for the claim that the player-piano is in no
and unique position in the field of music.
real respect an art instrument. And we might as the pianist is either necessary or desirable?
Player-Pianist's
Art
Not
Imitative.
To sum the matter up, the player-piano is rightly
well admit now that scarcely any attempt has been
This much may surely be said in favor of the to be regarded as a legitimate instrument of music,
made seriously to confront and refute the strongly
player-piano, that it is, within such limits as we viewing music from any reasonable basis and con-
advanced arguments thus made.
sidering art from any reasonable standpoint.
have already admitted to exist, a legitimate vehicle
Players and Musical Art.
The critics who would refute the player with a
of musical expression. We may go further and
Of course it is perfectly plain that the question
sneer are like Dr. Johnson refuting Berkeley's
of whether a player-piano is or is not an artistic admit that the player-pianist's art is essentially im-
idealism by striking the ground with his foot; a
itative and, therefore, not ?o perfectly expressive
instrument is a question which depends exactly
plausible but, as Huxley said, "entirely irrelevant
upon what you mean by ait. It has been urged, as it would be otherwise. But even so, it is not
proceeding."
for instance, that one cannot be said to be "playing entirely imitative. The player-pianist can express
the piano" unless one is actually fingering the keys
and reading the notes of a printed score. If the
discussion is to be limited in this manner—as, in-
deed, some of the less amiable critics of the player-
piano would limit it—then it is plain that there is
nothing more to be said. But there is no reason
at all in unity for making such a boundary to our
argument.
What, after all, is art? It is simply the applica-
tion to concrete ends of definite laws. If the laws
relate to decoration in some form or another or
to some sort of ideal expression, we refer to the
arts which they govern as fine arts. Music is one
of these arts; and the whole question of whether
or not the player-piano is a vehicle for artistic ex-
pression depends upon our conception of what we
mean by expression. That Is the matter in a nut-
shell.
This is only one of the many features that are
Suppose that the player-pianist be compared with
the conductor of an orchestra. It is evident that
establishing the superiority of the Mueller &
the latter does not personally manipulate each in-
Haines Line. Remember, we make Players only.
strument, but he is the artist who plays the sym-
phony nevertheless. For he controls the individual
A postcard brings our catalog
members of his band, and compels them to play as
he requires, to the greatest possible extent. Such
matters as phrasing, tempo, dynamic nuance and
dynamic contrast are his entirely. So, indeed, are
they the property of the player-pianist. The player-
pianist does not actually produce the tones. He
does not, to put it more exactly, finger the instru-
ment's keys. But he does control that fingering as
to everything except the bare selection and suc-
cession of the tones. And this matter of selection
MUELLER &HAINES
Player-Pianos are now equipped with
the only tracking device that will cor-
rectly track any music roll no matter
how badly its edges may be mutilated.
MUELLER & HAINES
PLAYER
PIANO
COMPANY
1217 W. Monroe Street, Chicago