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THE MUSIC TRADE
DECEMBER 31, 1921
REVIEW
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A Description of Some Very Remarkable Achievements Accomplished by
Dr. Edward Schaaf, of Newark, N. J., in Writing for the Player-Piano as
a Distinct Musical Instrument—New Application of Acoustic Principles
We have more than once insisted in these col-
umns that the foot-power player-piano, what-
ever its shortcomings from a commercial stand-
point, or as a musical instrument in unskilled
hands, nevertheless possesses powers and capaci-
ties of so remarkable a nature that they open
up an entirely new field for research and culti-
vation. One musician, Doc-
tor Edward Schaaf, of New
Jersey, has led the way in this
work, and from time to time
the readers of The Review
have had the privilege of
seeing in print his own state-
ment of his theories as to
player-piano music. Those
who have read Doctor Schaaf's articles in The
Review know that he regards the player-piano
as quite separate from all other musical instru-
ments. It is not, to him, merely a piano, or
even a piano magnified. It is all that and
more. It is not a monochromatic orchestra
only, but that and more. By means of a series
of progressive experiments Doctor Schaaf has
attained considerable freedom in the use of the
new idiom and now brings out a large and seri-
ous work, which challenges attention by its
extraordinary originality and power, and which,
whether one likes it or not, cannot be ignored.
A concerto, as we all know, is a term used to
describe a piece of music in symphonic form,
which is intended to give special opportunity for
solo display by one instrument. Concertos are
written usually to afford such opportunities to
the piano, the violin or the violoncello. The
player-piano concerto dispenses with the aid of
the orchestra, but may still be regarded as a
true concerto, since it contains the fullness of a
complete orchestral score, with the brilliant dis-
play which the solo instrument invariably is ex-
pected to set forth. Not in any desire to boost
the composer, who has no commercial interest
whatever with the music industries in any way,
but whose musical work on the player-piano is
inspired only by his musicianly interest in its
wonderful possibilities, we give here some details
of this remarkable work, which should interest
every .musically minded reader of The Review
and every player man, too.
Andante-Allegro
The concerto is in three movements, as usual
with works which bear this name. The first
movement opens with an introduction (Andante
Maestoso) which develops to a considerable ex-
tent a massive simple diatonic tune, Brahmsian
in its simplicity. This sounds its powerful
movement low in the bass till it suddenly breaks
up in a cataract of dizzy runs and sparkling
progressions which terminate in a vibratile note
Fig. a
many times repeated on top of the pedal-held
overtones, of the bass.
Further development of the introduction fol-
lows, and leads without pause into the astonish-
f'OP TONE, BEAUTY
AND LASTING
^
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ing theme shown by Fig. a, which is played
from measure No. 76 of the movement-
at high speed and is entirely beyond reach of the pianist will look at this passage on paper wUtt;^
fingers. Its effect is instantly compelling. It wonder, the organist and the orchestral cpn>'•>
reminds one irresistibly of the sweep of Bach's
"Doric Toccata" played on a fine organ by a
master organist, but it never for an instant
loses its player-piano character. Here one begins
Fig. c
poser with admiration. Here again we glimpse
the Promised Land of player composition.
Allegro—Vivace—Presto
The extraordinary finale opens immediately
with the crepitant, pulsating theme shown by
Fig. e, whose knife-like sharpness demands that
technical command which the player-piano alone
Fig. b
possesses and which, in fact, is a remarkable
to glimpse the new musical art in earnest. example of player-piano music pure and simple.
Worked through in many devices of counter-
point the great theme winds its way in and out
of a maze of tonal, harmonic and rhythmic vari-
ation, showing in a dozen different lights its
variegated facets, now cracking like a thousand
giants' whips, now shimmering like the iridescent
haze of a Summer's afternoon. Gradually the
intensity of the thought deepens till there rises
up a .chorale organ-like in its majesty, totally
unlike any music ever heard on the piano and
showing completely what a revolutionary musical
voice the player-piano can be. (Measure No.
Fig. d
118.)
Again the rapidly moving progressions are con-
The speed at which the passage shown in solidated into a continuous harmony which has
Fig. b is taken dissolves the short accompanying all the effect of a sustained tone. With this
notes into a single luminous harmony, against theme is worked in another which is still
which the melody stands out with the utmost stranger to look at on paper (Fig. f) ; but which,
clearness. Taken slowly, the passage would be when heard, strikes the hearer as still more re-
hideous, but here the composer has laid hold markably adapted to the genius of the player-
of a principle, new in acoustics, yet familiar in piano. The movement is made up of these two
optics. It is the principle of the cinema reel, themes, treated contrapuntally with a wealth of
which, by presenting its successive photographs harmonic and rhythmic interplay which leaves
to the eye, at a certain speed, gives the impres- one quite breathless in the midst of the musical
sion of a continuous motion. The acoustic prin- intensity developed. A sample of the composer's
ciple here adopted is parallel
in origin and effect, but its
application is quite original,
so far as we know, with the
composer of this concerto.
Interrupted for a moment by
a reminiscence of the theme
of the introduction, which
here becomes the secondary
theme of the main movement,
Fig. e
the music rapidly reasserts
its dominating mood and in a powerful series of
most characteristic methods occurs at bar 35 of
rhythmic tone-pictures rushes to its great climax the finale, as shown by Fig. g.
where the organ-like chorale swells out again
The writing, of course, is entirely unsuited to
and leads to a brilliant coruscating finish.
the piano, but, on the other hand, is exactly the
right thing for the player-piano, which is an in-
Larghetto
The second movement opens with a gracious strument with a voice and a technique of its own.
but forceful theme, shown by Fig. c, which com- The pianist will look on this passage with a
bines power with restraint. sort of fascinated horror, but when it is played
at the designated speed it resolves precisely as
The movement is a series of
highly ingenious and mu- it was intended to.
The contrapuntal treatment in this wonderful
sically most attractive har-
monic and rhythmic varia- finale is not enough to satisfy our composer, who
tions upon this theme, varia- introduces in the middle of his movement a
tions which bring into play all player-piano fugue in three voices based on the
the variety of resource which theme shown in Fig. h. The three registers of
the player-piano so wonder- the player-piano, whose separate individualities
were first observed and utilized by Doctor
fully displays when controlled by a musical
thinker of this caliber. A sample of the in- Schaaf, here show themselves in wonderful
genuity displayed in handling the variations on garb. This is a fugue which" would make an
(Continued on page 6)
the theme is shown in Fig. d, in a passage taken
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