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PLAYER SECTION
NEW YORK, AUGUST 27, 1921
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Some Suggestions Based on the Announcement That Stravinsky, the Distin-
guished Russian Composer, Has Already Written Some Special Music for the
Player-piano—Ernest Newman's Book and Dr. Edward Schaaf's Researches
The announcement has been made that Stra-
vinsky, head and front of the new Russian
school of musical composition, has discovered
the player-piano. Two pieces, we learn, have
been composed by him for this instrument.
The announcement comes from London and we
are told that musical circles are highly inter-
ested.
All of which is very good. Likewise, we are
happy to learn that the Aeolian Co. has at once
picked up the music in question and arranged for
its publication in the Aeolian catalog. Which is
still better.
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Stravinsky and Newman
But we shall be pardoned, we hope, for re-
marking that, although M. Stravinsky has dis-
covered the player-piano, he is by no means the
first musician to have done so. Even in London,
where the distinguished Russian is now, as we
understand, making his home, he could have
learned that Ernest Newman, as bright a light
of musical criticism as Stravinsky is of composi-
tion, published last year a book called "The
Piano-Player and Its Music," in which a most
trenchant, witty and courageous appeal is made
to musicians to undertake a study of the special
individuality of the instrument, and of which no
less than eighty-two pages are concerned with
the very matter of transcribing old, and compos-
ing new, music for it. Mr. Newman is a critic
of international reputation and a musician whose
authority cannot be questioned. He discovered
the player-piano a good ten years ago and even
had the temerity to found a monthly "Piano
Player Review" for its better consideration,
which ran for two or three years—in fact, up to
the time of the outbreak of the great war. The
v/riter read Mr. Newman's interesting little book
some months ago and only a few days ago was
pleasantly surprised to receive another copy of
it with the compliments of Vice-president Moore,
of the Pratt-Read Player Action Co., which
shows that others are readily it, too.
Back to Newark, N. J.
But why go so far afield as London? We can
come right back to the U. S., and in the city of
Newark, N. J., we shall find Dr. Edward Schaaf,
a native American, and a composer of uncom-
promising ideality, who has written music in
every known form and possesses an unique com-
mand over every modern device of harmony,
melody and rhythm. He has been studying the
player-piano for nearly ten years, and for at
least seven of them has been composing for it
jtUrectly. His work has been modest and little
heard of, and he has been frankly experimental
in much of what he has done. But he has, we posers to make tentative ventures in the'same
believe, been thus modest, quiet and experi- field._ We should certainly like to see Ravel in
mental for a special reason.
France, Lord Berners, Cyril Scott and John
The Player-piano's Individuality
Ireland in England, Sowerby, Bloch and John
That reason is that the player-piano turns out, Alden Carpenter in this country, Albeniz in
upon a musician's beginning real scientific re- Spain, Respighi in Italy, and Rachmaninoff and
search into its possibilities, to be very much Prokokieff, wherever they are, try their hands at
different from a mere piano with eighty-eight the new and wonderful game. But we hope that
fingers. The composer who begins to compose when any of these gentlemen take the subject
for it invariably falls into this error at first, up they will have the opportunity of consulting
for until he has had actual experience with the the one text-book which has so far been written
individual peculiarities of the player-piano he on the subject. For if they do not they are
cannot foresee them. We are therefore positive likely to find the result of their writing for an
that if M. Stravinsky continues his researches he eighty-eight finger piano, interesting as it un-
will discover possibilities which at present he is doubtedly will be, nevertheless to fall far short
not likely to have thought of, since they are of their reasonable expectations. The player-
wholly unique and have reference to no other piano has a queer individuality of its own. At
instrument or combination of instruments.
first that individuality appears to be merely me-
Our Position
chanical and strident* but, as one studies it, one
In thus stressing the very special nature of the finds it's something curiously subtle and fasci-
player-piano's musical capacities and in insisting nating. There is an entirely neo-pianistic nature
that these cannot be imagined in advance of here concealed and striking to break forth into
actual experience of them, we are merely saying utterance. The player-piano resents being treated
what has been already said at much greater as a mere piano for eighty-eight infallible fin-
length in previous issues of this Player Section. gers. It demands, and rightly responds only to,
It may be worth while to remind the reader that treatment as a new instrumental voice of mar-
The Review has the right to claim for itself velous powers and unfamiliar, penetrating,
priority in the consideration of these matters potent personality.
and authority in their discussion. This Player
Anent the Reproducing Piano
Section has now been running for more than
It ought not to be necessary, but for the sake
ten years, and during that time every phase of of clearness let it be said that these observations
the technical musical aspects of the player has have nothing whatever to do with the reproduc-
been exhaustively discussed. The latest of these ing piano. Most of the inventive powers and
discussions took the form of twelve articles on nearly all the promotive skill at present discern-
the principles of arranging and composing for ible in the player industry on this side of the
the player-piano, written by the gifted American Atlantic are now being concentrated upon the
musician whose work we have been discussing. reproducing piano. We have no comment to
In them were laid down the principles which we offer upon this fact, and we are not now in the
believe will be regarded in the future as the least concerned with it. The reproducing piano
fundamentals of the art. These include the is not a player-piano. It possesses a playing
great principles of the three registers, the prin- action similar indeed in principle, up to a certain
ciple of sustained and controllable tone-volume point, but one thereafter wholly dissimilar and
through iteration, the principle of tone-color intended for wholly different purposes. The re-
through the use of high speed in connection with producing piano is what its name implies^-a
dissonant-interval series; and others of equal im- piano capable of reproducing the individual
portance hitherto quite unrecognized. It is im- playing of an artist, originally done on an ordi-
possible not to believe that, the author of these nary piano in the ordinary way. But the player-
articles has written the first text-book of a piano, foot pumped, is something entirely dif-
wholly new art.
ferent. Hitherto it has been regarded merely as
a self-playing piano. As such it is interesting
Musicians and the New Voice
This article is not written for the purpose of and amusing, but as a mechanism for playing
belauding any personality. Nor have we the solo piano music the reproducing piano is neces-
slightest desire either to discourage M. Stravin- sarily its superior. Merely to enable •effe to pjjay
sky, for whose eminent gifts we entertain the ordinary piano music the pla^er-rpiano is '*nt)t
greatest respect. We sincerely hope that the vital to the musical art; but now that its essen*
(Continued on page 4)
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prestige of his name will, encourage other com-