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REVIEW
MARCH 25, 1922
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piano are emphasized. The result is neither fish
nor flesh.
Newman's Argument
This point is argued with much force and apt-
ness of illustration by Ernest Newman in his re-
cent book, "The Piano-player and Its Music."
He gives a number of pointed examples which
show, by actual comparison of piano scores with
original setting, how salient features of the or-
chestral scheme are often entirely omitted in
the piano reduction, simply because the arranger
for piano realized that he could not get any pian-
ist to play them, the number of available fingers
being what it is. Mr. Newman argues that the
arrangements of all orchestral music of any kind,
whether operatic, symphonic or what not, should
be made directly from the orchestral scores,
whereby the entire structure, framework and de-
tail may be reproduced and made available for
the player-piano, which, as he clearly sees, is a
sort of orchestra much more than it is a piano.
Doctor Schaaf has gone still further in his re-
cent treatise on the art of player-piano composi-
tion. With a wealth of illustrative material that
is quite unique in its magnitude, and with argu-
ments which appear to be unassailable, he con-
tends that even the substitution of the full score
for the piano reduction will not suffice to cure
the evil. He believes that the composer for or-
chestra, acquainted with the peculiarities of the
instruments for which he writes, uses devices,
notations, sound combinations which are either
useless or ineffective when reproduced in another
medium. He therefore believes that the ar-
ranger should rewrite the music from the or-
chestral score, adapting it to give the nearest pos-
sible reproduction of the effects which the com-
poser had in mind when he wrote his orchestral
score, but not reproducing those ideas for a new
medium in the terms of the old.
Study Needed
Against the argument little can be said, but
at least it is plain that the time has come for
careful and unbiased study of the facts. In the
present super-commercialization of the business
and in face of the present preoccupation of ar-
rangers with recordings it may be deemed un-
timely to discuss these questions. But to sup-
pose this would be to suppose very superficially.
The need of the day is improvement. We want
our player-piano to come into its own. We
want to make it what its technical and mechani-
cal power should allow it to become. Its weak
spot, in the opinion of eminent authorities, lies in
its music. That means specifically in the methods
oi arranging. These methods have hitherto been
worked out on the supposition that the player-
piano is merely a mechanical piano. It is now
beginning to be seen, thanks to the tireless re-
searches of eminent musicians who have inter-
ested themselves in this new and fascinating
field, that the player-piano is not a piano at all,
but rather a new and powerful stringed instru-
ment of unlimited technical capacity and for-
midable musical efficiency. This fact must be
Mr. Tuner:
No doubt you are frequently called upon to regulate and tune player-
pianos of ancient construction and with veiy unsatisfactory results.
We believe you could, in many cases, interest the owner in a new player
action to be installed by you in his piano and at a very moderate expense.
We can make an action that will fit any scale of piano, if you supply
the measurements on a punted form we could send you, and it would come
to you in such shape that it would be easy for you to install it in the piano,
probably in two or three hours at most.
The price for the actions and the profit you could make on the work
would be very attractive to you.
If you are interested, we should be glad to give you further information,
with prices and terms.
SIMPLEX PLAYER ACTION CO.
Worcester, Mass.
realized as quickly as may be by the arrangers
of music, and only when it has been realized,
with corresponding modification of practice, will
the full possibilities of the player-piano become
publicly available.
MUSICAL AT^^MPICO STUDIOS
Alvin Belden, American Dancer, Presents Inter-
esting Program With Aid of Ampico
A most interesting matinee lecture recital was
given at the Ampico Studios, New York, on
Tuesday afternoon of last week, when Alvin
Belden, the noted American dancer, presented a
"highly attractive program with the assistance of
Miss Mary Cole, Miss May Ward and Alexander
Gunn, pianist. The Ampico was featured very
prominently in the program, repeating Mr. Gunn's
playing of three Chopin Preludes at one point
and providing the accompanying music for the
various dances of Mr. Belden and his assistants.
A large and demonstrative audience attended
the recital and was generous in its expressions
of appreciation, both of the dances given on the
stage at one end and the proper lighting effects
and of the playing of the Ampico, particularly
the faithfulness with which it reproduced Mr.
Gunn's recordings immediately after he had fin-
ished playing by hand the same selection.
DUO=ART ATFLOWER SHOW
That Instrument Featured in Daily Concerts in
the Fashion Show Room at the Palace
The Duo-Art piano was featured under most
favorable circumstances at the Flower Show held
at Grand Central Palace last week in connection
with a concert given in the Fashion Show Room
each afternoon with Charlotte Ryan and Edith
Bennett, sopranos, as the assisting artists. A
special charge was made for admission to the
concerts, the proceeds going to the Girl Scouts.
Each evening there was dancing in the Fashion
Show Room to the accompaniment of the Duo-
Art piano. On Sunday, the final day of the show,
there was a special concert given by Eleanor
Shaw, the noted pianist, assisted by Sheffield
Child, tenor, at which the Duo-Art piano was
also featured.
MANY DEALERSjVDD U. S. ROLLS
The new Eastern branch of the United States
Music Co., which was opened a little more than
a week ago at 122 Fifth avenue, New York City,
under the management of George H. ("jack")
Rliss, is already having a difficult time in taking
care of the demand for these rolls. The organ-
ization of the branch has been completed and
during the few days of its existence many new
dealers in and about New York have taken on
the U. S. word rolls.
J. H. Johnson's Sons is the name of a new firm
of music dealers who have opened an establish-
ment in Alliance, O.