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THE MUSIC TRADE
MAY U, 1922
REVIEW
9
Dambois and Duo-Art Score Triumph
Comparison Recitals Held Throughout the Country in Which Maurice Dambois and the Duo-Art Reproducing
Featured Jointly Win Enthusiastic Approval From Music Critics and Public Alike—Noted
Composer-pianist-'cellist Sails for European Concert Tour
Members of the music industry of the coun-
try are generally quite familiar with the excel-
lent work of exploitation in the interests of the
Duo-Art piano that has been carried out through-
out the country during the musical season just
closed, for there has hardly been a section where
there has not been one or more concerts in
which the Duo-Art piano has been strongly fea-
tured in association with artists of recognized
standing.
Among the concerts that attracted particular
attention and were most successful were those
given in the territory east of Chicago and St.
Louis beginning on November 16, when Ignaz
Friedman, pianist, was featured with the Duo-
Art in an elaborate program at Carnegie Hall,
Pittsburgh, Pa. Friedman and the Duo-Art ap-
peared subsequently in a series of concerts in
Chicago, Buffalo, Washington, New York, Bos-
ton and Detroit, in every case playing to capac-
ity audiences and attracting most favorable at-
tention from both critics and music-lovers.
Friedman and Dambois in Concert
On March 1, in Cincinnati, Friedman was
joined by Maurice Dambois, the noted French
composer-pianist-'cellist, and with him and the
Duo-Art gave a series of three very elaborate
concerts in Cincinnati, St. Louis and Rochester,
N. Y., respectively. On March 11 Dambois ap-
peared alone in a special program at Aeolian
Hall, New York, and then started on a tour of
the East, playing in a series of eight concerts
with the Duo-Art.
Dambois and His Triple Role
In this last series of concerts, Dambois
aroused particular interest on the part of music-
lovers generally, for he offered, single-handed, a
program that ordinarily would have taxed the
capabilities of two or three artists, appearing in
the triple role of 'cellist, pianist and composer.
In this work Mr. Dambois succeeded in ar-
ranging the various selections in a way that
served to emphasize his ability in the various
fields of musical endeavor, offering a sufficient
variety to make the entire program worth while,
and at the same time presenting the Duo-Art
piano in a way to bring out the possibilities of
that instrument both as soloist and accompanist.
Following his New York concert, the actual
tour of Dambois began on March 16 at the
Grand Opera House, Terre Haute, Ind., where
he offered the following program, to which he
held closely in all his succeeding concerts. A
glance at the program will offer some idea of its
diversified character:
Program
Concerto for Pianoforte and Orchestra (Third
Movement)
Liszt
The solo part reproduced by the Duo-Art as
played by Rudolph Ganz. Mr. Dambois played
a piano arrangement of the orchestral score on the
second piano as accompaniment.
Concerto for 'Cello and Orchestra. .. Saint-Saens
The Duo-Art reproduced the piano arrangement
from orchestral score for accompaniment as played
by Mr. Dambois. The artist was heard playing
both 'cello and piano simultaneously.
Bagatelle Number 1
Dambois
Composed especially for the Duo-Art. Mr. Dam-
bois, seated at the Duo-Art, alternated with his
own recorded portions of this brilliant composition.
(a) Claire de Lune
(b) Minuet
(c) Arlequin
Dambois
Boccherini
Popper
Mr. Dambois recorded his own accompaniments to
this delightful 'cello group and the Duo-Art re-
produced his playing.
Hungarian Dances, Numbers 1 and 6 (For
Two Pianos)
Brahms
Mr. Dambois recorded one piano part—which the
Duo-Art reproduced—as he played the other part
on the second piano, the artist being heard play-
ing both pianos simultaneously.
Of his work in Terre Haute, one of the news-
papers said: "Maurice Dambois, who is a great
'cellist and a capable pianist, gives an enter-
Piano Are
the Duo-Art piano adapted from the orchestra
score. It was a remarkable and beautiful per-
formance."
At the National Capital
Next in order came a concert at the Masonic
Auditorium, Washington, D. C, on March 30,
where the enthusiasm of the music-lovers of the
National Capital was aroused both by Mr. Dam-
bois' artistry and the surprising musical quali-
ties of the Duo-Art. Of his concert there the
Washington Times said: "Dambois, pianist, and
Dambois, accompanist, for 'cello and also in a
piano arrangement, the orchestral background
for the piano concerted works, fulfilled the
miracle of his being three people at one and
the same time.
"The Duo-Art reproductions were the answer
to the mystery. He
was master of the
two grand pianos on
the platform and of
his solo violoncello.
There was one ex-
ception to this, in
the opening concerto
of Liszt for piano
and orchestra. Here,
giving but the third
movement, Mr. Ganz
played the solo part
on the Duo-Art, and
Mr. Dambois the or-
chestral part on the
second piano. Inter-
play between these
two
personalities
seemed astonishing-
ly free and spon-
taneous."
T h e Washington
Herald said: "Mau-
rice Dambois, 'cel-
list, gave a concert
assisted by Maurice
Dambois, pianist, and
both were accom-
panied by Dambois
rolls on the Stein-
way Duo-Art piano,
and the gasping au-
d i e n c e wondered
which was the fun-
damental, the real,
the true artist."
The next concert
Maurice Dambois
was given at the
auspices of the O. K. Houck Piano Co. There, Academy of Music, Philadelphia, on March 3,
too, the newspapers were most friendly, one of under the auspices of C. J. Heppe & Son in con-
the reviews reading: "In the Saint-Saens num- nection with the business anniversary celebration
ber for the 'cello and orchestra Mr. Dambois dis- of that company. Here, too, the newspaper critics
played rare finish and skill as accompanist to his joined with the music-lovers of the audience in
own 'cello, he having made the record for the expressing enthusiasm regarding the performance
Duo-Art, and the listeners were given the unusual of the artist and the Duo-Art. In commenting
treat of hearing a well-nigh perfect synchroniza- on the concert, the Philadelphia Record said, in
tion between the two instruments without any part: "Two Hungarian dances of Brahms, ar-
loss of beauty of tone or sympathetic coloring. ranged for two pianos, the record on one piano
* * * * It was an unusual concert in more and Dambois playing the second piano part on
ways than one and a distinct contribution to the another instrument, completed a program which
demonstrated the great advance made in the
season's menu of lofty arts."
manufacture of mechanical instruments, the Duo-
Scores in New Orleans
The next concert of the series was given in Art being the last word in research into the pos-
New Orleans at the Jerusalem Temple under sibilities of this form of musical invention. The
the auspices of the D. H. Holmes Co. Here, too, infinite advantages offered for study by this in-
Dambois was faced by a capacity audience and strument, which makes possible the most minute
the impression he made is well set forth in the analysis of records of great artists, is one of its
following paragraph from one of the local news- most inspiring and commendable sides."
Another Philadelphia paper, in commenting
papers: "He accomplished the marvelous feat
of playing such things as Saint-Saens' concerto on the concert, said of the Duo-Art: "It is a
for 'cello and orchestra, the solo part for 'cello, twentieth century triumph of mechanical genius
(Continued on page 10)
accompanied by his own recorded piano part on
tainment that is entirely out of the ordinary. It
is safe to say it was absolutely novel to the ma-
jority of those present last night, 'wised up' as
they were to the latest wrinkles in matters
musical. For instance, there were four num-
bers for the 'cello, two of them, 'Bagatelle' and
'Claire de Lune' of his own composition, the
other two being Boccherini's 'Minuet' and Pop-
per's 'Arlequin,' which Dambois played to his
own music on the Duo-Art. The trick is to keep
in perfect time with the recorded music and the
manner in which Dambois does it is really mar-
velous."
The Start in Terre Haute
From , Terre Haute, Dambois and the Duo-
Art went to Memphis, where the same program
was given at the Goodwyn Institute under the