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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
JANUARY 28, 1922
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Genuine and Serious Interest Taken in the Player-Piano in Several
European Countries—What Foreign Musicians Think About Special
Player Music—The Viewpoints of Messrs. Newman, Evans and Grew
American musicians and workers in the piece. And they, he thought, would soon be action. But the limit of development had been
music industries are perhaps not generally buying some form of automatic-expression reached in these directions long since, and for a
aware that in several European countries, and player-piano.
good many years pianists have been trying to
notably in Great Britain, there has for some
The Player and British Music
develop the cantabile, sustained, singing char-
years been a great deal of genuine and serious
In other words, the reader will realize that acteristics of the piano. The coming of the
interest taken in the artistic side of what we the public abroad, in Great Britain at least, is player-piano has shown that the original efforts
have in this country come most foolishly and interested in the artistic side of the personal-ex- at exploiting the piano's mechanical possibilities
inaccurately to call the "foot-power" player-piano, pression player-piano. So much is this so that were doomed to extinction as soon as a mechani-
but which should undoubtedly better be called there already has grown up a considerable com- cal substitute could be found, and that in conse-
the "pedal-expression" or "personal-expression" pany of player-piano enthusiasts, including such quence the efforts of piano makers and pian-
player-piano. In England instruments of this eminent musicians as Ernest Newman, Edwin ists to turn to account the singing, sustained
type, whether in cabinet exterior, upright inte- Evans and Sidney Grew. These musicians be- side of the piano were, and are, admirable.
rior or grand interior forms, are usually called lieve in the future of the player-piano, not
On the other hand, the piano is really a per-
"Pianolas," thereby highly complimenting the merely as a reproducing device for preserving cussion instrument, first and foremost, though
Aeolian Co., which originated that expressive piano playing (though they acknowledge the its harmonic values make it the best research
name, and indirectly bearing witness to the need and the value of this feature), but much instrument for all composition and its tonal
very remarkable influence which that company more as leading the way to the development of quality has been wonderfully improved in the
has exerted upon the world of music in respect an entirely new school of musical composition. direction of sustained sound. The player-piano
of pneumatic instruments.
The fact that Ernest Newman is one of the world's greatest is the legitimate and logical successor to the
"Pianola" is not really a generic term has been musical critics, certainly the most eminent critic piano, because it alone develops, in directions
repeated until it may be supposed that every- in England, with a wealth of knowledge, vast whose end cannot yet be glimpsed, the mechani-
body in this country knows the facts. But abroad experience and unrivaled authority. He has cal possibilities of the piano's dynamic action.
they have evidently decided to think of all written a book called "The Piano-player and Its Obviously, therefore, the next step is to develop
player-pianos as "Pianolas," which again, as we Music." Some years ago he even tried the ex- a school of musical composition for this instru-
have before observed, is a high, though un- periment of publishing a little monthly maga- ment. It is to be expected that improvements
conscious, form of appreciation of the labors zine devoted to the cause of the player and in the means of personal control will continue
of the Aeolian Co.
its music, but this was ahead of the age and to arise as manufacturers come to see the need
died at about the same time as the opening of of responding to new musical requirements. To
The Personal-Expression Player
Generally speaking, the personal-expression the great war in 1914. Edwin Evans is well neglect developing a new school of composition
player-piano is still the dominating factor in known as an eminent organist and writer, whose is, therefore, to condemn the player-piano to ad-
Great Britain. An American manufacturer who analytical appendices to Rosa Newmarsh's Life vance along one line only, namely, along the line
sent to Great Britain some of his player instru- of Tschaikowski_ are especially valuable. Sid- of recording and reproducing ten-finger piano
ments was told that the only criticism which ney Grew is a distinguished theorist and playing, which is only one, and not the most
could be made was that they were bound down teacher. And there are many others among important, side of its capacities.
with too much reservoir load, so that they were the player enthusiasts.
These arguments, acute and ingenious, which
not sensitive enough to foot pressure on the Now, Ernest Newman has maintained in his we have thus digested from the published re-
pedals. The change to utmost sensitiveness book that the next move in the development ports, were illustrated by Mr. Reginald Rey-
could in this case be easily made, but the Brit- of the player-piano must come from the music nolds, of the Aeolian Co.'s London staff, cele-
ish piano man who was commenting on these roll manufacturers, who ought, he thinks, to get brated as a pianolist, who played a number of
American instruments remarked that he had to in touch with the musicians for the purpose of
compositions specially written for the Pianola
deal with two sorts of customers. The influen- establishing research into the musical character- by
Stravinsky,
Goossens,
Malipiero and
tial ones, comprehending most of his buyers, istics of the player mechanism, in order that its Howells. It is a remarkable fact that the music
wanted sensitive pedals with sharp response to obvious peculiarities, which must be taken into critics present did not greatly like the new
foot-pressure. These people wanted to play— consideration in arranging player music, should works. One correspondent of the London Ob-
actually play. Only the less important of his be turned to- advantage, instead of being, as server thought that they would stand out very
customers wanted to pump steadily through a usually now, ignored or concealed.
poorly beside a Duo-Art reproduction of a
Busoni piano transcription of, say, a Bach organ
Not a Piano
Here Mr. Newman is undoubtedly right. The Fugue. Yet this criticism is not what it should
player-piano is not a piano. It is not a substitute have been necessary to make.
J1 Quality Product
The Player Is Not a Piano
for piano-playing. It is not (save in the re-
THE WONDERFUL!
Nevertheless, it suggests one important fact.
producer form, which does not come within this
argument) a duplicator of ordinary piano play- The player-piano is not a piano at all. It is not
ing. That is to say, it is not at its best in any even an eighty-eight-finger piano. It is a stringed
of these roles, though it can, and does, fill them. percussive instrument, with unlimited powers of
But it is at its best when its peculiarities are technical thematic, contrapuntal, rhythmic, met-
understood and the new voice it possesses is ric and accelerative development, an instrument
allowed to sound forth without concealment. which is relatively dull and uninteresting as a
In a word, the time is here to recognize the mere substitute for the piano, but which comes
INfUREf EVERY NOTE PLAYING
player-piano for what it is, for a new formidable, to its full glory as its own incomparable self.
HELPS TO BRING OUT THE FULL
fascinating and original instrument of musical Some day the American music industries will
recognize this. Then, perhaps, the musicians of
TONE BEAUTY OF PLAYER
expression.
A lecture was recently delivered in London America will follow suit. Meanwhile, we lag
EQUIPPED WITH SPECIAL
behind and America possesses hardly so many
by Edwin Evans, with the title "The Future of
VALVE S7CREEN FEATUREf
the Pianola." From the reports which have as can be counted on the fingers of a hand who
THAT COLLECT THE DIRT
SWEVENT DEVICE FROM
reached the newspapers in this country the lec- are devoting themselves to the elucidation of the
GETTING OUT OF ORDER
turer apparently argued somewhat as follows: possibilities of pneumatic musical development.
KM r*imcuuftr,PinC£ncmptn
Technique vs. Tone
We have, indeed, the one man who has gone
AMERICAN DEUKEMrc
S-T.LDUI7.UrA.
Pianists with their ten fingers long ago found further than any other in the world. But how
that piano playing could scarcely be pushed fur- long must he work alone?
Export Department:
Meanwhile, may we convey to the Aeolian
ther along mechanical lines. The first pianists
130 W. 42nd St., New York City. U. S. A.
rejoiced in the technical possibilities of an en- Co.'s enterprising London staff the thanks of
Canadian Distributor:
larged keyboard and a dynamically responsive all who want to see the player music encouraged?
Jno. A. Morris. Toronto, Canada.
LEERNOTE
iyer Piano
fracker Bar Cleaner
f
FOR TONE, BEAUTY
AND LASTING
A
ACCOMPLISHMENT
-AUTO-PLAYER ~ '
Mr
^-r^^raKjSaJ
P I A N O
AND
P L. A "V E K