Mcabutletin Volume Ten, Number One - January, 1973 • OFFICERS
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
MCAButletin Volume Ten, Number One - January, 1973 • OFFICERS AMICA PRESIDENT Frank Loob 219 Montecito Boulevard Napa, CA 94558 AMICA VICE·PRESIDENT George Coade 3196 Falcon Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008 AMICA SECRETARY William Reed 2833 Enea Way Antioch, CA 94509 AMiCA BULLETIN Hester Zimmennan, Publisher 3550 Ridgebriar Dr. Dallas, TX 75234 THE AMICA NEWS BULLETIN NEW MEMBERSHIP AND MAILING PROBLEMS Tom Meeder Published by the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors' 494 Stanford Place Association, a non-profit club devoted to the restoration, Santa Barbara, CA 93111 distribution and enjoyment of musical instruments using perforated paper music rolls. MEMBERSHIP DUES AND TREASURY Contributions: All subjects of interest to readers of the bulletin are encouraged and invited by the publisher. All articles must be Bob and Barbara Whitely received by the 15th of the preceding month. Every attempt will be 175 Reservoir made to publish all articles of general interest to AMICA members at the earliest possible time and at the discretion of the publisher. San Rafael, CA 94901 Advertisements: Personal ads by members are accepted and AMICA AUCTION inserted in the Bulletin Board section at a rate of 5¢ per word, $1.00 minimum. Businesses and persons wishing more space may use the Gar Britten, Auctioneer following guidelines: 642 Diamond Street - Advertising rate is $10 per quarter page or multiple thereof. San Francisco, CA 94114 - Camera-ready copy must reach the publisher by the 15th of the preceding month. - We will be happy to have your ad typeset and layout performed at a slight extra charge. - All ads will appear on the last pages of the Bulletin, at the discretion of the publisher. Publication of business advertising in no way implies AMICA's endorsement of any commercial operation. However, AMICA reserves the right to refuse any ad that is not in keeping with AMICA's general standards or if complaints are received indicating that said business does not serve the best interests of the members of AMICA, according to its goals and by-laws. The programme at the British Piano Museum on Friday, the 29th of September 1972 was devoted to the London concert scene between 1925 The National Musical Museum and 1927 as well as to early broadcasting. (The BBC is at this time celebrating 50 years of broadcasting.) ~~\ Frank Laffitte was one of the few broadcasting pianists who actually made recordings on paper piano rolls, and it was he who was the principal guest and speaker on this occasion. He ~'(~ ~./ has been associated with the BBC for 41 years, played at two concerts in Holland with the Concertgebuow The British Piano Museum Orchestra Amsterdam, when the 368 High Street, Brentford, Mx conductor was Pierre Monteux, as well With Compliments 01-5608108 as at principal concerts in Belgium. He toured America and but for the war would no doubt have returned there. He was assisted by Alexander Toccata (Debussy), and whether he Myra Hess as a duet, Frank Laffitte Bryett who was conductor at several chose these pieces or they were commented that it was a charming concerts at which Frank Laffitte had selected by the BBC. Frank Laffitte piece, and what a wonderful been the soloist. Mr. Bryett was for replied that in those days one had to experience to hear it played by two two years with Ernest Ansermet, the attend for an audition which in some such fine pianists. Mr. Bryett reminded founder and conductor of the ways was perhaps more formidable the audience that Bergmein was in fact Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. He than today, and that he was asked to a nom de plume for Giulio Ricordi, asked Mr,. Laffitte a number of play at least three of these pieces at the well-known Italian music questions which he felt would be of the audition. Mr. Bryett asked Mr. publisher. interest to the large and enthusiastic Laffitte to describe someth ing of his audience. Mr. Laffitte drew recollection of what it was like to F rank Laffitte then modestly comparison between the conditions of make one of these piano rolls for announced that the audience would broadcasting in the 2LO days at Savoy reproducing his playing. Laffitte now have to listen to his playing from Hill, London, with those of today. described how he went to the studio the roll which he made of the First above the Aeolian Hall in Bond Street, Rhapsody by Dohnanyi, Op. 11 -- as Those present were able to hear London. Someone there questioned he played it at the recording session on on Duo-Art reproducing pianos his nervousness and he replied, IIThis is the Aeolian Duo-Art system (No. performances given by many a very serious business. I feel that it is 0351) in about 1928. His performance celebrated pianists which included just as important as giving a of it produced a round of applause Harriet Cohen, Katherine Goodson, performance in public." from the audience. Harold Bauer, Myra Hess, Arthur Ru bi nstein, Al'fred Cortot, Irene The remaining items were Arthur Scharrer as well as Frank Laffitte Alexander Bryett asked Mr. Rubinstein playing Evocation from himself. Laffitte about Katerine Goodson, and Iberia by Albeniz, (Duo-Art' roll he replied that he had studied with 6378), the Impromptu No.3 in B Flat Mr. Laffitte spoke about many of her. "Fireflies" by Arthur Hinton and (Schubert) played by Alfred Cortot, the pian ists he had known personally played by Katherine Goodson on (Duo-Art roll 6441), and finally on and said that undoubtedly the greatest Duo-Art roll number 6322 was roll 073 the Chopin Etude Op. 25 No. he had ever heard was Rachmaninoff. included in this programme for two 11 played by Irene Scharrer who was Mr. Bryett told an amusing story reasons. Firstly, Arthur Hinton was formerly a Patron of the museum. about early broadcasting, and Katherine Goodson's husband, and mentioned that he had been privileged secondly Frank Laf'fitte ,said that he Sidney Harrison, who had first to hear Alfred Cortot in Italy speaking had himself played this piece many met Frank Laffitte when they were about how to interpret Chopin. He times with them. He spoke very both students at the Guildhall School asked Frank Laffitte about his first movingly about Katherine Goodson of Music and Drama, joined in the broadcast wh ich took place on the who had recorded the next item which general discussion which followed at 19th of July 1925 when he played the was the Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. the end of the programme. It was with Ballade in G Minor, Op. 118 of 7 in F, Duo-Art roll number 077. On reluctance that the last of the guests Brahms, Aufschwung (Schumann), Pierrot's and Pierrette's Story by left well after 11 o'clock. Island Spell and Ragamuffin (Ireland), Bergmein played by Harold Bauer and Page Three * Mendelssohn Overture 'Fingal's Cave' Dvorak Nocturne in B major Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor It INTERVAL Horovitz Horizon Overture Schubert Symphony No.4 in C minor The Tragic' Soloist: PERCY GRAINGER by means of a Duo-Art Player Piano Roll Conductor: NEVILLE DILKES Page Four -~LISH SINFONIA ~nfortunately the depression, and more particularly the Improvement of the gramophone, caused the ultimate (formerly Midla!1d Si~fonia) was formed in 1961 by its demise of the player-piano. But although the modern ~onduc~or, Neville Dllkes. By 1968, the promise of an gramophone can undoubtedly reproduce an orchestra or International future led to its change of name. In addition to singer far better than a piano-roll can, the reproducing piano an extensive repertoire of Baroque and medium-sized works has never been improved upon for realism and fidelity of the <?rches~ra has placed a considerable emphasis on English piano recording, and nowadays such performances as that mUSIC, particularly works written early in this century. being given tonight provide a most valuable record of historical interpretations. REX LAWSON SuPP?rted ~by funds from over twenty-five Local Authorities, the Sinfonia was adopted i!1 1966 by Nottingham, now its permanent home. Its operating area covers the whole of the Steinway Duo-Art Reproducing Piano supplied by the East Midlands, working in close association with the British Piano Museum. Brentford. Eastern Au~horities Orchestral Association, The Lincolnshire ~iano role copies Harry and Sylvia Medcraft. and East 1Y11~lands Arts Associations, and the Arts Council of ~reat . Bntaln. The English Sinfonia receives additional flna~clal support from the Musicians' Union, and industry, in partl~ular John Player and Sons of Nottingham, whose ~peclal co.ncerts have done much to raise the orchestra's EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907) uT~age nationally..The English Sinfonia broadcasts, records with E.M:I., and IS a frequent visitor to London, where its Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 Queen Ehzab~th Hall concerts have won unanimous praise (i) Allegro molto moderato (ii) Adagio from.the National Press. The orchestra has been invited to (iii) Allegro moderato moltoand marcato tour In Bermuda, Canada and the U.S.A. during 1973. Grieg's o~ly Concert<? for Piano belongs to his twenty-fifth year (he. Itve~ to be sixty-four). It was composed in 1868 at the Danish vl~lage of Sollerod, where Grieg was spending a THE PLAYER-PIANO summer vacation. To attempt a general history of the player-piano would require It re.mains one of the freshest and perennially most delightful of plano concertos. Henry T. Finck, in the best book in English a c.omplete book - indeed an excellent one has already been ~n Gri~g ~usic, ~emarks written by Arthur Ord- Hume, entitled simply Player-Piano, and his upon its "juvenile freshness of an~ pU,bllshed by George Allen' and Unwin.