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MMD > Archives > February 1998 > 1998.02.08 > 12Prev  Next


Rachmaninov Television Special-Not To Be Missed
By Jim Edwards

Some little birdie told me to get up early this Sunday morning and check
out what the A & E cable company was featuring on their 8:00am Breakfast
With The Arts show.  Low and behold there was a new to the U. S. program
made by the BBC of THE SECRET ISLAND: 7 VARIATIONS ON THE THEME OF
SERGEI RACHMANINOV. It was even better than the previous show done
several years ago by the BBC which ran on the Bravo cable network.  This
special featured Rachmaninov haunting music mixed with new motion
picture footage shot by Rachmaninov's family and player piano rolls!
Three of four rolls were used one of which was 60891H Etude Tableau, Op.
39, No. 6 from the collection of recordings done by Rachmaninov for the
AMPICO.  Strange part was that they were played on a Bosendorfer piano
with what appears to be an AMPICO drawer installation.The quality of the
sound of this instrument was not impressive but at least the producer of
the show realized that Rachmaninov's piano rolls deserved a place in
the  program.

My question to all our learned MMD members from England is where they got
the piano and is it a AMPICO Bosendorfer or did Rachmaninov record piano
rolls for other reproducing system prior to his contract as an exclusive
AMPICO artist.  Who else besides Dan knows the answer?

Jim Edwards


(Message sent Sun 8 Feb 1998, 16:50:44 GMT, from time zone GMT-0600.)

Key Words in Subject:  Be, Missed, Rachmaninov, Special-Not, Television

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