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MMD > Archives > February 2003 > 2003.02.13 > 04Prev  Next


Ken Caswell Pierian CDs of Welte-Mignon Rolls
By Albert Petrak

Maurice Ravel CD now available

Ken Caswell and Prof. Karl Miller have done it again.  Their transfer
of the known roll recordings of the French composer Maurice Ravel is
now available on Pierian 0013.

Already produced and available are three issues:

- Claude Debussy: Pierian 001
The complete set of six Welte rolls, including the popular and beloved
"Children's Corner" (complete)

- Enrique Granados: Pierian #002:
Three of the "Spanish Dances" and the first suite of his "Goyescas"

- Fanny Bloomfield-Zeisler: Pierian 003/004 (2-CD set)
2-CD set contains the Beethoven Op. 111 Sonata; Chopin 2nd Sonata and
two of the four Scherzi; Pieces by Mendelssohn, Moszkowski, Schubert,
Brahms, Liszt and others.  25 rolls have been transferred

As indicated above, the newest, Pierian 0013, is devoted to all the
Rolls known to have been recorded by Maurice Ravel:

- Maurice Ravel: Pierian 0013
Duo-Art recordings:
  082 Ravel - Suite: Miroirs (Mirrors) - No. 2: Oiseaux tristes (Sad Birds)
  084 Ravel - Pavane pour une Infante defunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess)
  086*Ravel - Suite: Le tombeau de Couperin - No. 6:Toccata
 0219*Ravel -"Gaspard de la nuit" (Gaspard of the Night) - No.2: Le gibet
 7275 Ravel - Suite: "Miroirs" (Mirrors), No. 5: La Vallee des cloches
 (Valley of the Bells)

*N.B. These rolls actually performed by Robert Casadesus, according
to his late wife and duo-piano partner, Gaby Casadesus.

Welte-Mignon recordings:
  2887 Ravel - Sonatine pour piano: lst and 2nd mvts.
  2888 Ravel - Valses nobles et sentimentales (Waltzes of Nobility
  and Sentiment) Nos. 1-6

Note that Ken Caswell, purist that he is, refused to include the rolls
recorded by Casadesus.  Instead he fills out the disc with Ravel's
performance of his "Bolero," conducting the Lamoureux Orchestra.

A comment or two, if it please:  Ken records in his home (nice
acoustic) on an upright Feurich, one of the most admired of the German
pianos, with string length comparable to that of a grand piano.  The
results are very impressive, as I'm sure I've indicated in the past.
Great pains have been taken to make these issues as authentic as may
Be and the notes and art work are very well done.

Orders may be placed at Amazon.com.  Price is the usual, I believe:
about $16.00 per disc.  The Fanny Bloomfield-Zeisler issue is a 2-CD
set.  Next issues in the months to come:  Alexander Scriabin and
Teresa Carreno.

Best to all,

Albert M. Petrak, Founder
The Reproducing Piano Roll Foundation


(Message sent Thu 13 Feb 2003, 13:15:55 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Caswell, CDs, Ken, Pierian, Rolls, Welte-Mignon

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