Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > October 2004 > 2004.10.10 > 04Prev  Next


Expression When Recording 88-Note Piano Rolls
By Dick Merchant

To put in my 2 cents: I advocate that expression should be added
when recording 88-note piano rolls.  Historically, these 88-note
rolls were heard as the interpretation of the pianolist, good or bad.
If the interpretation was bad or completely expressionless, then the
roll was unpleasant to listen to.

Probably the player piano owes its bad reputation of sounding
"mechanical" is a result of the typical player piano owner not being
particularly musical.  After all, the player piano had the same
problem that the regular piano did; It had to be played by a good
and practiced musician to get real music out of it.

It boils down to: putting out expressionless recordings of piano rolls
will only sound bad and result in the player piano's reputation being
further degraded as being "mechanical" sounding.

Those who buy the sound recordings will for the most part know little
or nothing about the player piano.  Upon hearing the recording, they
will probably conclude that the player piano is a historical curiosity
that didn't sound very good and can not be considered as an instrument
that is capable of producing artful music.  Those who do understand
player pianos will probably dismay at the fact that the rolls are
presented as expressionless.

Dick Merchant
Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA


(Message sent Mon 11 Oct 2004, 03:51:24 GMT, from time zone GMT-0600.)

Key Words in Subject:  88-Note, Expression, Piano, Recording, Rolls, When

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page