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Tempo Marked on Piano Rolls
By Roger Wiegand

I find it best to simply ignore the tempo markings on rolls and simply
adjust the tempo to whatever sounds best on that particular time and
day.  I often vary the tempo while the roll is playing to suit my mood,
and I doubt that I ever play a roll the same way twice.

As both a musician (of sorts, anyway) and a player of the player
piano I find the whole concept of a "correct" performance to be a bit
ludicrous, if not offensive.  The performer does not get paid to do a
mechanical reproduction of the composer or arranger's intent-- though
their compensation is tied fairly directly to how well people like the
way they interpret the score-- but rather for producing a musically
interesting and/or enjoyable listening experience.

For most composers that I've worked with as conductors of their own
work, it seems clear that they also hear things differently on
different days and interpret their own work in different ways.  So,
to heck with being a slave to tempo markings!  More than once I've
found that a roll can be dramatically more interesting when played
at twice or half the intended tempo.

One of my favorite examples of the plasticity of tempo is the march
known either as "Entry of the Gladiators" or "Thunder and Blazes",
depending on whether you take it at a stately British march tempo or
at circus tempo -- both titles are printed on the music and both are
fun and crowd pleasers.

Cheers!
Roger Wiegand, tuba player
Wayland, Mass., USA


(Message sent Sat 15 May 2004, 11:57:58 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Marked, Piano, Rolls, Tempo

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