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 > April 2013 > 2013.04.12 > 02Prev  Next


Upgrading 116-note Rolls to 176-note Duo-Art
By Bob Taylor

Following my earlier posts about working on the Romeo and Juliet
Overture roll, I have a few comments about the music itself and how
Aeolian handled the transcription.

The story is about two young people who hail from feuding families,
as they find each other and fall in love.  Tschaikowsky alternately
uses different orchestra sections, back and forth, to give the illusion
of warring factions.  Aeolian uses strings on one division versus
flutes on the other to follow this concept.  Opus 1280 has two well
separated chambers that respond well to this concept.  As the love
story emerges, the two main themes are again portrayed in separate
chambers.

Of course the pipe organ can't sound entirely like the full orchestra,
but it does put forth a good effort.  Aeolian's harp renders the
orchestra harp quite well.  Missing the all important crashing cymbals
and frequent use of tympani, the organ must do other things.  In one
section the full organ is frantically racing up and down the scale on
three octaves, and the cymbals crashes are simulated by huge chords
played in an almost ragtime syncopation.  Later, in the closing
moments, while the tympani are beating quietly forming a drone sound,
the organ arrangers play a variety of pipes on the manual low B in a
pulsing four note pattern, while the pedal plays a lower B in a single
note against the four.  The effect is like a ringing undamped tympani.

Perhaps no other roll in my collection makes more dramatic changes in
volume.  The softest string pipes play against fully closed shutters
just seconds after the full organ is heard with shutters wide open

I doubt that many of Aeolian's wealthy clientele took the time to learn
how to play this 116 note roll.  Yet, it is a masterpiece of the organ
roll arrangers at Aeolian.  It may not be for everyone, but it is now
on one of my web sites as a fully coded Duo Art roll, a project that
I first started in 2005, but completed this year..  It is about 18 and
one-half minutes long.  Make sure you have good speakers or headphones,
and turn up the volume (it plays with QuickTime).

  http://aeolianorgan.com/aeolian/Special_Selections.html 

Bob Taylor
Missouri

 [ The brisk tempo of the pipe organ performance, which I like, is
 [ comparable to my favorite live orchestra performance by Arturo
 [ Toscanini.  Search YouTube for Tchaikowsky Romeo & Juliet 1938
 [ Toscanini.  The percussion is wonderful!  ;-)  -- Robbie


(Message sent Fri 12 Apr 2013, 19:56:39 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  116-note, 176-note, Duo-Art, Rolls, Upgrading

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