In the 07.08.03 MMD Jim Katz asks:

    Now just why is it that we will happily listen all day to music
    that is delivered to us by rolls, barrels, books, pinned disks,
    cobs, or perforated strips, music which would drive us nuts after
    five minutes if played by a live musician?

I find that a strange claim.  I would always prefer a live concert to
any kind of recording, provided the player is in the same class as the
one on the recording.  Naturally if you are comparing a roll or a 78
played by Cortot with a live performance by your local piano teacher,
things get more complicated.

Within the field of recordings, I find that I more and more prefer
recordings made at concerts to those made in the studio.  It seems that
pianists need that extra adrenaline to play at their very best.

Another thing to consider is that very few people have equipment that
will play back a CD of a piano performance with the same dynamic range
as a real piano, whether being played live or by a roll.  The dead,
compressed sound of the average audio system does nothing for the
quality of the musical experience.

On the other hand, a roll doesn't deliver absolutely precise timing,
different dynamics for each finger, or precise pedaling.  Also, the
felts on the hammers may not be adjusted as the pianist would have
liked.  A live pianist will adjust his performance to suit the hardware
and the room acoustics.

Regards,
Don Cox