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Unknown Composition on Welte Licensee Roll
By Jim Miller

A Mignon Mystery Not Really A Mystery

Ref.
http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/17/07/11/170711_233739_K%C3%BCnstler_S47.jpg
Attachment thumbnail http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/17/07/08/170708_205947_Mireille%20Waltz%20(Gounod)%20Goodall.mp3 It all began with Peter Phillips' appeal of a few days ago for information regarding his mis-numbered but positively labeled "Poughkeepsie Licensee issue of Welte-Mignon roll 2905, . . ." Then, in the 170710 MMDigest, each weighing-in with really interesting and useful information about Gounod and the double palindrome herself, Irene-Eneri, were Hans-W. Schmitz and John McClelland respectively, thus setting the stage for a possible big sparks display, Mignon-style! Sadly (I love controversy just as did distinguished AMICA Bulletin editor Jim Elfers) it is not going to be, as the mystery that might have been never was to be. I took a listen to Peter Phillips' fine sound file of his (I assume) MIDI conversion, and was stunned by its immediacy of emotional impression, as it had made upon me. Not a waltz by any means but, rather, it seemed darkly Russian and brooding with a touch of spring lightness uplifting one at it's center, then on-continuing to conclusion. McClelland proclaims the roll is "2005," "Gorainoff," and "Les larmes", which as translated conveys to us the emotive "In Tears". All this I accept and believe -- the tiny work's sad mood being effectively 'tho briefly conveyed by ghostly chads existing no longer in thin paper. (Magic as done by nothing.) The Last Word (and the first): 2005 Les LARMES, Op. 33, in E -- Eneri-Gorainoff/Eneri-Gorainoff 2005 MIREILLE, Waltz -- Gounod/Goodall (a numbering error by Welte-Mignon Corp. in their 1920 T-100 catalog; see roll no. 2905) These two are compliments of Charles Davis Smith, to be found in his and another's "Purple Bible" -- The Welte-Mignon: It's Music and Musicians -- on page 205 at lower right. (Author/compiler Smith rarely if ever missed a trick, as certainly he did not with this one.) As for the Palindrome Girl, Irene-Eneri, herself, Prokofieff and Rimsky made known some opinionation as to her compositional prowess, and it was not sterling. However, this one tiny sample (again, compliments of Peter Phillips), reveals her to have been distinguished compositionally as well as executantly at very least, if not great. (The graphical attachments of Robbie's and John McClelland's are splendid! Let's find out more about her.) In addition to providing much information about the failed Gounod effort, Hans Schmitz coincidentally mentions "(See the German catalog by Dangel/Schmitz)." What might _this_ be? Whatever, it must be wonderful. (Has anyone ever even seen a copy, much less had one in-hand? Doubtless-so, the very stuff of which legends are hewn; of what color might be it's covers?) At the link below, I've included a lovely photo portrait of the barely prepubescent Irene-Eneri. Jim Miller Las Vegas, Nevada [ A "Lolita" of the grand piano-forte? [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/17/07/13/170713_024935_GORAINOFF,%20Irene-Eneri%20-%20A%20Ivanitsky%20phot.jpg
Attachment thumbnail [ I didn't notice earlier the palindrome, Jim -- good catch! But it's [ a palindrome only in the French version of her name; compare with [ her name in Cyrillic in the photo. In modern English transliteration [ her name is spelled Irina Eneri Goryainova (Gor-ya-i-nov-a). More at [ http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=1887.30;wap [ -- Robbie

(Message sent Thu, 13 Jul 2017 02:49:36 -0700 , from time zone -0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  Composition, Licensee, Roll, Unknown, Welte