MMD > Archives > October 1997 > 1997.10.08 > 04Prev  Next


Vorsetzer Playing a Disklavier
By Ed Chaban

I'd like to make an observation about the "Good Music Sells" comments
I've seen of late.

Is MacDonald's fine cuisine?

Is Budweiser fine Beer?

Is Gallo fine wine?

Note that the clerk in the record store said she "heard" that "Gershwin
Plays Gershwin" was good.  She obviously did not listen to the recording
herself and come to that decision independently.

No, the marketplace does not reward excellence.  It does, however, reward
good promotional work and advertising.  Wodehouse did little more than
extract a significant amount of money for advertising and promotion from
Yamaha and made a moderately interesting recording.

The conversions of the reproducing rolls are interesting, but the
"restoration" nonsense around the use of the Disklavier does us all a
disfavor.  The "Vorsetzer in front of a Disklavier" recordings are --
quite simply -- horrible, and not musical at all.

I still find whole affair distasteful.  Thankfully, I'm not alone.  The
latest AMICA Bulletin has a wonderful reprint of a review of Wodehouse'
Jelly Roll Morton project.  It gets two thumbs DOWN!

Just my humble opinion.

Ed Chaban


(Message sent Wed 8 Oct 1997, 16:21:46 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

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