Re: 000325 MMDigest

Jurgen Goering said:

> The following comes from The Book of Musical Anecdotes by Norman
> Lebrecht:
>
>     "What is the difference between Godowski and a pianola?"  Busoni
>     would ask." (Godowski (1870-1938) was a Polish-American piano
>     virtuoso) "Godowski can play ten times as fast, but the pianola
>     has ten times as much feeling"
>
> N.B.  This is the same Busoni who sold his name for use on piano
> rolls!

On Usenet/rec.music.makers.piano, Ernie Smart said this in 1996:

  Reputations are peculiar things. What should we make of Busoni, who
  was not over-respectful of his audiences? Also he was "acquainted
  with Brahms and A. [I presume Anton] Rubinstein and was as
  indifferent to the playing of the former as he was enthusiastic about
  the latter." Still sticking to Busoni, he is alleged to have commented
  to his host "What a beautiful pianola you have in the next room" --
  the 'pianola' being Godowsky, as Busoni very well knew. Does any of
  this matter? We can hear recordings of Godowsky, and if EMI would, if
  it has  not already, rummage its archives we could hear Busoni too.
  Do we judge B. on his reported playing  or on his ungracious conduct?

Dan Wilson, London