Quality of Expression in Music Rolls
By Keith Nealy
Robbie Rhodes writes that he is sceptical that artists could hear what they recorded immediately. He may be right, but I recall reading that after Rachmaninof recorded for the first time it was played back to him and he headed for the door and turned back and said in apparent dissatisfraction: "Gentleman, I have just heard myself play." I'll try to track this quotation down, though I just lent my CD of this to a friend.
There are ample testimonies of artists of the time extolling the merits of these pianos. Of course this may be attributable to other factors such as commercial interests and the fact that the recordings were immeasurable superior to the records of the day. They may have been a bit extravagant in their praise. Yet I have to say, that after listening to my CD of Rachmaninof playing his own works, it is nothing short of breathtaking. There is ample subtilty of expression. I believe he was the Horowitz of his day. It's quite astonishing to listen to. It far exceeded my expectations. So I can appreciate the effect it must have had in its day if they were able to hear it as I do.
----Keith Nealy
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