Hello MMD readers,  This term of "half" for Duo-Art -- as if an
electric model with two accordion pneumatics equals a "whole"
(or something 'more' in music) -- is a recently-coined false
expression.  (It appears to have originated in the U.K. during
the 1970's, from what I can gather.)

The fact is, the "foot-impelled" (or pedal) Duo-Art is as complete
musically, and sometimes more so, than its electric counterpart.
You might want to read one of my URL texts on this subject in
The Pianola News:  http://www.wiscasset.net/artcraft/oldnews2.htm
I compare the pedal Pianola Piano vs. the electric Duo-Art, but the
same principles apply. (This article examines the term "full" for
the electric Duo-Art player, another misnomer from our time.)

The foot pedals replace the Theme graduation lever of the electric
Duo-Art, which can be operated manually, or controlled via 'tugs'
by the second accordion pneumatic.

Many original Duo-Art rolls had _more expression_ in the 'Melody
Line' score for the pedal Duo-Art (i.e. the pedal effects which
replaced the Theme graduation lever settings), and I demonstrated
this musically at a Connecticut Piano Technicians Guild presentation
in March, reported in the current edition our URL newsletter:
http://www.wiscasset.net/artcraft/rollnews.htm  If one followed the
'Melody Line' exactly, a classical roll often had thrice the expression
of the same arrangement being played by the automatic system, on
the same electric player!

The "duo" in "Duo-Art" means two methods of play: manual and semi-
automatic (since one needs to correct for the tempo, human monitoring
is always required).  Aeolian called this "Interpretive" and
"Performing" in many of their original advertisements.  It was also
a "Pianola" and up to 1918 Aeolian stated in dealers' manuals that
the Pianola levers on an electric Duo-Art could surpass the pedal
Pianola Piano (88-Note player) in the hands of a musician, and
this is true.

Too much has been made of this less mechanism vs. more gadgets/
equipment regarding the Duo-Art, in my opinion.

Musically, the pedal ("half") expression player and the electric one
can be the same, but two factors often elevate the pedal Duo-Art
to greater heights when using the original commercial rolls:

1) The 'Melody Line', as mentioned above, usually reflects a more
dynamic performance, if followed, then what the perforated 'lever tugs'
accomplish through the margins of the Duo-Art expression rolls;

2) Since one is always 'at' the pedal Duo-Art providing motive power,
there is an instinctive urge to add subtle accents as the instrument
controls the 'feel' of the pedals under the expression system; thus,
a typical 'frozen' dynamic score, as Aeolian often provided,
usually takes on a new lease in life through the foot-impelled model.

The pedal Duo-Art action and the pedal-electric versions were installed
on all grades of pianos, especially abroad -- upright and grand.  Here
in the States, the emphasis was usually on Stroud/Aeolian/Steck uprights
for the pedal system.  Again, this was a sales-and-profit factor:
"an electric motor design does more", when it simply isn't true.

For me, it's amazing how the pedal Marque Ampico, the pedal Welte-
Licensee and the pedal Duo-Art accomplished the same performances
musically, using their respective expression rolls, and in many cases,
the pedal player performance was musically-superior.

I hope we can retire the "half" word along with "reproducer" (an Edison
phonograph part) and "pumper" (an antique fire engine) and the other
recently-invented trivial and inappropriate terms used for these
artistic pneumatic player instruments. They are too sophisticated
for such clumsy 'Lum-n-Abner' terms of recent origin!

Merry Christmas to all from Maine!

Regards,
Douglas Henderson

Artcraft Music Rolls
Wiscasset, ME 04578
http://www.wiscasset.net/artcraft/