I like the idea of listing most wanted rolls. Perhaps the recutters
will listen if several buyers list the same rolls.
Here is my list. There are more than 12 rolls, but fewer than 12
compositions. I have not heard these rolls. They are just music
and/or pianists I would like to have.
Ampico: 71673 Harmonious Blacksmith Handel p.b. Rosenthal
Duo-Art: My top want in ANY system is
A-95 - A-100 Firebird Suite Stravinsky p.b. Stravinsky
(I know there is extra autobiographical stuff. I would buy them either
with that left in or cut out.)
7410,18,24 Sonata Op. 31 No. 2 Tempest Beethoven p.b. Mero
I would second the vote for DA 3099 Hungarian Rhapsody Liszt
p.b. Cortot
Welte:
3149 - 3154 Three Piano Concertos Beethoven p.b. Kiek
2550 - 2551 Eroica Variations Beethoven p.b. Paur
4120 Carmen Fantasy Bizet-Horowitz p.b. Horowitz
2165 - 2166 Pictures at an Exhibition Moussorgsky p.b. Romanowsky
3312 - 3313 Wanderer Fantasy Schubert p.b. Backhaus
On a related topic, I have been wondering what roll you choose to
demonstrate your piano when playing it for a guest who has never seen
or heard a reproducing piano. (Does anyone else remember the lower
left inside cover of RCA Victor 78 albums often told the salesperson
which side to use to demonstrate the set?) Your choice might be
different for a musician versus non-musician, classical music lover
versus popular, etc. The characteristics I want in a demo roll,
roughly in order of decreasing importance, are:
1. It sounds like a real pianist playing, not mechanical.
2. It has a good range of dynamics from very soft to very loud.
3. It is a good performance of interesting music.
4. It is not too long (in case the visitor is only listening to
be polite.)
5. It is familiar music.
6. It is played by someone famous. (I would rather say, "This is
played by Rachmaninoff" than, "This is played by Andre Kmita.")
Many years ago my demonstration rolls (many of which violated 4,5,
or 6) were:
Ampico:
59683 Music of the Spheres Op. 13 No. 5 Dohnanyi Dohnanyi
57914 Troika Op. 37 No. 11 Tschaikowsky Rachmaninoff
2393 L'Amour-Toujours-L'Amour Cushing-Friml Carroll
215883 1. Pick Yourself Up 2. Never Gonna Dance Kern
Carroll & Fairchild
Duo-Art:
6670 Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 Liszt Paderewski
7250 Carmen Variations Bizet Horowitz
Welte:
6445 Artist's Life Waltz Strauss-Gallico Tollefsen
Does anyone else have favorite demonstration rolls?
Sincerely,
David Sharpe
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