Paul Murphy muses that he prefers the tunes of the 20th century
on his player pianos to the classical repertoire.
My view is somewhat different. I think classical music can be
quite good on a straight player, but it really comes into its own
on a reproducer. So I play the classical stuff on my Weber Duo-Art.
The ragtime and popular tunes of the early 20th century were written
for, and played on, upright pianos, and are perfect for the upright
straight player.
But here's the catch: music originally written for the piano
sounds best on the piano. There's nothing like Chopin or Beethoven
piano music played on a reproducer. Music originally written for
an ensemble or orchestra just doesn't cut it when played back on
a piano, even a reproducer.
Ray Fairfield
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