The web site giving information about my Aeolian pipe organ is being
updated.  It is time to remove the site's Christmas music and replace
it.  In thinking about how to use the site, I have come up with a
concept of an ever changing podcast.  Each new podcast will be unique.
Some podcasts will feature specific artists, others will showcase
composers, and the genre will also be a feature.

The program, that is in the planning stage now, will be opera music
that Aeolian issued initially on a two-roll set of 116-note music
rolls.  Later, the music was reintroduced as a four-roll set, Aida
Fantasie, on the fully automatic Duo-Art system.  Harry Rowe Shelley,
Aeolian staff organist and composer, is the artist in these arranged
rolls.  I feel his work is significant and should be shared.

Early twentieth century performances of serious music were often opera
selections.  As many MMDers know, overture performances are common on
many European orchestrions and cafe organs.  We see other evidence of
the importance of opera with Victor's series, "The Victrola Book of the
Opera", which enjoyed many editions.

Aeolian was also on the band wagon, so to speak.  Opera played a huge
part of all formats of rolls issued by Aeolian.  When Aeolian launched
its pipe organ business in 1894, it quickly became the supreme home
orchestral instrument.  Before the hand played rolls for the organ came
into existence, the roll editors, who were highly skilled musicians,
could arrange rolls that rendered opera music faithfully using the
marvelous orchestral resources that Aeolian included in its organs.

On these Aeolian opera rolls, a true glimpse into high society music
of the period is seen.  Aida was still a relatively new work when these
rolls were issued.  First performed in 1871 as a commissioned work
celebrating the new Cairo Opera House, Aida made its first appearance
in the United States in 1873.  Caruso made his Aida appearance at the
Met in 1904.

The skill needed in these roll arrangements -- score reductions,
orchestrations, and the true feeling of the music -- is a treasure
that should be shared.  That is why it is being showcased on the next
podcast 2 at my web site.  Verdi's art in Aida is manifest in his
orchestration and beautiful melodies, and that makes Aida a natural
partner for the Aeolian organ.  All of the organ voices are used in
the full chorus but the solo voices bring haunting melodies and the
Egyptian "flavor" to its peak in these rolls.

About seven minutes into the first roll, the clarinet solo demonstrates
the famous Aeolian free reed clarinet, which has no equal.  The tone of
the clarinet is very imitative, but the skillful arrangement also uses
grace notes, trills, and the expression shades to "sell" the performance.
The oboe and trumpet combined also offer melodies that let the listener
know the music is Egyptian.

Many pages of the site are being updated with new pictures, too.  New
recording equipment is now being tested.  The recordings will feature
a mix of four microphones.  Previous recordings used two.  The attempt
here is to capture division separation, room reverberation, and the
full spectrum of organ tone.  As we have discussed here many times,
the offerings on YouTube generally don't sound so good.  My attempt
is to use my web site to improve the sound quality even though it will
reach a smaller audience.

The update should occur in the next several days.  Until then, the site
will have Christmas music.  I'll post a notice when I make the changes.
The address will remain the same:

  http://web.me.com/bobtaylor5/aeolian/Welcome.html 

Bob Taylor