Vera Timanoff's Welte-Mignon YouTube Re-performance

Mignonites and all of similar or like-interest -- some years ago while
lurking around YouTube, I ran across a record-roll re-performance of
one of Vera Timanoff's Welte-Mignon numbers of year 1907, it being
an etude by Paul de Schlözer.  By its play I was impressed inordinately
and inspired over-emotionally, and so was compelled to leave there
a leaving to prove it.

This bit follows directly but first, a necessary quotation to set our
small stage for it prefatorily, this compliments of trusty Wikipedia
[Ref. 1], as its last paragraph there thus:

"After the 1917 revolution, Timanova's wealthy background led to
her being critical of the new Bolshevik authorities, but she was
nonetheless granted a VIP pension of 50 roubles, sufficient to finance
the employment of a maid.  Her last public performance was in 1937 when
she was 82 years of age.  Vera Timanova died of hunger during the Siege
of Leningrad in February 1942."

End.

And, my emotionally scintillated effusion:

"How horrible and unjust an end it was to such a unique marvel of
the grand piano-forte, as was Vera Victorovna Timanova's.  All of
her Welte-Mignon record-rolls are treasures unsurpassed and, as in
this case, revealing of a sweep and grandeur of powers-incomparable!
(I propose that it would be not unfair to suggest that she was
Mother Russia's own Carreno+.)  Her Mignon catalog listing contains
other fine examples of similar-like, that were hers.

Thank Goodness for the Welte-Mignon and -- _All Hail It!_ -- for
without we would never have known Timanoff experientially/musically,
but instead as only mere silent, written reportage.  _Not_ good enough!

À propos this, witness the case of that renowned piano-forte master
Rafael Joseffy who did suffer this fate, existing now musically only
as some printed words on paper, as witnessed accountings by critics,
telling of the multiple glories he'd attained, and been justly
feted-for but ... then _all vanishing into nothingness_, concurrent
his own hand crumbling-to-dust!  Of these two I ask, _which_ was the
wiser for their posterity, and our knowledge and tangible experience
of them?

Verily, it is so -- when made perfect and proper mechanically (which
truly-ideal state _is_ most rare!), the Reproducing Piano of whatever
its species, can indeed -- 'bring 'em back alive!' "

End.

And so it went and does-still.

There was, as speaking of it, reportage reporting-back to what I'd
left.  That too I here introduce to notice, so as to segue to my own
response, it finishing the harmonious trio.

"Music Lover 9 months ago -- On the other hand, James, quite a few of
the old timers whose careers came mostly before the age of recording,
including some of the all-time greats, did not record until late in
life, after they had lost their touch.  Their recordings do not live up
to their reputations, at all.  At least Joseffy's reputation remains
intact and pristine, since he didn't let it be marred by making
second-rate recordings of over-the-hill playing."

So nicely turned and kind, to which I responded with:

"James Miller 9 months ago -- Thank you for your reply.  Sad, but mostly
true I suppose, as you state.  Liszt himself could have made a wax
cylinder of his playing in '85, but the Stars were not to arrange-so
as to make it so.  Surely by then his technique and abilities would
not have been what they were when at age forty, say, when in his
high-octane prime? As given this, are we then to be relieved that he
did not record on this account? (Individuals that were there, testified
that his powers of pianistic beguilement were to-the-last undiminished
utterly.)"

Our re-performance of interest is to be found here. [Ref. 2]

If forced under light torture to rate the musical chimera's summed
repro-effect as a percentage, this one would get my, say, 70%?

To a solid point it is splendid and, I think, imparts to its listeners
a rather fair idea of what the "cream-of-the-cream" (q. Fr. Liszt)
might have been like as heard performing prehumously.  Adding the
missing thirty would cinch it, and leave lucky auditors as stultified
and gasping for air, with some of the more sensitive of them (such
as myself) fainting!  (Read the comments of others' seeming themselves
coming close for just this seventy.)

There can be no doubt.  The width and depth of the powers-innate of
the Reproducing Piano, have only yet _begun_ to be plumbed; its future
being one-infinite.

Note: I have included a small portrait of Vera Timanoff framed in the
lovely New York Art Nouveau poster-stamp style of ca. 1912. [Ref. 3]
Its resolution is high, so it should print nicely for anyone having
interest.  Its native size is 1.975" x 2.70" exactly.  Though my
redrawing of it is copyrighted, license to copy No. 18.30 I give
freely for reproduction to MMD readers, for one or two maximum per.
The design is an exact copy of the original excepting for two novel
aspects: an inclusion of a fully worked-up MIGNON seal and, the added
discrete label area for celebrity name placements.  Further, it might
be understood that this version is not a finished one, much yet to be
done still on Vera Timanoff's image.  I'll be posting more about this
project in the future, of which this one sample is but only a minor
part.

Jim Miller
Las Vegas, Nevada

Ref. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Timanova 

Ref. 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KIvZSml6PU&list=WL&index=573 

Ref. 3. Vera Timanoff c. 1910 Photo in New York W-M Modified Frame
https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/20/10/06/201006_135606_TimanoffSmall.png 

 [ Paul de Schlözer or Pawel Schloezer (1841 or 1842 - 1898) was
 [ a Polish pianist and teacher of German descent.  He was possibly
 [ also a composer, but the only two works attributed to him may
 [ have been written by Polish composer Moritz Moszkowski.
 [ Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_de_Schl%C3%B6zer 
 [ 
 [ Compare with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB-ARLUj0Ek 
 [ Vera Timanova plays Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 1
 [ -- Robbie