e-concertpianola

e-Concert #10

Choice rarities from dusty forgotten shelves. An archival quality copy of everything you hear has been matrix scanned for preservation. Many thanks as ever to Julian Dyer for scanning and making this possible.

1. Dans L'aoule
This is the second part of "Caucasian Sketches" by Ippolitov Ivanov, well known for the final "Procession of the Sardar". The second movement is also one of great beauty. Victoria 7843 Esquisses Caucasiennes - 2 Dans l'aoule - Ippolitov-Ivanov

2. Cossaca No.2 for pianola
Marchisio was the musical director for the Triumph AutoPlayer Company in London. He arranged this lively piece of his specifically for the player piano. Themodist TL22015 Cossaca II - Marchisio

3.San Toy Opening Chorus
This is the opening chorus from the record-breaking British light opera San Toy. This is a very early 65-note roll that captures the music exquisitely. Aeolian Piano (65n) 9649 San Toy - Opening Chorus - Jones

4. Dance Memories 1
This is the first part of Herman Finck's long selection of "Dance Memories". Finck, in the teens and before, conducted many a light concert featuring old dance hits of the past, reviving the Meyer-Lutz Pas de Quatre and much else. This incredibly evocative selection is obviously crafted with much love for the material and features the complete range of styles of music playing in British ballrooms from the 1860s towards the early 20th centuries. To be heard are waltz, polka, barn dance, schottishe, music hall song, habanera, cakewalk, two-step, tarantella etc. Part 2 will follow in a future e-Concert. Meloto 55394 Dance Memories 1 - arr Finck

5. Horseshoe Rag
Julia Niebergall's hit rag here taken from a very rare Melographic 88-note roll with the arrangement being indicated as having been orchestrated by Alford. A nice full arrangement on the roll and very well executed for it's time. Melographic X172 Horseshoe Rag - Niebergall-Alford

6. Blossoms from the South
A delightful and touching arangement of old tunes from the South by the Aeolian Company's master-arranger George Swift. The music has not been overdone and his sympathetic treatment takes you back to the simpler playing styles of the mid-late 1800s. Themodist T99762 Blossoms from the South - arr Swift

7. At The Foxtrot Ball That's All
A Nat D Ayer (writer of "Oh You Beautiful Doll" etc) hit all about the goings-on at the Foxtrot Ball. It's quite similar to the "Darktown Strutter's Ball" which was written later and is now far better known than this earlier tune. Triumph 84120 At the fox trot ball thats all - Ayer

8. Ja-Da
Ja-Da is nowa famous jazz-standard. Here is how it sounded way back right at the very start of it's life in 1918. It's short, sweet and just pure fun. Themodist T23715 Ja Da - Carleton

9. Up and Down - ragtime
A very special hand-played ragtime roll from the Phillips Company in Germany. An extremely catchy piece of music!. Philag 1817 Up and down - Ward played by Bittong

10. What's the Use of Crying
In 1926 this tune was recorded by the Charlie Straight Orchestra (amongst others) however this now obscure tune did surprisingly well over in continental Europe. The roll features a period stock band arrangement with an interesting jazzage-4ths harmony section. The same source arrangement can also be found on some European orchestrion rolls. This is from a Spanish-made Victoria roll and although the roll is marked "charleston" (really just indicating the dancing style) the piece is not a charleston at all! Victoria 4637 Whats the use of Crying (Charleston) - Forbstein

11. Dancing Honeymoon
Limehouse Blues was only the secondary hit in the UK show "Battling Butler" when it was first produced. Philip Braham considered "Dancing Honeymoon" and the intimate staging of the dance a real masterpiece and the London theatre-going public agreed. When the show transferred to the US the "Dancing Honeymoon" number was altered to a chorus-line style set up which destroyed it's effect. As a result "Limehouse Blues" became the top hit from the show much to Braham's bemused annoyance. Limehouse Blues is still today a jazz-standard but here then is a very wonderful snappy contender for it's crown. Aeolian 26318 Dancing Honeymoon - Braham

12. I Found the End of the Rainbow
Probably my favourite roll. This one was torn and tattered, unboxed and it's title illegible when I found it. It made me realize that the best tunes are usually fallen to pieces long ago and only the dull ones that never got played much survived the most. I always now look at the worst-condition ones first! To me it also serves as a reminder of just how important a devlopment to music preservation that roll-scanning has been thus far. 1012 Themodist T23723 I Found the end of the Rainbow - Tierney