Holliday, Kent

Reproducing Pianos Past and Present

1989 0-88946-438-3
The reproducing piano rendered faithful 'reperformances' of classical and popular piano solos at a time when cylinder and disc recorders were in their infancy. It played notes from a perforated paper roll, but unlike the player piano it was able to replicate expressive performance elements such as articulation, dynamics, and pedaling. Busoni, Granados, Hofmann, Rachmaninoff, and Ravel made thousands of piano rolls for the reproducing piano. To hear how a famous composer performed his own music is of immense value to the contemporary listener, providing insight into nuances of interpretation too suble to be notated in the musical score. This is the only work which traces the history of reproducing pianos from inception (1904) to the present day. Examines the origin, history, design, and construction of these devices, as well as the present-day resurgence in interest.