The legendary pianists II; Stravinsky

The legendary pianist. BNA radio network brings you another in a series of recitals by keyboard giants of the early 20th century. These performances are selected from more than 1000 Recordings. I'm doing art reproducing piano rolls collected by Dr. Campbell stuff. The chairman of the music department at Washington State University. The duo art was a highly sophisticated refinement of the player piano developed to preserve actual performances of concert artists in the days before electronic records. Now here is Campbell stout. To introduce today's legendary pianist. A few weeks ago we presented a pair programs featuring Igor Stravinsky as both pianist and composer. The work performed was his Firebird and his autobiography Stravinsky speaks of his association with the play all company of Paris in the fall of 1901.

They had suggested that he make transcriptions of his orchestral works for the player piano. Several works were scheduled for release but so far as I know the only one which appeared was the Firebird. In one thousand twenty seven The play all companies sold all of the rules Stravinsky had prepared for them to they only and Company maker of the doo award and Stravinsky consequently signed a new contract with Aeolian. It was apparently under this contract that he recorded two of his piano works that you will hear later on this program. His Sonata in three movements and the first movement of his concerto both works composed in one thousand twenty four. However before we get to these I am anxious to play for you a composition which he composed especially for the player piano several years earlier. Referring to his first visit to Spain in 1916 Stravinsky tells us in his autobiography about the composition of this work as follows. Many of the musicians who had preceded me in visiting Spain had on their return put their impressions on record in works devoted to the music they had heard their Glinka having far outshone the rest with his incomparable. I organised

and a night in Madrid. It was probably in order to conform to this custom that I too paid tribute to it. The whimsicality is of the unexpected melodies of the mechanical pianos and rattletrap orchestra Enos of the Madrid streets and the little night taverns served as theme for this piece which I wrote expressly for the pianola and which was published as a rule by the London alien company. Subsequently I orchestrated this piece which was called Madrid and form part of my four etudes for orchestra. The others being the three pieces originally written as quartets in 1014. I might mention here the Stravinsky son Salim I made a two piano version of this work also. An article written by Stravinsky which appeared in an issue of The New York Times magazine section referred again to this composition as follows. There is a new policy truth in the player piano. There are new possibilities. It is something more. It is not the same thing as the piano. The player piano resembles the piano but it also resembles the orchestra. It shares the

soul of the automobile beside the piano it is practical. It has a future. Yes it has its utility. Men will write for it but it will create create new matter for itself not a new manner no new matter. I was the first to try it. That was in 1017 in London. I wrote a study that was not for the piano but the player piano and for nothing else an attempt to see what could be done with the whole keyboard available to one's will. I hope and I know that your curiosity is sufficiently aroused that you will enjoy listening to the player piano etude by Igor Stravinsky. I should mention that this rule contains no perforations to automatically control the dynamic shadings any contrast in the intensity level has to be handled by the manual controls. I am.

I am. I am. I am. I am. I am. I am. I am. I am. I am.

I am. You have just been listening to a tude for Player Piano written by Igor Stravinsky in

1017. Next we turn to the period in Tribune Skeete life often referred to as his neo classical period Stravinsky himself spoke of these two compositions which were completed in one thousand twenty four as being in the style of the 17th and 18th centuries as viewed from the standpoint of today. First we hear his sonata the three movements are marked Adagio and Allegro matter Otto. I am I am I am I am

I am. I am. I am. I am. I am. I am. I am I am I am. I am. I am.

I am. I am. You have been listening to Igor Stravinsky's performance of his Sonata for the final number in

today's all Stravinsky program we have chosen the first movement of his concerto for piano and wind instruments. I recently found in the August one thousand twenty six a tud an interesting write up of an interview with eager Stravinsky in which he extols the player piano. Among other things he said the piano playing machines and Mabel need to orchestrate for the piano. That is I can take apart and study a work not merely as the composer puts it down upon paper but I can secure nuances and the rhythms and the climaxes everything. This is done by cutting the paper rules. An infinite number of trials are made before the right artistic result is attained. Imagine what this means to the composer Heretofore he has been largely depended upon the whims of this or that interpreter. This is fortunate in some ways because a variety of interpretations must add to the spice of life. Yet what about the conception of the work which was in the mind of the Creator. Surely this deserves to be considered and preserved. Let's listen now to Mr. Stravinsky's own performance of the first movement of his concerto the solo and the accompaniment are combined on this

one rule. I am.

I am. I am I am. I am I am. I am. I am.

I am. I am. I am. I am. I am.

I am I am.

I am. I am. I am. Today's program closed with eager Stravinsky's performance of the first movement of his concerto for

piano and wind instruments. This is a band the legendary pianists. It's a series of recitals from a large reproducing piano rolls by the keyboard giants of the early 20th century. Your host and commentator on these programs is Dr. Campbell Stott the chairman of the music department at Washington State University. Speaking. To legendary pianists is produced by Washington State University Radio and distributed by the N.A. Radio Network.