Reminiscences
by Alfred Reiss
- bits and pieces during the Good Old PIANOLA days with the Choralion-Aeolian Co, Berlin - and the PPG- now
When I started my career at the then Choralion Company, Berlin, I spent the first week in their small “Concert Hall”, working and practising on the 65 note Cabinet—Vorsetz-PIANOLA, using my feet and clumsily grabbing the polished surface of the cabinet instead of resting my hands near the levers - I was afraid to use them. I remember the elderly motherly charlady reprimanding me with the words “Mr Hessin wouldn’t like to see THAT; you must use the levers!” So I practised day after day, and after a week or so Mr Hessin, the Director (a Canadian) called in; I stopped playing but he shouted “carry on!” and so I played again and he listened. I remember playing “Aubade Pritaniere” by Lacombe, then most popular, light, “nice” music, especially recommended to me as suitable “to get the hang of it”. After having finished it, Mr Hessin remarked he had just come in to be able to listen and give me some hints. However, he was pleased to be able to say it was not necessary and he would like me to play my first pianola-recitals at Beuthen, Kattowitz, Zabrze and Gleiwitz in Upper Silesia (now Polish), and as it was a terrific distance (longer than London-Inverness)I had better get the music rolls for the Concert and play them right now. He was somewhat worried about the accompaniments (so was I) as there would be no time for a rehearsal as all; the soloist artists arrive only just before the recital, none of them living at Beuthen. The programme did not worry me, but the accompaniments without any rehearsal did. These were: Faust Fantasi (Gounod / Winiawski), a Violin Solo to be played by a Polish Professor; then Sonata Op. 36 Adagio (Grieg), a Cello Solo; Hungarian Rhapsody Op 43 (M Hauser), Violin Solo; “Asra” (Anton Rubinstein), sung by a Concert singer; another song (Schumann) “Ich Grollenicht”, and finally Mendelssohn’s Trio Op 66, 3rd and 4th part This much too long programme was arranged by the Pianola agent Mr Ciplic, advertised and printed, so I had to accept it. I rushed home, packed my things and caught the train. I was determined to chance it, being ambitious to make my first series of Pianola Concerts a success. It was a tremendous success — the critics, still in my scrapbook, prove it so. There was a flattering letter from Messrs Steinway & Sons referring to a Pianola-Steinway Matinee at the Hotel Atlantic, Hamburg.
After my departure from Berlin, another salesman was engaged. It was difficult to find the right musical people for artistic Pianola demonstration. This man practised for three or four weeks and finally — after a most unsatisfactory result - he was told that he would never reach the desired and essential musical ability to play the Pianola satisfactorily to demonstrate it and sell it. This man, however, was difficult. He remarked bluntly that he was told (and the public is told) that ‘anyone can play the Pianola’, and consequently he refused to be “sacked”, otherwise he would publish his experience and so on — —. For obvious reasons he remained with the Company and they installed him as manager of the Music Roll Lending Library. After a lengthy period he left — and that was that .
Now, something funny. One of my Pianola lady pupils confessed that before she bought it, she often wondered why I slipped the rubber-band of the music roll (when, I took it out of the box) around my fingers during a recital; she always thought it was necessary in order to play the Pianola!
My experience with the Danish Ambassador’s wife Countess Moltke in Berlin, mentioned at one of our Player Piano Group meetings, is worth repeating. The Danes do not like the Germans and as the Aeolian Co. was an American firm, she always spoke English. I, being proud to speak English and “to show off”, chose to serve her. She complained that certain Beethoven rolls she ordered repeatedly were not sent I assured her that “I’ll make SOME enquiries” “You will make ENQUIRIES” she replied smilingly. Then it dawned on me that “SOME” sounded offhand. However, to find a “nice” way out I added “Well, I mean that SOME enquiries are more than one!”; and she accepted it in good humour.
In Magdeburg, a lady singer was about to sing Grieg’s “Ich liebe Dich” during a recital, when I discovered I had forgotten the accompaniment roll. So I closed the topdoor, put in the treadles, improvised a few chords and accompanied her by hand “just to prove that it could be used as a normal piano as well”
To me, Chopin’s 2nd Piano Concerto is always the “Chopin / Sherlock Holmes Concerto”. The “Berliner Theatre” with Director Bonn and his screaming wife (whom he considered “a great actress”) were not popular among the Berliners. They - the Bonns - had mostly an empty theatre until he wrote a play after Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes”. It was a great success and he always had a full house since the German Crown-Prince attended every evening for at least three weeks or even more. I remember the day when Director Bonn called at our showrooms and he, a 65 note Cabinet Pianola and myself were drive to his theatre where a rehearsal had been arranged. The Pianola was fitted to an upright piano behind one of the stage settings. There was a dinner party going on and I, playing the second Chopin Piano Concerto on the Pianola had to stop playing al a certain signal. Then there was a terrific commotion — a diamond necklace a lady wore was found to be missing. For many weeks at night I had to carry out this ‘artistic’ job, and one of the leading ladies remarked to me how pleased she was that Director Bonn at last had a successful play and a full theatre and how grateful he was to the Crown Prince. Soon afterwards the Kaiser and Crown Prince were swept away by the revolution; Director Bonn showed his gratitude by cynical, nasty remarks about him.
One day an elderly gentleman, more than slightly deaf, called at the Aeolian Co – Berlin. As he could not speak German it was easy for me to find the right contact from the salesman’s point of view and I sold him two Steck Grand Pianola Pianos. Why two? At certain intervals he bought Pianola instruments to give to friends on condition they played nothing but Beethoven on them! This gentleman was none other than Mr. Dobson, the proprietor (or one of them) of the chocolate firm of Barker & Dobson in the North of England. He bought the instruments in Germany as they were cheaper than in England (at least that’s what he said but I can’t think why). This reminds me of another Pianola owner who bought it “only to play Beethoven’s “Sonata Appassionata”, especially the first bars of the first movement as they stirred up his emotions!” Bismark said “When I hear Beethoven’s Sonata Appassionata” I feel heroic”. What a pity he never heard it.
Once I was asked by an over-enthusiastic Pianola owner whether I was the inventor. Evasively I replied that some of my ideas had been utilized.
At Frankfurt / Main, a little dog spoiled my chances of selling a Pianola Piano that was sent ”on approval”. As soon as Mrs P--- starting playing, her little dog whined, squeaked and barked; only when she stopped playing was the little dog quiet. Result? The dog won and the Pianola Piano was returned unsold.
I had a funny experience in Zurich The Aeolian Co’s agents, Messrs Hug, asked me one day to call after the Pianola recital on one of their important customers, as he would appreciate it very much. So for me “veni, vidi, vici”. He was a very nice man with three Grand Pianos - a Steinway Pianola Grand, a Bechstein Grand and a Blüthner Grand. The window was wide open, so was the Blüthner Grand Piano. Through the window fluttered four pigeons into the open Blüthner Grand. “They just love resting inside and so far they haven’t done any harm” Mr I-- said, “but their nests are somewhere else” (Thank goodness!)
The Aeolian Co sent me to Posen (then German) to represent them at the “East—German Exhibition” where their agent Mr. Neumann, the leading Piano dealer in the province, exhibited Steinway, Bechatein, Bluthner etc, and the Pianola. Mr. Neumann had engaged two well-known Concert-Pianists They were excellent, and the one (whose name I have forgotten) played Guieraud's “Allegro de Concert”. At my suggestion it was added in the Pianola Music Roll Catalogue. When there were musical listeners among the visitors we three demonstrated the instruments according to our own arrangements. Naturally the two Pianists were extremely interested in the Pianola, and during the quiet morning hours they often methodically practised the art of piano-playing for weeks and weeks. However, strange to say, without the slightest satisfactory result! It was an interesting, but in a way disappointing, experiment which proved that “to play the Pianola musically and artistically is, an art in itself.” I wonder, and perhaps to a certain extent it may well be justified or understandable. if this is not the reason many people have turned to the electromotor-blown Reproducing Piano because they have felt they lacked that musical sense which is so essential to play the Pianola musically.
One day, during Mr. Neumann’s absence, his little son (7 years old) was put by the manager at a Steinway Welte Grand The boy acted and gesticulated during a Paderewski Music roll performance imitating a Pianist. The Polish peasantwomen in their head-scarves stared wild-eyed at this wonder-child. Suddenly Mr. Neumann, the boy’s father appeared, and snatching the boy away from the instrument, screamed “My boy is no monkey!”, (I was reminded of this incident when I saw Alan Whicker in a similar part on the TV screen recently — and the Duo—Art “Pianola” played on. I shall refer to this again later)
I experienced an adventurous night before a Pianola recital once in a small German provincial town The only hall in the town was in a part of the one and only hotel. Unfortunately they forgot to reserve a room for me and the hotel was full. Fortunately a way out was found (and I had to put up with it) — a bed was put up on the stage! It was rather uncanny to stare into the pitch-dark hall — just one small electric bulb on the stage and no key, no door, no lock — at least I could not find anything in that pitch—dark hall. Suddenly I heard a noise underneath the Grand Piano. There was a trap—door (I naturally had not noticed it before) and out crept the chambermaid! Seeing how shocked I looked she said “Oh, I am so sorry Sir, I only wanted to make sure you are comfortable!” WE WERE (me and the piano!)
Postscript
Sometimes - attending a Player Piano Group meeting — listening to the
Electric—blown Duo—Art Piano and its more or less interesting and authentic
recordings of famous pianists, I wonder if many of today’s ‘Duo-Art’
enthusiasts have ever sat down to a foot—blown Pianola and enjoyed the
satisfaction of producing the music they want, putting in their own
interpretation and feeling. Interpretation is as much a part of the creative
process as the actual composition. This cannot really be done on a Duo—Art
instrument — one merely listens. I once read “A sausage without mustard is a
mere sausage” — only half a meal; a Duo—Art Piano without a foot—blown
action is just a Reproducing Piano. True by manipulation of the
hand—lever(s) some variation from the original pianist’s interpretation can
be made, but the full personal feeling, the soul, the touch, cannot be fully
influenced; only when the instrument is foot—blown is the pianolist able to
personify himself with the music.
In the hey—day of the Pianola as experienced by me in Germany, 98% of the Pianola owners played classical and contemporary serious music. Some had a harmless musical taste and played ‘nice’ drawing—room pieces; one of my pianola pupils played Bendel’s “Dornroschen”, a piece in my view of sickening sentimentality, but most suitable to catch the melody with the accentuating lever as the melody perforations ran over the tracker-bar. Count Reichenbach did it very nicely, I remember.
Now finally of the Sound and TV broadcasts; there is not much I can say, so much have the times changed. Any listener or viewer of the present generation who had never seen or heard a Pianola or Duo—Art instrument properly played must have been quite unable to understand the true meaning or possibilities of these instruments and the perforated music roll. The jazzy ‘musical’ demonstrations and fading-out parts of Chopin and Schumann spoiled everything — at least, I think so.
I conclude my reflections with Alexander Moszkowski’s remark: “A great
Pianist must be born with his musical gift — because — ‘IF ONE IS NOT BORN
ONE CANNOT PLAY THE PIANO!”. Instead of Pianist one could put ‘Pianolist’
and instead of Piano — Pianola. Alexander Moszkowski, a famous German writer
(with plenty of esprit) of German— Jewish—Polish descent was the brother of
the famous composer Maurice Moskowski, whose music is a great favourite of
mine
April 1964