Vladimir Horowitz, age 25, plays Carmen Variations on Duo-Art Piano Roll

[jonjon1957jonjon]

Fascinating to be able to compare this piano roll with Horowitz 's live performances. It certainly sounds like the man himself. All recording, in any form, as in the recording of history itself, is subjective. It it depends who's watching or listening and what their perspective.

[Kakarot21591]

My usual response to someone playing faster than they can handle just to try to sound better is "faster isn't better." But Vladimir Horowitz, the greatest pianist in the world in his day, is the sole exception to my generalization. He manages to play faster than any of us think is possible, but does it so well controlled and expressive that he pulls it off successfully without seeming like he's trying to overcompensate. He truly was incredible.

[1opperc]

OMG HORROWITZ WAS SO OVER RATED. HE IS NOT HALF THE PIANIST I AM AT THIS POINT IN MY LONG ILLUSTRIOUS CARRIER!

[Fazioli91]

@1opperc you are one hell of a frustrated person

[badgeroverlord05]

@1opperc TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

that's what I read

[tedly10027]

@1opperc HAHA

[fredericfranc]

...the piano looks very classy but, for some reason, sounds like a total wreck...you want the worst sounding Carmen Variations on the Tube...this is it...

[tedly10027]

@fredericfranc HAHA...maybe horowitz STOLE this from a one-year old toddler who improvised it while waiting for his milk bottle....

[fredericfranc]

@tedly10027 ...if this was a one-year old he was really rather good and maybe there was something in the milk, too...

[1opperc]

horowitz played this very poorly. i was playing this piece with much more virtuosity and expression when i was five!

[TripleRhu]

@1opperc as if u were ever better than him.

[azppiano]

Interesting- a Chickering Duo-Art with an Ampico B drawer!

[jsteeber]

Marvelous reproducing piano and roll. I'm sure I've heard this roll in a commercial recording. He did play like a demon in the 20's. It frightened well-established pianists. Duo-Art was actually more advanced than Welte. It had a wider range of dynamics and was more even. Its chief competitor was Ampico. I still think this roll is running about 5% fast, but not more. I could listen to this machine all day.

[RobinPratt]

GREAT!!!

[WelteMax]

a DA with a drawer how fascinating!

[L4RSLink]

0:44 the modulation is kinda jazzy,

[Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for your reply to my comment. I agree that this piece would sound much poorer on the standard player piano, with no expression, but comparing it with the man himself playing, the Duo Art is, to me, a disappointment. It's a wonderful machine, and it does produce some expression, but, from my point of view, nothing like enough to be convincing. Perhaps I am expecting too much from it.

[Offshoreorganbuilder]

But where is the expression? (Duo Art was supposed to produce this effect. I don't hear it.) Very enjoyable, even so.  Thanks.

[bartolomochristofari]

@Offshoreorganbuilder

The expression is everywhere, as complex as Horowitz intended it to be, both as accented theme notes, pedaling, and overall volume control. A piece like this would make little musical sense in a standard player with no expression. With decent headphones or speakers at high quality playback, the opening is piano, with a bass theme passage at 0:19-0:24, followed by mf at 0:26 and forte at 0:46. Compare also piano at 2:08 vs. forte at 2:36.

[Marraudor]

@bartolomochristofari ITs just amazingly perfect, much more expression and emotions then a human! Thank you for this gift,

[ClassicMusicOnly]

This is the magic of young Horowitz.. what else there to say? Incrediable!

[oct212006]

BADASS.

[cattleman6420012000]

This is incredible.

[chutdigadut]

this is soo cool

[WolfBlade94]

WOW! thats reaally crazy!

[1fattyfatman]

Sounds better than most commercial reissiues