Shepherd's Hey for Pianola - arranged by Percy Grainger

[webrarian]

This is fascinating. I can well believe that PG enjoyed writing this arrangement and being relieved from the restriction of a human performer.

[patlaws]

Hilarious , the way he deconstructs a simple (though lovely) English folk tune.Love it!

[blackpigdog]

Very interesting - many thanks. I look forward to hearing 'Molly on the Shore', another of my favourite pieces. I have my piano teacher, the Australian pianist Penelope Thwaites, to thank for introducing me and many others to Grainger over 30 years ago.

[blackpigdog]

Wonderful stuff. Thanks for sharing. I've spent years trying to master this piece but never realised it had been recorded by Grainger in this way. Oddly enough my university dissertation was on the piano rolls of Fats Waller!

[pianolasociety]

It was composed as a special commission for the Aeolian Company in 1914 for the pianola to play without any reference to the technical capabilities of a human pianist. It is not recorded by Grainger (unlike his Duo-Art live recording rolls) but is a metronomic roll created from the (never published and now non-existant) score he would have sent in to Aeolian. Two pieces were commissioned in this manner. The other is "Molly on the Shore" which I will try record soon.

[finecreature]

No, Melias, it's a piano piece for one pianist but at concert level difficulty. Extremely difficult to play at the prescribed speed.

[pianolasociety]

no, this version is not written for any pianist. It was composed as a special commission for the Aeolian Company in 1914 for the pianola to play without any reference to the technical capabilities of a human pianist.

[melias2083]

Thank you for putting this up! There's so much ornamentation, it seems like it must be two players! But that's Grainger for you!

[pianolasociety]

Hi, this version is not written for any pianist but was composed as a special commission for the Aeolian Company in 1914 for the pianola to play without any reference to the technical capabilities of a human pianist. Even two players would find it virtually impossible!