1928 WINIFRED CHRISTIE on BECHSTEIN MOOR DUPLEX GRAND PIANO J. S. Bach Toccata and Fugue

The Moór Duplex Grand Piano was a fascinating two keyboard piano that enjoyed a certain notoriety in the interwar years. With 164 keys on two keyboards, it allowed to play spreads of 2+ octaves with a single hand, and was much appreciated especially for the rendition of Bach Organ works.

Listen how Winifred Christie brings out the pedal lines of the Toccata and Fugue with ease on the Bechstein-Moór Duplex .

Emánuel Moór (February 19, 1863, Kecskemét, Hungary - October 20, 1931, Chardonne, Switzerland) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and inventor of musical instruments. His second wife, Winifred Christie (b. February 26, 1882, Stirling, England d. February 8, 1965, London, England) was a British pianist and composer best known as an advocate of the Moór-Duplex piano.

Here she demonstrates the capabilities of the Bechstein-Moór Duplex grand in a 1928 recording in the pedal lines of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in d minor.

Moór Duplex action makes it easier for the pianist to play difficult passages:
- It has one set of strings and hammers.
- The upper, 74 key keyboard connects through a linkage to the key an octave below on the lower keyboard.
- An optional fouth pedal allows to couple the lower to the upper keyboard, thus playing octaves with a single key.
- The raised knobs on the tails of the lower keys permit a chromatic glissando.

Though it looks similar to a two-manual harpsichord or organ, the function is very different: a two keyboard harpsichord allows a variation in tone by playing on two different set of strings. A harpsichord coupler couples the same keys on both keyboards.

The Moór Duplex does not provide a variation in sound, it is just a device to play difficult passages in an easier manner. It extends the reach of the player's hand and increases the texture of the piano. This kind of octave couplers had been used in a similar way on harmoniums.
On pianola rolls, the same effect was achieved by multiple pass overdubbing of piano rolls.

- Play two manual keyboard works, esp. J. S. Bach in the correct manner without crossing of hands.
- Play low bass lines esp. of organ works without arpeggios.
- Moór wanted to inspire composers to create new works for the increased sonority and texture of the Duplex Grand.

(or as a friend of mine put it: This was the time of the famous Busoni Bach Piano transcriptions. The Duplex allowed pianists with a lesser hand spread or technique than Busoni's to play Bach : )

The Duplex had a limited success: Only one Hamburg Steinway was built, and about 60 Bechstein and Bösendorfer Grands. Some pianists appreciated the possibilities of the Moór Duplex for the works Bach, namely Gunnar Johansen. After some succes, the Moór Duplex was forgotten as a short-lived novelty.

Read more about Emánuel Moór, his compositions and innovative instruments at:
http://www.emanuel-und-henrik-moor-stiftung.de/index.shtml

A 2007 New York Times article and video showing Christopher Taylor with the Goldberg variations on the recently rebuilt Grotrian Steinweg Duplex Grand (video footage in my movie taken from this site.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/arts/music/15barr.html?_r=1

The Capehart De Luxe Turn-Over Record Changer was the epitome of luxury radio-phonographs.

Check out more photos and description of the machine here:
http://myvintagetv.com/Carsten%20Sales%20Ads/salelist.htm
Produced unchanged from 1930 - 1950, updated electronics always provided the finest in high fidelity with the unsurpassed Capehart Record changer.

The changer is a true engineering marvel of precision careful handling of records, and plays 16 records on both sides.

The post-war Capeharts are the finest machines Capehart ever sold: The GE Variable Reluctance Cartridge (8 grams) and powerful tube electronics provide a Fidelity and Volume that is still unsurpassed.
It makes 78 RPM records sound better than any other way of reproduction.

A word to the sound:
I have recorded the actual record on the machine with an external condensor mike. Volume has been adjusted to maximum level. If you find that the volume of my videos are lower than on other videos, the reason may be the absence of artificial compression and volume boosting.

Enjoy.

Check out more great tunes and amazing vintage phonographs at My YouTube Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q342zZx4id0

More about this and other machines
on my Changer Website
http://myvintagetv.com/updatepages1/changer%20videos/changer_videos.htm

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[SFChristo]

Thanks for showing this to us. One thing, "Though it looks similar to a two-manual harpsichord or organ, the function is very different: a two keyboard harpsichord allows a variation in tone by playing on two different set of strings. A harpsichord coupler couples the same keys on both keyboards." The harpsichord can have a 2nd or 3rd set of strings that are one octave higher, so the when these are on, one can couple the manuals and get two strings at pitch and one an octave higher (4' pitch)

[sanfranphono]

@SFChristo Yes, you are right, but this piano has an octave transmission on one set of strings, meaning it hits the note and the octave below. Haven't seen that on a harpsi. Multiplexing organs can of course do that, and I once played a harmonium, where two of the registers were octave transmissions.

[pianozuelo]

A wonderful recording and a nice compilation of images. However, it is Steinway & Sons that made the one piano (that is featured in the NYTimes video). Grotrian Steinweg is a different company and did not produce Moor pianos. Bechstein produced 12 short grands, 4 concert grands, and possibly one upright. The fourth pedal is only on the Steinway piano. The other makers used the three pedal lyre and converted the middle pedal into a coupler.

[sanfranphono]

Oops,. sorry about the confusion.

Steinway Hamburg it is.

Cheers

[sanfranphono]

Hello if you watch the NYT video, Christopher Taylor explains that the upper keyboard is harder, but then he plays the Goldbergs quite facile.

I would guess if you use the upper manual just to double organ points that's fine.

Also, I would guess like any coupler, if it is disengaged, the lower keyboard works freely,

Cheers,

[sanfranphono]

Heavenly perhaps not, but an intrigueing document of a rare instrument.

Cheers and thanks

[sukangeong]

One of these instruments (a Bechstein) was offered on ebay a few years ago. Starting bid (or perhaps BuyItNow price was US $10,000. It was located in Moscow, however, and i was unclear how one could have had the instrument inspected before buying, or shipped to the US (because of restrictions on ivory importation, there would almost certainly have been additional problems).

[aspergershawn]

How fascinating - especially the extended range afforded the pianist in playing such a range in one hand, and the chromatic glissando (I can do this on the regular piano - using two fingers of one hand to do it, just like using the back of the hand to do a regular diatonic glissando, but this one includes all the 12 notes). Very interesting video.

[albanybeardguy]

Very interesting, but an instrument useful for only a certain spectrum of the repertory, unless more music is composed or arranged for it. I can only suppose the touch must be very like a tracker pipe organ: rather heavy when the keyboards are coupled. I'd suspect it's rather tricky to do subtle dynamic changes without a great deal of practice.

[kasyapa]

intriguing. thank you for this. reminds me of my long-held wish that some pedalier-equipped pianos would be recorded. schumann and alkan, as is well-known, liked them.

[colombosithon]

Thank you, Saint Francis Phono, for this fine addition to the Youtube library. Excellently done.