Saint Saens at age 80 plays Samson et Delilah Improvisation, recorded on Duo-Art in 1915

A rare recording of Charles Camille Saint Saens, here playing an improvisation of melodies from his own opera, Samson et Delilah. Recorded in November 1915 when Saint Saens was 80 years old, on Duo-Art reproducing piano roll #5696-6, and played on a recently restored ca. 1929 Chickering Duo-Art.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• music
• Charles
• Camille
• Saint
• Saens
• Samson
• et
• Delilah
• Improvisation
• Duo
• Art
• reproducing
• piano
• Chickering

[KawhackitaRag]

Was this roll originally made for Duo-Art, or adapted to Duo-Art from a Welte-Mignon or Hupfeld DEA original?

Of course, this roll has still been quantized (hence the jerky sound), and the editor helped add the dynamics, but it is still a very good roll, I agree.

[bartolomochristofari]

I believe this was recorded directly for Duo Art. In 1915, Saint-Saens visited the US for the Worlds Fair in SF, and stopped by Aeolian Hall in NYC to record a few rolls. There are photos of him during the take. I have heard this one both on original 1915 issue and modern digital recut, and I can't tell any difference between them in tempo, smoothness, or dynamics. So the "jerkiness" might be the 80-year old performer as much as any artifact of editing.

[carmexguy]

Thanks for posting this. I didn't realize that Duo Arts were available in Chickering pianos. I thought that Chickering's reproducing pianos were fitted with Ampicos.

[bartolomochristofari]

You're right that Chickering licensed the Ampico rather than the Aeolian Duo-Art system. But in the looming depression of the early 1930's, Aeolian and Ampico merged, and for a while one could buy Chickering Duo-Arts and Steinway Ampicos. This piano was built in 1926 as an Ampico A, and was factory retrofitted by Chickering in the early 1930s with the Duo-Art, mounted in a drawer like the Ampico B.

[stienwayz]

Wonderful video!

[bigcity233]

Great roll, thank for posting

[Nammedit]

Oh... Well which part is it then? x D

[Nammedit]

Which opera is the part 0:40 - 1:00 from?

[gerardbedecarter]

This roll is also in the collection of Denis Condon of Newtown, Sydney. It is track 13 of CD 2 of WP022 entitled "Nostalgia: 2 CD set of historic reproducing piano recordings" issued by Wensleydale Press. Denis played the roll back for me and I recorded it. It takes 5:47 which is exactly the timing for this playback recording. I don't have a note as to whethe Denis's roll is Welte, Duo-Art or Ampico. My note on the CD states: '... Finale from Act 1 of Samson et Delilah ...'.

[991dexter]

@AnatoleBelge Thanks a lot !! I did google a musicstore that sells the score.

[AnatoleBelge]

@991dexter Look for 'Danse des Prêtresses de Dagon' and 'Printemps qui commence' from the opera Samson et Dalila. That's what's played here.

[MathijsGiltjes1993]

Kind of reminds me of 'Fossils' from the 'Animal Circus'.

[991dexter]

@callmemiles

Did you perhaps find any sheet music of this great piece yet? I would love to play this piece too. Thnks

[RemovdSande11]

this is the greatest improvisation I ever heard. A true genious Saint Saens...

[aardvaark069]

That's one of the most painful things I've ever heard. What an awful roll.......it's not the player cuz some of your other posts are wonderful examples of a reproducers capabilities.

[callmemiles]

This sounds downright amazing, is there a sheet music adaptation to this anywhere?