Francis Plante plays Schumann/Debussy - Am Springbrunnen Op.85

The French pianist Francis Plante (1839 - 1934) was among the first important pianists to record extensively on the electric gramophone in 1928. However, it is not generally known that he recorded much of his repertoire for the reproducing piano in Germany during the first decade of the 20th century. This roll was played for Ludwig Hupfeld AG at Leipzig around 1912, and is a piano transcription by Debussy of Schumann's Op.85 No. 9 Am Springbrunnen (At the Spring).
Plante was already over 70 when he made these rolls but his technique was still pretty good. Elsewhere on YouTube there is a film of him in very old age playing Chopin's Etude Op.10 No.7. This, as well all his other electric recordings can only be regarded as a curiosity as his technique had deteriorated to say the least, compared to his piano roll performance of the same piece from some twenty years earlier. This Chopin Etude seems to have been his 'calling card' - he was evidently very good with the Staccato, amply demonstrated in the present video.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Francis
• Plante
• Schumann
• Debussy
• piano
• pianola
• roll
• Hupfeld

[MsNycu]

afrika  maya tutankamon

[RollaArtis]

@MsNycu I agree

[Noshirm]

I will surely stop by the site - thanks for this tip. I think those making copies of the originals, and those striving to find ways and means of playing back the rolls with maximal fidelity are doing a great service for us lovers of great music. (:-D)

[RollaArtis]

@Noshirm You might be interested to see the Reproducing Piano Roll Foundation website - they have a lot of information on what was recorded on reproducing rolls. It's tantalizing because many of these rolls are now almost impossible to find. However, there are some making copies of originals.

[Noshirm]

Only twelve rolls! :-( But I would love to hear them. I've never heard the First Rhapsody. Yes, you have a point about the type of repertoire that could be recorded on the rolls. I would like to hear the ones Arrau made, and Serkin, too. (:-D)

[RollaArtis]

It looks like Vera Timanoff recorded about 12 rolls for Welte, mainly short pieces by Russian composers but only one by Liszt, the first Rhapsody. Many remastered acoustic recordings are sonically very good but is this what you would have heard at a concert? Probably the encore only. Rolls are good for hearing longer pieces - how about Mahler playing his 5th Symph or Friedheim playing the Diabelli Variations? I don't think anyone would ever have seriously considered doing these on discs.

[Noshirm]

Have you heard of the pianist Vera Timanoff? She was a pupil of Anton Rubinstein, Tausig, and Liszt. I can't BELIEVE she wasn't asked to make recordings! But I hear she did record a few piano rolls. Have you heard any of them? I accept your take on the acoustical recordings, but will say I've heard some refurbished ones that sound...amazing! Re. the rolls, I have always hoped a day would come when they could be played back with even greater fidelity. (:-D)

[RollaArtis]

Yes, there is a treasure trove of roll recordings out there, however many are difficult to find as their musical value at least remains unrecognized. The purists you mention don't realize that the early acoustic recordings are also flawed. Performances were often abridged, with the pianist playing beat the clock, notes in the bass and treble often not registering with the (specially prepared) piano sounding like a banjo. Rolls are a digital recording so perhaps in future could be reconstructed.

[Noshirm]

I loved it! Yes, he recorded this piece in 1928 as well. Yes, with rolls, the pianist could just play on, and wrong notes could be corrected. Yet purists persist in hating the rolls! My take on the issue has always been that there is an immense treasure trove of rolls. This must be explored and preserved. Are new methods being studied to play back with the rolls with yet greater fidelity? What do you think of the work of the likes of Wayne Stahnke?

[RollaArtis]

I'm glad you like it - I didn't know Plante made an electrical recording of this, I'd like to hear it.

It's possible that made acoustical records but I really wouldn't know, Some pianists preferred to make rolls because the recording process was straightforward and the result could be edited.