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

25-year-old Vladimir Horowitz plays Carmen Variations, his Fantasy arrangement of Bizet's opera melodies, recorded November 1928 on Aeolian Duo-Art reproducing piano roll, and played on a recently restored 1926/1933 Chickering Duo-Art 5'4" grand. I will soon remove my earlier posting of this same piano roll, where the audio did not capture the mellow tone of the Chickering very well. However, this roll still risks getting negative comments on the performance, I believe because many piano students learn the Carmen Variations from published sheet music that is a very different version than what Horowitz played in this first recording ever made the year he first came to the United States. It seems clear that this piece evolved with his artistry and was almost never performed twice by him in the same exact form. But as his earliest recording, this roll is historically and musically important. I also think is is an amazing performance. Others will likely complain that it is too fast, although tempo is one of the easiest things to get right in a roll performance, and this is carefully calibrated to the correct speed. Again, many piano students simply learn to play it much slower than the young Horowitz performed it. Others will complain about the dynamics, and it is fair to ask if the roll properly captured all nuances of Horowitzs performance. But there are not many better-regulated Duo-Art pianos in existence today, so I believe this accurately represents the performance Horowitz signed off on when he authorized Aeolian to publish this roll in 1929.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Vladimir
• Horowitz
• Bizet
• Carmen
• Variations
• Fantasy
• Duo
• Art
• reproducing
• piano
• roll
• Chickering

[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.

[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.

[fredericfranc]

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

[tedly10027]

@1opperc HAHA

[tedly10027]

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

[badgeroverlord05]

@1opperc TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

that's what I read

[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.

[Marraudor]

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

[Fazioli91]

@1opperc you are one hell of a frustrated person

[1opperc]

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