Rhapsody In Blue - Gershwin - Original Piano Roll

A piano roll is the music storage medium used to operate the player piano, pianola or a reproducing piano. The piano roll was the first medium which could be produced and copied industrially and made it possible to provide the customer with actual music fast and easily. A piano roll is a roll of paper with perforations (holes) punched in it. The position and length of the perforation determines the note played on the piano. The roll moves over a device known as the 'tracker bar', which first had 58 holes, was expanded to 65 and then was upgraded to 88 holes (generally, one for each piano key). When a perforation passes over the hole, the note sounds.

The first paper rolls were used by Welte & Sons in their Orchestrions since 1883. After hundreds of companies of this booming business produced piano rolls different in size and perforation, in 1909 the American producers of piano rolls and mechanical pianos as well agreed to a standard in the Buffalo Convention.

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[JOHN GORDON]

The piano roll was meant to be played by itself, not accompanied by an orchestra (which here plays at a ridiculously fast tempo. destroying the impact and impish nature of the piece).

[Ccvanl]

On internet you can find several Gershwin Solo Piano Rolls. Gershwin Plays Gershwin - The Piano Version Of Rhapsody In Blue, 1925 is one of them. Another one is "The Real Rhapsody - MIT Video. If you are complaining about the fast tempo, listen to those recordings. They are really ridiculous. So was this Gershwin's intention? The composition was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé in 1924, 1926, and finally in 1942. The last version was the arrangement usually performed and recorded. And much slower.

[Ccvanl]

In 1925 Gershwin made two Duo-Art piano rolls of the Rhapsody incorporating orchestral material into the arrangement. Andrew Kazdin, Tom Sheppard and Mark Goodman identified the holes reproducing 'orchestral' notes and closed each one of them. End result - rolls that reproduced Gershwin's solo. The Columbia Jazz Band conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas recorded this fast jazzy version in 1976. In 1988 The Denver Symphony Pops did the same - perhaps even faster.

[Dave Smith]

and so you're telling me this is a piano roll playing along with an orchestra??

[Ccvanl]

No. It's an orchestra playing along with the piano roll (and the ghost of Gerswin).

[SquareNightmareCat]

So you're telling me George Gershwin was a piano roll?

[Ccvanl]

Yes. And Elvis Presley is still alive. He's working as an undercover agent for the DEA.

[jim63047]

There is a whole of people who would disagree....conductor, orchestra, etc.

[electrictroy2010]

Maybe the piano rolls are being played too fast..... similar to how old silent movies are often played back at 24 frames/second instead of the more proper 18 fps

.

[Fernando Villegas]

yeah, but he is dead. Someone lit a cigarette at his side.

[Shirley Olivia Arias Hernández]

warner



[Pablo Azevedo]

very fast! I could not understand some parts!

[SteSlash13]

Where is this film from?

[DAN SHARPLES]

A great abd rare chance to hear the maestro himself.

I have some early broadcasts with Gershwin where he actually speaks.(SEE POSTING)

dan

[James Hernane]

so the original version was really this fast? or it might be Gershwin, himself, played it at a fast tempo to fit the whole piece in the roll. im not sure how piano roll works but correct me if im wrong... but there is a limit in roll recordings right?

btw, very interesting video :)

[Strangelove Von]

Very... Very... GOOD!!!