Arthur Friedheim (1859-1932): Liszt - Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata

[@jamesmiller4184]

This non reenacting record-roll title was first released early, sometime just after 1906/7, which was as-of-then strictly for the very wide 85 (A to a) note DEA upright piano, non-keyboard upright (very similar to "Die Mignon") and of course, Vorsetzer. Sometime later, numerous of such very early recordings were also released as non-reenacting (expressionless) formats, as well as the fully reenacting "Tri-Phonola" it then featuring it's new 88 note compass. (Oh, HOW we missed those top three!) I was pleased and honored to have rebuilt one of the DEA vorsetzers back in olden year 1967 and it was a honey of a performer. For more than a decade it regaled the visitors to Merle Norman Cosmetics building ("San Sylmar") in Northridge CA. Interestingly, as played throughout for decades was Maitre Cortot's 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody, which featured even that early his famous "STARBURST" cadenza! I should have signed it at some place! (The instrument, not the record-roll.) Of possible further interest to true aficionados of this sort of thing, is the fact that Friedheim also had recorded Liszt's Sonata, which as complete was right there in the collection of San Sylmar's. Also, juicy titles of Ignaz Friedman's and others, within the DUCA collection were present. :-)

[@philiprostek]

Thank you for your work toward the preservation of this beautiful performance.

[@pianomaly9859]

Thank you again for posting this. Many of Friedheim's pianistic and interpretive insights come through in this roll, e.g. the striking (and to me) effective slowing of the tempo at 2:32. This works well in several other spots, making for real drama and exaltation, but at some it seems as if he's struggling with the piece's difficulties, although how much of this is an artifact of the roll itself or Friedheim's deliberate tempo choice I can't say. I would be curious to hear Friedheim's original music, and reconnect with his book Life and Liszt, which I read at least part of many years ago.

[@jamesmiller4184]

It is a struggle existing between reflected energy not dissipated as sound, as subtracting temporally and dynamically from succeeding close-strikes ordered by the roll perforations. It is endemic to ALL roll reproductions, and the 'fix' for this is not one easy. Until so-done, the physical predictability will continue to 'tip' their fact of origin. That said, these record-rolls and their playback ARE splendid, serving to reveal very much that was Friedheim, which otherwise to-date has mostly not been. (Also, any that attempt cheeky disparagement of this means of reproduction of pianism from an otherwise inaccessible past, have proven ROCKS where brains should be! Let's talk about it!) :|:

[@AulicExclusiva]

Very convincing performance of a piece that seldom is. Thank you for posting this extraordinary rarity.

[@iianneill6013]

Wonderful! This must surely be one of the earliest recordings of the "Dante Sonata", if not the earliest?

[@pianomaly9859]

I don't know of any earlier, I don't know who made the first disc recording of it.

[@pianomaly9859]

Oh wait...........I do have the recording of it arranged by Constant Lambert for piano and orchestra, for a Dante Sonata ballet. At first when I saw this selection listed on a Naxos cd of performances by Louis Kentner, I was prepared to dislike it, but I found it quite effective. The booklet to the cd informs that this was the only version of the piece available (recorded in 1940) until Gyorgy Sandor recorded the original solo in 1945.

[@xvenepx]

Do you think this the authentic roll-recording? There are no further details shared by the poster and this was thought to have been lost.

[@constelacionencaos6359]

De lujo! 🤘

[@RollaArtis]

Scanning these rolls and using MIDI this is probably as good as one can get, but they can sound much more lifelike on an actual Phonola. I found that the rolls have a problem with the original editing which cannot easily be fixed.

[@gaiusflaminius4861]

He has limped to the end. Amen!

[@xvenepx]

Can anyone verify the authenticity of this? Is this the real roll-recording? Do you know what year has been made and do you have any more details about it. I desperately need it for a written project but i can't use it, unless I am certain it is the real deal. Anyone can ascertain this??

[@composaboi]

1. Read the description. 2. You can tell by the interpretation that this is old. He does many things that no pianist today would do.

[@lunchmind]

Well... I Love Arthur Friedheim . I have an LP of him playing music by Liszt and it's a priceless treasure. But sorry. to my ears, this is a lackluster performance ,plodding along from one phrase to another, with no sense of story or narrative. I gave it a LIKE for its historical value ,but that's it. my favorite recording of this remains the RCA recording by the late David Bar-illan. Much more brilliance and energy.

[@p.a.cthegoldenageofmusic3279]

Some flatness of dinamica Is due to the roll and some inegalite in the fast passages May be wanted by Friedheim or It s a paper disease.Anyway the consecution of tempi Is wonderful and with a perfect formal integrity and tension