'Concert: The Steinway Duo-Art' the Latest CD from Craig Brougher
This CD contains the following selections:
Annes De Pelerinage D/A Roll #5724
Goin to Heaven on a Mule D/A Roll #0968
Maiden's Wish D/A Roll #6594
Jealous D/A Roll #713010
Hungarian Rhapsody#12 D/A Roll #6139
Tea For Two
Valencia D/A Roll #713244
Tico Tico, D/A Roll by Henderson
Who D/A Roll #713194
Rondo Capriccioso D/A Roll #6119
Leggierezza D/A Roll #6157
Limehouse Blues D/A Roll #19855
Rhapsody In Blue D/A Roll #90033
Prelude in C# minor D/A Roll #5804-5
From a letter written to the Mechanical Music Digest
This is so good that I just have to tell everyone!!
Today I discovered a tool that every Duo-Art owner, player piano rebuilder, and service technician should own.
Craig Brougher has just finished a new CD of player piano music. The piano he used is a Steinway Art Case/w Duo-Art which he recently finished rebuilding. It's a stunning piano. To see a picture of the piano: click here
What makes this CD so valuable as a tool is that it:
1) Proves beyond any doubt that these instruments are, as I've known for many years, capable of producing exquisite music.
2) Eliminates the need to demonstrate to an owner how the instrument "should sound" by playing the piano manually.
3) Gives every rebuilder and/or technician a bench mark, or goal with regards to the work they do for others.
So that you can actually hear what I'm talking about, I've put up a few very short MP3 files (see below). They are rather large because they are CD quality. Each file demonstrates a particular facet of a fine musical performance, and the CD is loaded with fourteen complete performances. The total running time is 68.4 minutes.
(Signed) John A. Tuttle
From a Player Piano Technician to Mr. Brougher
Some other "good words" involve your 'Concert' CD.
Today, while on my way to a customer's home about an hour from here, I had the opportunity to listen to the CD uninterrupted. It's really excellent. And, as it so happens, the piano I was on my way to service/tune a Weber Duo-Art that was supposedly "professionally restored" about two years ago.
Unfortunately, it failed every test on the test roll. What is really sad was the repetition. In the Duo-Art 'Off' position, about 50% of the notes did not repeat properly. In the Duo-Art 'On' position, some of the notes didn't even sound. So I explained some of the possible problems to the customer and asked if he would like to hear a Duo-Art that works correctly. Well.... He was very impressed!
He said he would like to buy a copy of the CD and any other CD's of Duo-Art or Ampico rolls you might wish to sell.... :-)
The only sad part of this story is that the gentleman said he's "satisfied" with the Duo-Art system the way it is..... ;-(
However, as I was leaving, and after scheduling a future piano tuning, I got the impression, by a few of the things he asked about, that listening to the performances on the CD had had a definite impact on his appreciation for the capabilities of the Duo-Art Reproducing System. So, I might end up getting a few hours work out of the deal.
The point is: the CD proves beyond any doubt that a properly rebuilt and regulated/calibrated Duo-Art system (and it's associated piano) are totally capable of "re-enacting the artist". The CD has now become a new tool which I will use to demonstrate the caliber of music that I would like to hear coming from a customer's piano!! No longer will I have to try to explain the capabilities of the mechanism by playing the piano manually!
