MECHANICAL MUSIC AT COMPETITIONS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19851, 12 February 1930, Page 13

MECHANICAL MUSIC AT COMPETITIONS.

TO THE! EMTOB OF THT PEBSB. Sir,—l. found in the November Issue of the "Musical Times, '>> the following paragraph:. "A mew departure wll be made at the next year's Wimbledon Festival by the inclusion of classes for solo-playing and song accompaniment on the pianola." It is rather - interesting in view, of the controversy taking place a,t the present time over the inclusion of a ; similar contest in the, forthcoming Christchurch Competitions. It must require a certain amount of skill, and certainly artistic qualifications, to give a good rendering on the player piano, when such a musical authority as Mr Ernest Newman writes a book on the subject. So many interpretations .of roll music can be given, that the playing of contestants should be extremely interesting, if from no other but from an interpretative standpoint.—Tours, etc., EXPRESSION. . February 10th, 1930.

TO THE UUTOS OT TH* PMSS. Sir,—Your correspondent ■ '.'Wondering" has been good enough to express disagreement with the Christchurch -Competitions Society's: decision to, include -player-piano items in its programme at the forthcoming competitions. -The- opinion is also shared brothers, including your" musical corres pondent, "Strad." As a player-enthu-siast I am little concerned'.with the comparisons of intrinsic value of the prizes provided for the various items, instrumental and vocal. I was under the delusion that the honour in excelling was suiffictent, but I do resent the light ,manner:in which anything pertaining to the "pianola" is referred to by "Wondering." It is all very fine to speak of a "mechanical" instrument; as a matter of fact, the player is the highest evolution of mechanical musical instruments which include the piano, organ, and almost all instruments which are not plucked by the fingers direct. or produced by the variation of th<? volume of air, introduced by the lungs, through the lips. In the pianola scientific and mechanical ingenuity has been introduced to facilitate the produettou of piano music, mechanical if you like. but I maintain that there is as much art in interpreting the composer by means of the. player-piano, as in the interpretation of the poet by the elocutionist. "Wondering" speaks of the "legitimate" pianist in opposition to the performer on the "pianola." He speaks of the "legitimate" pianist' spending years in acquiring his facility; well, the legitimate pianist is. really fortunate to have the opportunty and' the time. Unfortunately, for various reasons, a large portion of the community have had to occupy their youth in other directions, either in study or gaining a livelihood, and in some cases in both, yet although instruction in theory, technique, counterpoint, etc., are thus denied, the much-maligned player-piano or "pianola" comes to the rescue, and gives those of us who hav6 been les3 fortunate, an opportunity to express ourselves as" artistically, as we know how, and our performance, in most cases compares very favouraMv With the "legitimate" pianist.—Yours, etc.. ICONOCLAST. February 11th, UJ3O.