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Concert program for a performance by Polish pianist, composer and politician Ignacy Jan Paderewski. The performance included works by Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin and Liszt.
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PADEREWSKI ON THE STEINWAY PIANO "The Instrument of the Immortals" City Auditorium :: Portland, Ore. Thursday, March 20th, 1924 From a painting (copyright) in the Steinway collection. PADEREWSKI AT HIS STEINWAY STEINWAY The Instrument of the Immortals an appreciation by ignace j. paderewski THE supreme qualities of the Steinway piano have been for many years universally recognized. Musicians and the musical public have long regarded it as the standard of perfection. It would seem from this that the summit had been reached, for with the attainment of perfection progress is stopped. And yet, in the case of the Steinway, this law of nature seems to have been defied. I feel obliged to declare, upon revisiting Steinway Hall after an absence of many years, and I do most emphatically declare, that an astonishing progress has been achieved. To the former qualities, now magnified and intensified, an entirely new quality has been added, one which once was considered almost incompatible with the character of tone—an easy, light, surprisingly agreeable action. Another thing—I have tested a very large number of Steinway Concert Grands, and I have not been able to choose any one of them as the best, because all are best .... There is something in the history of the Steinway family to bring joy to the heart of every one who is devoted to his profession. The Steinway piano is an unmistakable product of love of profession, and to it I pay my tribute of high esteem and admiration." the foremost living pianists prefer the steinway Paderewski Rachmaninoff , Hofmann Friedman Cortot Grainger Ganz Schelling Powell Hutcheson and countless others Program I Fantasia and Fugue, G Minor......Bach-Liszt II. Andante con variazioni...............Haydn III. Sonata, Op. 57.....................Beethoven Allegro Assai Andante Allegro ma non troppo Presto IV. Variations on a Theme by Paganini... .Brahms V. Ballade, A flat, Op. 47 Nocturne, D flat, Op. Z7 Mazurka, F sharp minor, Op. 59 Etude, G flat, No. 9, Op. 15 ... Valse, Op. 42 Chopin VI. Don Juan Fantasia Mozart-Liszt Management George Engles Northwest Tour Direction Steers & Coman AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALL LOVERS OF GREAT MUSIC YOU are hearing Paderewski, the master, tonight. You are hearing him on the Steinway piano. This Steinway that you see and hear tonight must be played by human hands. If human hands do not play it, no melody comes forth. And when Paderewski gets up and leaves this keyboard, Paderewski's playing will cease to flow from this particular Steinway piano. Now imagine for a moment that Paderewski has left this keyboard and stepped down from the stage—yes, has left this building altogether. Yet imagine a Steinway piano still giving forth Paderewski's playing, with Paderewski vanished—with nobody at all at the keys. Such a thing is possible. The dream of centuries has come true. Music, instead of escaping like perfume from a vial, has been caught—preserved—as miraculously as if Pag-anini's violin continued pouring forth forever the compositions that Paganini played, though his bow has long been broken. What the violin by itself cannot do, the piano today can do. It can continue to make melody forever, uttering the majestic chords and wondrous music that Paderewski is giving us tonight. To accomplish this, however, the Steinway that you see would require the incorporation into it of a reproducing feature. Such a mechanism has actually been perfected. It is called the "Duo-Art" feature. By means of this feature, and the special Duo-Art rolls which Paderewski has created, a piano can give forth Paderewski's melody at any desired moment. You can hear this miracle in many modern homes, or at Sherman, Clay & Co.'s. This, then, is Sherman, Clay & Co.'s invitation to you, extending to you an opportunity to hear the great Pader- ewski again, without any cost to yourself, or any obligation of any kind. A date and hour will gladly be arranged when you, with a group of your friends, can enjoy the mighty art of Paderewski, and of Hofmann, Cortot, Novaes, Bauer, Gabrilowitsch, Busoni, Grainger, Ganz, Friedman, and nearly all the other great geniuses of the piano, including even Saint-Saens, who is now gone. Moreover, the playing that you will hear in Sherman, Clay & Co.'s Duo-Art recital room will be the exact playing of these great musicians. Paderewski, who is with us tonight, endorses the Duo-Art's fidelity and acknowledges it the worthy mirror of his art. Read what he says about the Duo-Art's purpose on another page of this book. One word of warning. Years ago, when the reproducing piano was still a novelty to the masters themselves, Paderewski and several other musicians made some rolls for a foreign manufacturer. Copies of these rolls were subsequently transferred by the foreign manufacturer to an American company. The purchasers "adapted" the rolls to their own device. This "adaptation" was done without authority of Paderewski and his fellow artists. Such rolls are not the self-authorized playing of these great artists. They are not the Duo-Art rolls. The only American rolls made by Paderewski, Hofmann, Cortot and Bauer (four artists whose names most frequently have been used) are Duo-Art rolls. Moreover, the Duo-Art rolls will not play on any other than a Duo-Art reproducing mechanism, incorporated in one of the following six pianofortes: Steinway, Weber, Aeolian, Steck, Wheelock, or Stroud. Today, at the top of their powers, nearly all the great masters of the piano make Duo-Art rolls, and make Duo-Art rolls only. The mighty Paderewski is so satisfied that the Duo-Art is, at last, the realized dream of centuries, that he has recently entered into a new contract to make none but Duo-Art rolls for life. Most of us cannot afford three pianos, and it is an interesting fact that the marvelous Duo-Art feature still leaves its pianoforte playable by hand; or playable, if you wish, by any of the standard, 88-note rolls that are on the market. The Duo-Art feature must, of course, be built into the pianoforte from the beginning. The whole story of the Duo-Art is inspiring and tremendous, but has been sketched here only briefly. Whether or not you want to hear more about it, you will certainly want to hear Paderewski's music again. A way has been prepared for giving you this enjoyment. Be sure to express this desire by communicating with Sherman, Clay & Co. Your friends will also be welcomed at the recital which will be arranged for you. An important statement by Paderewski concerning music tolls bearing his name November I, 1922. My attention has been called to the fact that the manufacturers of certain reproducing pianos are advertising rolls bearing my name for use with their instruments. In justice to myself and for the protection of the public I deem it necessary to make the following statement: I have never played for any American reproducing instrument other than the Duo-Art. Some fifteen or sixteen years ago I recorded in Germany for a German instrument. Since then I have never made a music roll record of my playing except for the Aeolian Company, and, because in my opinion, their remarkable instrument, the Duo-Art, is far superior to all other reproducing pianos, I have entered a life agreement to record exclusively for that instrument. (Signed) I. J. Paderewski. Paderewski, in common with practically every other supreme musical genius, is available in Victor records. You will be delighted with the Victor records made by Paderewski which the master himself designates as most clearly demonstrating the leadership of Victor in its chosen field: 6230 —Cracovienne Fantastique, Paderewski; Valse in A flat, Chopin, $2.00 6231— Maiden's Wish, The, Chopin-Liszt; Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 10, Liszt, $2.00 6232— Nocturne in B flat, Paderewski; Minuet in G, Paderewski, $2.00 6233 — N in F major, Chopin; Nocturn in F sharp major, Chopin, $2.00 62342 sharp minor, Chopin; Polonaise Militaire, Chopin, $2.00 We shall be pleased to play Paderewski's records for you on the Victrola. Sherman, Clay & Co. Everything in Music Sixth & Morrison Sts., Opp. Postoffice PORTLAND
Extent
- 8 pages
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Public domain (this work is believed to be free of known restrictions under copyright law).
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- XXtxt_000146
Type
Date.Created
March 20, 1924
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