SUPREMACY OF THE PIANOLA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 223, 26 January 1911, Page 8

SUPREMACY OF THE PIANOLA

THE STANDARD PIANO-PLAYER. J There was landed yesterday to the order of the local warehouse of the British and Continental Piano Company the finest pianola-piano that has ever been imported into New Zealand. The instrument, which is a Steck, of the latest model, is a very handsome one, the design and the excellence of the case alone attracting considerable attention. But it is when the instrument is opened and pperated that the attention is really riveted, for the new Steck pianola-piano lias the fulness and richness of a concern grand. The term pianola-piano may need some explanation—it is a piano and pianola in the one instrument, and can be used either with the keyboard as a piano for sheet music, or as a pianola for rendering from the roll some of the world's greatest compositions, which none but the world's greatest pianists can hope to interpret without the aid of this tliemodist and metrosyle pianola —the tliemodist being the attachment (patented and protected by the makers of this instrument) for bringing out the melody, and the metrosyle for varying the tempo at will. Musicians of the calibre of Strauss, Greig, Paderewski, and Mozkowski have recorded their interpretations on pianola rolls, and this is only explainable on the ground that they thoroughly believe in the artistic merit of the instrument. Their marking indicates to the pianola purchaser or user how, in their opinion, the different selections should be played, and the rest is easy. This brings home impressively the enormous power for instruction and entertainment that the ownership of a pianola represents. Think of playing the piano under the personal guidance of these masters of music. The tliemodist is the result of yeai» and years of ex-! periment and invention, all aimed at the production of a device to bring out the theme or melody of a tiompositon, at the same time subduing the accompaniment or notes of secondary importance. It gives the air or melody its due promin- . ence, just as the voice of a singer sounds clearly above the instrumental accompaniment. This device is attached only to the pianola and pianola-piano. j A simple word of caution is necessary. Owing to the supremacy of the pianola) some people have got the idea that any kind of piano-player may be called a I pianola. This is not a fact. There is hut one genuine pianola, the name of which appears on the fall-board, and for which the sole agent is the British and Continental Piano Company, Mr. Hoffmann being the local manager. Whenever it is not merely a question of price, but of securing the best instrument of its type, the pianola is always selected. This Steck Pianola-piano, the finest instrument of its class ever seen in New Plymouth, may be inspected for a day or two at the warehouse in Devon street.