Updated recordings from digitized original reproducing piano rolls by VViljanen Dec 1, 2018, mainly from the list https://soundcloud.com/veikko-viljanen/sets/etudes-on-the-roll-revisited

Archive Updates

'Blue Grass' was issued in October 1928 as DuoArt roll number 0561 in the USA or 0906 in the UK. (It would have been recorded in New York). 
Recorded in 2016 by VViljanen and the rec updated Feb 21, 2023 by VV (by permission)from the digitallysimulated reconstructed original reproducing piano roll , using on its playback and rec a modelled Grand Bluethner, modified by VV.
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: Pauline Alpert
Info of the original piano roll:
BLUE GRASS ("Southern" Fox-Trot Song)
Roll Number: 0561, 0561
Composer/Creator: Henderson
Pianist: Alpert
Roll System: Duo-Art
Country: US
Date: October, 1928
Category: dance, popular, song
Original Price: $1.25 (Avg price (between $0.65 and $2.00))
Notes: With words

Henderson: Blue Grass.  Pauline Alpert 1928 on Duo-Art 0561

Arthur Rubinstein Plays in 1920 Claude Debussy: Danse on Duo-Art No. 63549. Recorded 2016 by VV /by oermission)from the digitized copy of the original reproducing piano roll.
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Basic info* of the original piano roll:
DANSE
Roll Number: 6354, 63549
Composer/Creator: Debussy
Pianist: Rubinstein
Roll System: Duo-Art
Country: US
Date: November, 1920
Category: popular, salon
Original Price: $2.25 (Price after 1922)
*source: from The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)

Claude Debussy: Danse. Arthur Rubinstein in 1920 on Duo-Art 63549

E. Robert Schmitz Plays In 1926 Debussy- Menuet, From Suite Bergamasque A - Minor, Ampico 66003.  Recorded in 2016 by VViljanen (by permission)from the digitally simulated reconstructed original reproducing piano roll, using on its playback a modelled Bechstein 1896 grand, tone/sound modified/re-designed by VV. The rfec updated Jan 25, 2023 by VV.
COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED. 
Basic info* of the original piano roll in 1926:
MENUET "Suite Bergamasque" A minor
Roll Number: 66003, 66003H
Composer/Creator: Debussy
Pianist: Schmitz
Roll System: Ampico
Country: US
Date: May, 1926
Category: classical
Original Price: $2.00
Info source: The Plsyer Pisno Group web page (by permission)

Claude Debussy:  Menuet from Suite Bergamasque. E.Robert Schmitz 1926 on Ampico 66003

Clarence Adler plays in 1910's Grieg: Papillions Op.43 No.1, on Ampico 51702.
Recorded in 2016 by VViljanen (by permission)from the digitized copy of the original reproducing piano roll with virtual Grand Bluethner Model One, tone/sound modified/re-designed by VV. The rec updated Dec 19, 2018 by VV.
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED. 
Photo: Edvard Grieg 1843-1907
Basic info* of the original piano roll:
PAPILLON (BUTTERFLY) Op. 43, No. 1
Roll Number: 51702, 51702E
Composer/Creator: Grieg
Pianist: Adler
Roll System: Ampico
Country: US
Date: n/a
Category: classical
Original Price: $1.25
*Info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)

Edvard Grieg: Papillions Op. 43 No 1. Clarence Adler in  1910's on Ampico 51702

Tom Alter plays in 1926  Ray Henderson: Bye  Bye Blackbird, On Duo-Art 713251.
Re-recorded in 2016 by VViljanen (by permission)from  s digitized copy of the original reproducing piano roll with virtual Grand Bluethner Model One, tone/sound modified/designed by VV. The rec updated Dec2018 by VV.
COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED. 
Photo: Blackbird
BYE, BYE, BLACKBIRD ("hot" Fox-Trot Song)
Roll Number: 713251, 713251
Composer/Creator: Henderson
Pianist: Alter
Roll System: Duo-Art
Country: US
Date: August, 1926
Category: dance, popular, song
Original Price: $1.25
Notes: With words

Ray Henderson: Bye  Bye Blackbird,  Tom Alter 1926 on Duo-Art 713251

Rameau - Godowsky: Renaissance No. 6, 'Tambourin'. Nadia Reisenberg in 1925 on Duo-Art 6833.
Recorded 19 July 2017 by VViljanen (by permission) from a digitally simulated reconstructed original reproducing piano roll.
COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED. 
Photo: Nadia Reisenberg 1904-1983
The Basic info* of the original piano roll:
TAMBOURIN (arrangement by Godowsky in his "Renaissance, Twelve Pieces Of Olden Time")
Roll Number: 6833, 68339
Composer/Creator: Rameau
Pianist: Reisenberg
Roll System: Duo-Art
Country: US
Date: January, 1925
Category: popular, salon
Original Price: $2.25
*Roll info source: The Player piano Group web page (by permission)

Rameau - Godowsky: Renaissance No. 6, 'Tambourin'. Nadia Reisenberg in 1925 on Duo-Art 6833

Debussy-Ravel: Afternoon of a Faun. George Copeland 1924 on Ampico 56027 - V.435Hz.
Recorded from digitized origibal reproducing piano roll 27 Nov 2018 by VViljanen.
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: George Copeland 1882-1971  .- More of this legendary pianist: http://www.richard-masters.com/pdf/copeland_isadorables.pdf
The basic info** of the original piano roll:
L'APRES MIDI D'UN FAUNE (AFTERNOON OF A FAUN)
Roll Number: 56027, 56027H
Composer/Creator: Debussy
Pianist: Copeland
Roll System: Ampico
Country: US
Date: n/a
Category: classical, popular
Original Price: $2.00
**source: from The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)
*Re-arrangement from arr.for 4 hands by Maurice Ravel..?? (comment by VV)

Debussy-Ravel*(?): Afternoon of a Faun. George Copeland 1920's on Ampico 56027 - v.435Hz

J.S.Bach: Sarabande. Partita IV In D BWV828. Sergei Rachmaninoff 1926 on Ampico 66483 - v.415Hz, Werckmeister III.
Recorded** from original digitized reproducing piano roll 12 Dec 2018 by VViljanen.
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943
Basic info of the original piano roll:
SARABANDE D major, Partita No. IV
Roll Number: 66483, 66483H
Composer/Creator: Bach
Pianist: Rachmaninoff
Roll System: Ampico
Country: US
Date: September, 1926
Category: classical
Original Price: $2.00
*Info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)
** Recorded with 415Hz  Werckmeister III temperament

J.S.Bach: Sarabande. Partita IV  BWV828. Sergei Rachmaninoff 1926 Ampico 66483

Debussy: La Cathedrale Engloutié. No 10 from Preludes Book I (published in 1910). E. Robert Schmitz in Nov 1927 on Ampico 68293.
Recorded** from digitized original reproducing piano roll 13 Dec 2018 by VViljanen
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: Claude Debussy 1862 - 1918
Basic info* of the original piano roll:
LA CATHEDRALE ENGLOUTIE (THE SUBMERGED CATHEDRAL)
Roll Number: 68293, 68293H
Composer/Creator: Debussy
Pianist: Schmitz
Roll System: Ampico
Country: US
Date: November, 1927
Category: classical, popular
Original Price: $2.00
*Info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)
**Werckmeister III temperament used here...even though this isn't Bach... ;-)

Debussy: La Cathédrale Engloutie. Preludes Bk I No 10. E. Robert Schmitz  Nov 1927 on Ampico 68293

Debussy: Prelude. Suite Bergamasque. E.Robert Schmitz 1926 on Ampico 65991.
Recorded** from digitized original reproducing piano roll 13 Dec 2018 by VViljanen-
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: Claude Debussy 1862 - 1918
Basic info* of the original piano roll:
PRELUDE "Suite Bergamasque" F major
Roll Number: 65991, 65991H
Composer/Creator: Debussy
Pianist: Schmitz
Roll System: Ampico
Country: US
Date: May, 1926
Category: classical
Original Price: $2.00
*Info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)
**Werckmeister III temperament (with 415Hz) used here...even though this isn't Bach... ;-)

Debussy: Prelude. Suite Bergamasque. E.Robert Schmitz 1926 on Ampico 65991

Recorded** from digitized original reproducing piano roll 13 Dec 2018 by VViljanen
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: Claude Debussy 1862 - 1918
Basic info* of the original piano roll:
TOCCATA C sharp minor
Roll Number: 68661, 68661H
Composer/Creator: Debussy
Pianist: Schmitz
Roll System: Ampico
Country: US
Date: March, 1928
Category: classical
Original Price: $2.00
*Info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)
**Werckmeister III temperament (with 415Hz) used here...

Claude Debussy: Toccata. Pour Le Piano. E.Robert Schmitz 1928 on Ampico 68661

J.S.Bach-Liszt: Prelude & Fugue in A Minor BWV543/S.462. E.Robert Schmitz 1925 on Ampico 65043.
c Recorded** from digitized original reproducing piano roll 13 Dec 2018 by VViljanen. The rec updated on Dec 17, 2018 by VV --> version/take 5 (Grotrian, Werckmeister III, 415Hz).
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: E.Robert Schmitz 1889-1949 (Getty Images)
Basic info* of the original piano roll:
PRELUDE AND FUGUE A minor, Suite 1, No. 1
Roll Number: 65043, 65043H
Composer/Creator: Bach, Liszt
Pianist: Schmitz
Roll System: Ampico
Country: US
Date: October, 1925
Category: classical
Original Price: $2.00
*Info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)
**Werckmeister III temperament (with 415Hz) used here...

J.S.Bach-Liszt: Prelude & Fugue in A Minor BWV543/S.462. E.Robert Schmitz 1925 on Ampico 65043

Claude Debussy: Reflets Dans L'Eau. George Copeland 1919 on Ampico 61549.
Recordedd from digitized original reproducing piano roll 15 Dec 2018 by VViljanen.
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: George Copeland (1882-1971) in 1918
Basic Info* of the original piano roll:
REFLECTIONS IN THE WATER (Reflets dans l'eau) from "Images", No. 1
Roll Number: 6154, 61549
Composer/Creator: Debussy
Pianist: Copeland
Roll System: Duo-Art
Country: US
Date: June, 1919
Category: popular, salon
Original Price: $2.25 (Price after 1922)
*Info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)

Claude Debussy: Reflets Dans L'Eau. George Copeland 1919 on Ampico 61549

Claude Debussy: L'Isle Joyeuse. Arthur Rubinstein 1925 on Duo-Art 6834.
Recorded from original digitized reproducing piano roll Dec 18, 2018 by VViljanen. 
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982) with his wife Nela
Basic info* of the original piano roll:
L'ISLE JOYEUSE (The Island Of Joy) (Joyous Isle)
Roll Number: 6834, 6834-4
Composer/Creator: Debussy
Pianist: Rubinstein
Roll System: Duo-Art
Country: US
Date: January, 1925
Category: popular, salon
Original Price: $3.00
*info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)

Claude Debussy: L'Isle Joyeuse. Arthur Rubinstein 1925 on Duo-Art 6834.

Claude Debussy: Prelude A Minor. Pour Le Piano. E. Robert Scmitz 1924 On Ampico 63843.
Recorded from digitized original reproducing piano roll Dec 18, 2018 by VViljanen.
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: Elie Robert Schmitz (b. February 8, 1889, Paris, France, d. September 5, 1949, San Francisco, California) was a Franco-American pianist and composer. He studied with Louis-Joseph Diémer at the Conservatoire de Paris where he won First Prize in Piano. He caught the attention of Camille Saint-Saëns and Vincent D'Indy while directing the Association Musicale Moderne et Artistique (later renamed L'Association de Concerts Schmitz), which gave the world premiere of Debussy's Première rhapsodie, Roussel's Evocations, Le Flem's Crépuscules d'amour, and Milhaud's Suite Symphonique. Schmitz lead the Association from 1912 until 1914. 
Schmitz toured the United States in 1919, and the following year, founded the Franco-American Music Society in New York. The Society incorporated as Pro Musica in 1923.
Schmitz published a system of piano study, The Capture of Inspiration, in 1935. His book, The Piano works of Claude Debussy, a technical analysis with commentary, was published after his death, in 1950. Schmitz recorded the entire Debussy Preludes, Book I, released in the LP era on the Camden label (CAL-179), a product of Radio Corporation of America. Among his notable pupils was the composer Samuel Dolin.
Basic info* of the original piano roll:
PRELUDE A minor
Roll Number: 63843, 63843G
Composer/Creator: Debussy
Pianist: Schmitz
Roll System: Ampico
Country: US
Date: December, 1924
Category: classical
Original Price: $1.75
*Info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)

Claude Debussy: Prelude A Minor. Pour Le Piano. E. Robert Schmitz 1924 on Ampico 63843

Debussy Collines d'Anacapri. Preludes Book I. Wynne Pyle ca 1917 on Ampico 53104.
Recorded from digitized original reproducing piano roll Dec 19, 2018 by VViljanen.
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: Wynne Pyle (1881-1971) American concert pianist
Basic info* of the original piano roll:
LES COLLINES D'ANACAPRI (THE HILLS OF ANACAPRI) "Prelude"
Roll Number: 53104, 53104G
Composer/Creator: Debussy
Pianist: Pyle
Roll System: Ampico
Country: US
Date: n/a
Category: classical, popular
Original Price: $1.75
*Info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)

Claude Debussy: Collines d'Anacapri. Preludes Bk I. Wynne Pyle ca 1917 on Ampico 53104

Ray Henderson: The  Varsity Drag (from Good News). Alan Moran 1927 on Duo-Art 713451.
Recorded from digitized original reproducing piano roll by VViljanen Dec 28, 2018.
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: DeSylva-Brown-Henderson The Varsity Drag  sheet music cover page.
Basic info of the original piano roll:
The VARSITY DRAG from "Good News" (Fox-Trot Song)
Roll Number: 713451, 713451
Composer/Creator: Henderson
Pianist: Moran
Roll System: Duo-Art
Country: US
Date: December, 1927
Category: dance, popular, song
Original Price: $1.25
Notes: With words
*Info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)

Ray Henderson: The  Varsity Drag (from Good News). Alan Moran 1927 on Duo-Art 713451

Arthur Hinton: Fireflies (Scherzo No 3 from 'A Summer Pilgrimage In The White Mountains'. Katharine Goodson 1920 on Duo-Art 6322.
Recorded from digitized original reproducing piano roll by VViljanen Dec 28, 2018.
ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED.
Photo: Katharine Goodson (1872-1958) in 1907,. was an English pianist.
Born in Watford, Goodson studied the piano at the Royal Academy of Music in London; she also worked with Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna. Her London debut took place on 16 January 1897. The tours of Europe which followed placed her in the front rank of British female pianists of the era. Goodson made her American debut on 18 January 1907, appearing as soloist with the Boston Symphony in a concert in the orchestra's home city.. . - - Already At 12, having already made several appearances in the English provinces, she entered the Royal Academy of Music, studying under Oscar Beringer between 1886 and 1892. After an invitation to play for the renowned pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski, she was introduced to his former teacher Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna, himself once a student of Beethoven's own friend and pupil, Carl Czerny. Goodson spent four years studying with Leschetizky and despite having previously lost out on a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, her performance of the Tschaikowsky Concerto halfway through her studies so impressed Leschestizky that he refused to take any payment for her final two years. 
Arthur Hinton (1869-1941) was an English composer, and the husband of Katharine Goodson.
Basic info of the original piano roll:

*Info source: The Piano Player Group web page (by permission)

Arthur Hinton: Fireflies (Scherzo). Katharine Goodson 1920 on Duo-Art 6322

Louis a. Hirsch Hirsch:The Wedding Glide. Merrigan In 1910's On Welte 3545
Recorded from digitized original reproducing piano roll by VViljanen Dec 27, 2018. ANY 
 KIND OF COMMERCIAL USE PROHIBITED:
Photo  Wedding Glide sheet musiic cover
Original piano roll info*: not available.

Louis A. Hirsch: The Wedding Glide. Merrigan ca 1912 on Welte 3545

Hupfeld: Sing Something Simple. Ruth Ferguson 1932 on Duo-Art 01011
Recorded from digitized original reproducing piano roll by VViljanen 28 Dec, 2018. (Lyrics** added Feb 22, 2019).
Photo: Play Something Simple cover page 
Info* of the original roll:
SING SOMETHING SIMPLE from "The Second Little Show" (Fox-Trot)
Roll Number: 01011, 01011
Composer/Creator: Hupfeld
Pianist: Ferguson
Roll System: Duo-Art
Country: UK
Date: by June, 1932
Category: dance, popular
Original Price: n/a
*Info source: The Piano Player Group Web page (by permission)
***LYRICS:
SING SOMETHING SIMPLE
from 1930 New York review "The Second Little Show"
(Herman Hupfield 1930)
as recorded by Maxine Sullivan
August 22nd 1939 New York

Sing something simple,
A little ditty that's sweet and simple;
You'll get the swing of it soon,
For here's a tune
That any child can sing.

"D" stands for dimple,
The words are silly, the song is simple,
And after hearing it once,
The dumbest dunce
Can memorise the thing.

Do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do, you can't go wrong;
All say it's bound to sound like some other song!

But lord knows, it's simple,
So get together and let's be simple!
I don't know whether or not you knew
They called it "classic I love you!".

Sing something simple,
It doesn't make any sense, it's simple.
It says a man in the moon
Will marry soon,
George Washington is here!

"D" stands for dimple,
Without the "s" we could not be simple.
I know a fellow who threads a needle now
Without a piece of thread!

Do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do, you can't go wrong;
Do-ti-la-sol-fa-mi-re-do, a silly song!

But lord knows, it's simple,
So let's get together and let's be simple!
And when you've finished that song,
You're through, that's why
They call it "I love you!".
(Transcribed by Peter Akers - December 2013)

Hupfeld: Sing Something Simple. Ruth Ferguson 1932 on Duo-Art 01011

My warmest thanks to everyone stopping by for listening to my tracks, the most of the representing a  'REVIEW   OF THE PAST TIME PIANISTS' INTERPRETATIONS ON THE HISTORICAL PIANO ROLLS, and in addition to them, also to a minor but growing  LISTS of MY MY OWN RENDITIONS, all of the latter representing a variety of piano music, & some pipe-organ classics, - and  TO THE Growing LISTS OF (just lately done and reproduced)  TRANSCRIPTIONS OF VARIOUS CHAMBER MUSIC CLASSICAL PEARLS FOR TWO PIANOS.
A HEADSET IS RECOMMENDED for optimal sound experience!
This kind of 'touching' on these old pre-sound-rec. era works by the great performers of the past, and giving my sound to these old 'punch rolls',  makes me feel  deep humbleness, .and I wish that this modest attempt to bring these  performances alive will satisfy you listening to them!
To introduce myself...
I am a Finnish M.D., PhD. and Hand Surgeon (now retired), previously when young with 10 years of professionally orientated piano studies at Turku Conservatory in 1965-1975, partly  along with medical University studies. 
The digital sound techniques have become very familiar to me already from 1980's along with my university research work  
and my musical activities.
As continuation to my musical and professional experience, I have, during the last few years of my retirement, adopted a music historical challenge
to bring the past time major and minor pianists, prior to sound-recording era, onto the same 'start line' with the present pianists, by making their presentations, played onto 'punch rolls' i.e. piano rolls, audible with modern digital techniques. This wouldn't be possible without the pioneering  efforts of Richard Stibbons, Wayne Stahnke, Terry Smythe, Warren Trachtman, Spencer Chase, and others, who developed the optical digitizing techniques of the piano rolls, and digitized them.

The main part of my recordings here in SC consists of selection recorded by me from optically digitized piano-rolls** (from 1910's on or earlier, classical and 'vintage era'). These recordings of mine are not and will not be commercially unavailable. - The rolls were first optically scanned and converted into a digital form by diverse operators** (see also to the info of each piece). The pieces here were partly (minor part) picked from various open net sources, publicly available, but mainly from the huge archive (n=ca.5000) of digitized copies copies of the original reproducing piano rolls, made available to me by one of the pioneers of roll digitizing tehchniques (willing to keep anonymous), and then recorded from this archive mainly with virtual grand piano (called by me 'Bluethner Model One') modified/re-designed by me, as well as the rec settings. 
Also a minor selection of my own renditions among my records can be found here, included on my playlist 'Bach Goes Virtual', the name of the list telling something about the techniques used for getting the end result... The list includes various organ works by J.S.Bach and others, and also a few piano renditions of mine. Then there are included also various pieces which have been in my repertoire, but here played mainly by the  'guest' great players of the past (before the sound recording era).
MY MOST HUMBLE THANKS TO THE NOBLE DONOR  OF THIS INVALUABLE PIANO ROLL MATERIAL FOR MY USE!!!
My Sincere Thanks also to The Player Piano Group, UK, for providing me their permission to use the information about the piano rolls collected and provided on their web page ( https://rolls.playerpianogroup.org.uk ),  and for simplifying my short historical presentations of these renditions on their re-publication here!
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MY MOST HUMBLE THANKS TO EVERYONE  OF YOU FOR LISTENING, AND FOR YOUR 'LIKES' & COMMENTS !
YOUR LISTENING & FEEDBACK IS TRULY APPRECIATED..!!.
Use of good headphones or speakers will make your music experience more enjoyable!
Best wishes, all the best
Veikko
These recordings are not commercially available, and ANY KIND OF THEIR COMMERCIAL USE IS PROHIBITED.

Archive Updates

Veikko Viljanen