Notes and Editorial Reviews
The recordings on this disc are of Rachmaninov's reproducing piano rolls as electronically translated for the Bösendorfer 290SE by Wayne Stahnke.
Sergei Rachmaninov was one of the piano superstars of his day. His technique--which was displayed best in his own works--was awesome, but even more important, his musicianship was of the highest caliber. Many historical accounts confirm this, but we also have Rachmaninov's legacy of recordings that corroborate the words which were written about him. Unfortunately, up until now these recordings were of an inferior quality. All too often, background noise and damaged tape prevented us from hearing the music as it was performed.
That has now changed. Wayne Stahnke found a way to translate
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the old Rachmaninov piano rolls onto a computer. He then modified a Bösendorfer piano to "read" these rolls, thus re-creating Rachmaninov's performances with perfect clarity and a fullness of sound never achieved before. These piano rolls were not simply a chart of the notes, but were coded to re-create the precise shading, pedaling, and articulation of the performer. The result is fantastic. A WINDOW IN TIME is like staring into a once-clouded crystal ball and seeing Rachmaninov for the master that he was, and now always will be. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Morceaux de fantaisies (5), Op. 3: no 2, Prélude in C sharp minor by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1892; Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 3 Minutes 41 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on March 17, 1919.
2.
Songs (12), Op. 21: no 5, Lilacs by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1902; Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center, CA
Length: 2 Minutes 27 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninov recorded the piano roll of this selection on April 6, 1922.
3.
Tale of Tsar Saltan: Suite, Op. 57 - Flight of the bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1903; Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 1 Minutes 11 Secs.
Notes: Transcribed: Sergei Rachmaninov
Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on February 1, 1929.
4.
Morceaux de fantaisies (5), Op. 3: no 1, Elégie in E flat minor by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1892; Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 4 Minutes 25 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on April 4, 1928.
5.
Morceaux (7) de salon, Op. 10: no 3, Barcarolle in G minor by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1893-1894; Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 3 Minutes 51 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on March 17, 1919.
6.
Transcription of Kreisler's "Liebesfreud" for piano by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Post-Romantic
Written: 1921; Austria
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 6 Minutes 54 Secs.
Notes: Transcribed: Sergei Rachmaninov
Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on December 22, 1925.
7.
Liebesleid by Fritz Kreisler
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Austria
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 4 Minutes 15 Secs.
Notes: Transcribed: Sergei Rachmaninov
Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on April 6, 1922.
8.
Morceaux de fantaisies (5), Op. 3: no 3, Mélodie in E major by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 4 Minutes 12 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on March 17, 1919.
Composition written: Russia (1892).
Composition revised: 1940.
9.
Etudes-tableaux (9) for Piano, Op. 39: no 4 in B minor by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1916-1917; Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 3 Minutes 46 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on March 27, 1928.
10.
Die schöne Müllerin, D 795/Op. 25: no 2, Wohin? by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1823; Vienna, Austria
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 2 Minutes 15 Secs.
Notes: Transcribed: Sergei Rachmaninov
Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on December 22, 1925.
11.
Morceaux de fantaisies (5), Op. 3: no 4, Polichinelle in F sharp minor by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1892; Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 3 Minutes 39 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on March 17, 1919.
12.
Lachtäubchen (Behr) "Polka de W.R." by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1911
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 4 Minutes 8 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninoff recorded this piano roll on March 17, 1919.
13.
Preludes (10) for Piano, Op. 23: no 5 in G minor, Alla marcia by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1901; Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 3 Minutes 34 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on March 17, 1919.
14.
Morceaux de fantaisies (5), Op. 3: no 5, Sérénade in B flat minor by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1892; Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 3 Minutes 7 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninov recorded the piano roll of this selection on April 13, 1923.
15.
L'arlésienne: Suite no 1 - 2nd movement, Menuet by Georges Bizet
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1872; France
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 2 Minutes 36 Secs.
Notes: Transcribed: Sergei Rachmaninov
Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on April 6, 1922
16.
Sorochintsy fair: Hopak by Modest Mussorgsky
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 1 Minutes 47 Secs.
Notes: Transcribed: Sergei Rachmaninov
Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on March 5, 1921.
Composition written: Russia (1874 - 1880).
17.
Etudes-tableaux (9) for Piano, Op. 39: no 6 in A minor by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1916-1917; Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 2 Minutes 34 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on March 5, 1921.
18.
Morceaux (7) de salon, Op. 10: no 5, Humoresque in G major by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1893-1894; Russia
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 3 Minutes 47 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninoff recorded the piano roll of this selection on March 17, 1919.
19.
The Star-spangled Banner by John Stafford Smith
Performer:
Sergei Rachmaninov (Player Piano)
Period: Classical
Written: by 1814
Date of Recording: 08/27/1996
Venue: Thousand Oaks Arts Center, Los Angeles
Length: 1 Minutes 25 Secs.
Notes: Rachmaninov recorded the piano roll of this selection on March 17, 1919.
Arranger: Sergei Rachmaninov.
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 
( 1 Customer Review )
A Big Window June 10, 2014
By Albert B. (Conshohocken, PA) See All My Reviews
"To me this is like a link to an historic event. I don't know the technical methods used in this process but allows me to experience a connection as though I attended an actual concert. It reminded me of when I first head George Gershwin's piano rolls but in a modern venue. Four stars only because five stars are reserved for that certain recording I have yet to hear."
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