Summer Music Festival, Tuesday 9th August 12-12.50pm

Name: Michael Broadway

Instrument: Pianola

An in-person and live-streamed concert, free admission. Livestream link here - https://youtu.be/FxaF6KbV78Y

Programme:

Three English Dances Op.11                                          Roger Quilter

 Allegro giocoso - Allegro scherzoso - Allegro non troppo ma con spirito                                                                                                                                             

The Towing-Path                                                            John Ireland                                                        

Miniature Suite                                                               York Bowen

 I. Humoresque. II. Nocturne.  III. Scherzo                                                                     

Javanese Pepper Dance                                                   Josef Holbrooke                                                                            

Two "Pierrot" Pieces Op.35                                            Cyril Scott

No. 1. Lento (Pierrot triste)   No.2. Allegro molto scherzando (Pierrot gai)

Sentimentals No.1. Colonial Song                                  Percy Grainger

Shepherd's Hey (Specially arranged by the Composer for the Pianola)                                                                                         

Biography

Michael Broadway has made a study of Pianola performance for over thirty years, and has played at the Purcell Room, the Barbican, St Paul’s Cathedral, St John’s Smith Square and  Symphony Hall Birmingham, as well as broadcasting on Radio 3, Radio 4 and BBC1. Concerts abroad include Rome, Prague, Budapest, and in Venice for La Biennale di Venezia.

This afternoon he is playing his Orchestrelle Company ‘Push-Up’ Pianola of 1914, coupled to the church’s piano. Many would think this no different from listening to a CD; simply switch it on and it plays. Reproducing pianos such as the Duo-Art or the Ampico certainly do this, as they are operated by an electric motor, but the music rolls for those instruments have been recorded by a pianist, and therefore contain all dynamic and tempo changes encoded into the paper music roll.

Here we have something different. The rolls being played today were made as direct transcriptions of the musical score, note for note on to graph paper in a mathematical and mechanical way, and require the intervention of a player to coax a musical performance from the bare notes. If the roll were simply set going, all that would result would be an  a tempo rendition played at the same volume throughout, and the use of the pedals and levers on the instrument assist the player in avoiding this. Thus it is possible to explore the entire dynamic range of the piano being played, as well as subtle nuances of  tempo rubato.

Today’s performance, as with all live music, will be unique; in the hands (and feet) of another player, the same music could sound completely different.

For more information please visit www.pianola-part.freeuk.com