Edison's Piano

[Torjazzer]

No, not the title of a pretentious novel. A question: Edison had a Lauter concert grand piano but was this the instrument used for the Rachmaninoff sessions of 1919?
I've heard the recordings and they don't sound like those of an upright.

[52089]

Multiple Internet sources, mostly re-quoting and/or paraphrasing each other, indicate that the piano was an upright.

[Torjazzer]

Multiple Internet sources, mostly re-quoting and/or paraphrasing each other, indicate that the piano was an upright.

I've always heard the same. However I now run into the same 'information' as found here:

http://aepiano.ca/index.php/history-of- ... 689-lauter

[Torjazzer]

I also found this
https://books.google.ca/books?id=laWQBQ ... CCAQ6AEwAg

[larryh]

Just from hearing a lot of various Edison classical recordings I would say that the tonal quality most likely is that of a grand piano. Some of the pop things seem to be a upright due to the sound.

Larry

[wjw]

I don't imagine that Rachmaninoff would have recorded playing on Edison's upright.
To my ear Victor did a better job recording him.

[Lenoirstreetguy]

It's pretty certain that Edison did use an upright for the Rachmaninoff recordings. Edison lost Rachmaninoff to Victor for two main reasons: Rachmaninoff's dissatisfaction with the upright piano and the fact that the company issued recordings from masters that Rachmaninoff hadn't approved. He was very fussy that way. I wrote about this in an earlier post on this issue.

Jim

[Victrolacollector]

I would like to get ahold of the two Rachmaninoff records for Edison.

How much is a fair price to pay for these,
I remember a couple in e-bay for 175.00.

[52089]

I would like to get ahold of the two Rachmaninoff records for Edison.

How much is a fair price to pay for these,
I remember a couple in e-bay for 175.00.

Rachmaninoff recorded 10 sides for Edison that were released on 5 discs. Although desirable, they are not particularly rare and do show up. One of our board members recently sold one to me for $20, and the only reason I was willing to pay that much was that is was a later paper label pressing in near mint shape.

Here's a list of Rachmaninoff's early recordings. The first 5 sessions are the Edison sessions.
http://gmlile.com/rachdiary/listingroleD.aspx?d=true