Re: historic recording materials

[J R FOX jr_fox@xxxxxxxxxx]

--- flash  wrote:

> Jordan, you've got LD?? Shouldn't surprise me, I
> guess, since you're
> still using Xy. Quad, too?

Uh, No. Skipped LD, as well as Quad Stereo. I sort
of regret the former, as there were many rare titles
not released in other formats. However, it was rather
an expensive format: I recall those discs selling new
in the range of $40. to $100. apiece. Not exactly
what you could call a mass medium . . . or, at least,
not a medium for the masses. I can be as elitist as
the next guy, but I guess I like my money to go
farther, so I tend to seek more bang for the buck.

That said, I do have a couple friends with great LD
collections. And one of them has a good DVD recorder,
from just before these (recently) started disappearing
from the market. So, I'm lobbying them to transfer
certain rare titles for me. The Herrmann docu was the
first of these, and I think it came out pretty well.

> I have a recording of Rachmaninov playing
> Rachmaninov recorded on
> perforated paper rolls (by the Aeolian Company) in
> 1909, later
> transcribed to vinyl, and now on minidisc. The
> method mechanically
> recorded not only the notes and the timings, but the
> pressure the
> pianist exerted on the keys.
>
> 
>

I'm going to assume that you're not pulling my leg
here, Flash, so I'd have to say that sounds rather
neat. When you get right down to it, every member of
this list is an antiquarian, or has antiquarian
interests -- by definition. We just need to keep *our
particular* player piano rolls going for as long as
possible.


 Jordan