fhimpsl wrote:The name Lionel Belasco comes to mind re. this topic. Born in Trinidad I believe, he emigrated to the States sometime after 1910 and recorded a few piano solos for Victor around 1912. His music is in a popular vein characteristic of the West Indies styles, including calypso pieces and many very beautiful short waltzes. Belasco recorded a series of player piano rolls for the QRS company; all of his own compositions. I have several scores of his pieces which are rather inaccessible at the present, I can provide several of his numbers in midi format. The attached file(s) originally were recorded by myself from a 10-tune nickelodeon roll which featured many of LB's compositions. These are listed in the order they appear on the roll and midi file below:
Beatriz Valse (possibly by Belasco)
Moonlight In Venice
Palabras de Amor Valse
I Love Him Already (composed by Belasco)
Carlota Valse
Jennie (Composed by Belasco)
Dream Of Love Valse
Buddy Abraham (composed by Belasco)
Estrellas y Margarietas
Sly Mongoose (composed by Belasco)
I can't offer composer information on the other pieces, but musically they are within a similar vein. Please remember these are non-reproducing player piano roll recordings and hence have no expression characteristics.
Enjoy and all best,
Frank (fhimpsl)
C2030a.mid
Hi Frank,
I made a search on Pianophilia writing the name "Belasco", without any hope to find anything about this great pianist, that I like so much.
Instead I see that you have posted a number of rare scores of this composer! As always, you have the greatest things!!!
Thanks so much!
And this nickelodeon piano roll including several of his pieces is just
FANTASTIC!!!!!
I have two recordings of Lionel Belasco from the Victor sessions of the mid 1910s, and they are "
Bajan Girl" and "
Buddy Abrahams" (I'm so glad you had the score and the roll version of this one!), both great pieces and beautifully played by this pianist.
I actually consider both pieces to be ragtime, they're quite syncopated and Belasco even add further syncopation in his improvisations.
Among the few pianists who recorded ragtime in the 1910s, my very favorite are Lionel Belasco and Felix Arndt (Arndt was the very best in my opinion) and it's too bad that the Belasco 1914 recording of "Maple Leaf Rag", the first piano solo of that rag to be recorded, was not issued. I hope it's not lost!
Later I will post a then unissued recording of another famous composer, which has fortunately been found and recently put on disc.
I'm also attaching a piano roll played by Belasco for QRS: that's "
At A Trinidad Carnival" and it's beautiful. I also have a midi scan of this roll, but I think it's a bit to difficult for me to notate, since it's been arranged with two different bass lines playing together.
If there's interest about this musician, I'd be glad to post a couple of later recordings, with him and his orchestra playing some calypso tunes. Belasco's solos in one of those reocrdings is great.
Best
Luigi
Lionel Belasco (roll) -At A Trinidad Carnival (Belasco).mp3
Lionel Belasco - Buddy Abraham (Belasco).mp3
Lionel Belasco - Bajan Girl (Belasco).mp3
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