Pianophilia

Hi tobyjj,

Thanks for your comments and also for the Mayerl uploads. I would have thought that between myself and Mr. P we had completed all the Mayerl postings a long time back, but in checking my files for the .pdfs I can't find the ones you posted! So maybe they weren't posted originally. I have the sheets and can't understand how that might have been overlooked. Thanks for posting. Also on the Mayerl transcriptions...this is one area that is huge and will take a lot of work. I'm still recovering from the Fischer postings (and there are plenty more German novelty people to post as well). But I'll do what I can to mix in some Mayerl as well.

On "Hop Skip and Jump" I know it was a duplicate posting. I thought the cover art of the original single sheet music would be of some interest. In playing it, I'd say as fast as possible! I would make note of the fact that in the first two measures of theme #1 there are quarter note rests where you'd normally play a fourth beat. This is key to making the piece work, in fact it might be this abrupt stop and start again that inspired the title.

All Best,

Frank

Dear Frank, Tobyjj and Martin,
Thanks so much for the fantastic pieces you’ve uploaded in these days!!!
There would many things to say about the wonderful music by Ernst Fischer, Billy Thurban, Billy Mayerl, Bob Zurke, etc….
It’s great to download these rare and precious scores!
I’m very fascinated by the wonderful piano roll that Frank kindly scanned and uploaded, “Nothin’ But” “composed” by Carroll and Grofe: wow, the similarity with the second and third strain of “Prosperity Rag” is incredible and shameless….
I’m sure that when James Scott, who had a great reputation as a pianist, played his rag it must have been sounded as enjoyable as the piano roll of “Nothin’ But”….I really don’t think that John Stark’s policy helped sales, even in terms of arranging styles typical of his publication, too often mannered.
The thing that I liked the best among these great pieces is the group of publications by the great Bill Krenz, one of my very favorite pianists.
I’m very glad that Frank indicated that Krenz was an original ragtime pianist of the period.
Since he started playing piano very young and he was in the music business since the 1910s, I’m always rather disappointed when Krenz is indicated as a revivalist, since it’s not the case…
Here I post Bill Krenz’s most famous rag, “Oh Willie! Play That Thing”, a very enjoyable piece!
Let’s think that I had lost three ebay auctions for this piece after winning it…it took some years to find a copy of it
I’m glad that Tobyjj enjoys the ragtime recordings and so I’d like to include a bunch of recordings of Bill Krenz himself:
“Oh Willie! Play That Thing”
“Poodle Rag”
“Marita” (you find the score in the “Novelty Solos For The Piano” kindly uploaded by Frank)
“Ramblin’ Rag”
I have the complete recordings of Bill Krenz and they aren't many, sadly..
Enjoy the music
Luigi

If you liked the Bill Krenz recordings of "Poodle Rag" and "Ramblin' Rag" (the latter reusing ideas from the first), you will also enjoy the sheet music.
I received the two particular scores of "Poodle Rag" and "Ramblin' Rag" from Martin some time ago and I hope it's OK for him if I post them, although maybe I should have asked him first...
Luigi

Dear Luigi,

Thanks for posting the Bill Krenz records! I think I had only heard 2 of them, on LP reissue. Also thanks for completing the set by posting the scores of "Poodle Rag" and "Oh, Willie". I have them somewhere, but not along with the original sheets so you saved me time searching. I don't know how many hundreds of times I've played "Poodle Rag" in the past! It was a favorite at the annual St. Louis ragtime festivals back in the 70s and 80s. Practicing the piece is a good work-out for the right hand.

Moving on from Ernst Fischer, I've scanned another German novelty composer's works (at least what I know of them)...Herbert Kuster. Here is a folio of his piano pieces and the piano conductor score for another one. If you like these, please also check out the "Romantic Piano Concerto" thread where I posted his "Rhythmisches Concertino" today; and the "4 Hands on 2 Pianos" thread where you'll find two of his "hot" piano solos. Enjoy!

All Best,

Frank

Here is one that is good enough to warrant a post on its own! You might call this a "novelty sleeper." Pretty late for the novelty idiom (1936)...beautifully scored, one of the best.

Hi Frank,
Thanks for the comments on Hop skip and jump - timing, speed and snap - still working on it !

fhimpsl wrote:Hi tobyjj,

Thanks for your comments and also for the Mayerl uploads. I would have thought that between myself and Mr. P we had completed all the Mayerl postings a long time back, but in checking my files for the .pdfs I can't find the ones you posted! So maybe they weren't posted originally. I have the sheets and can't understand how that might have been overlooked. Thanks for posting.

Frank

Not sure who Mr.P really is - I thought he was Malcolm's slave scanner!
Anyway glad there weren't any re-posts of Mayerl.

Here are some more which I think were missed - Again, sorry if I'm wrong.
More to Come
Regards
tobyjj

Here is another novelty composer from Germany, Paolo G. Planter. I seem to remember having had more of his music than this one folio, but it's all I can find right now. The second piece in the folio "Black Tulip" is of note...a really beautiful tune.

Thanks Luigi,

Yes I do enjoy the recordings especially when I can compare it to a score - much appreciated.

More missing Mayerl - some transcriptions
Not previously posted here, I believe

Regards,
tobyjj

And Some more Mayerl,
Hopefully not previously posted here. ( I believe not, but apologies in advance if I'm wrong)
Still some more to come, but nearly done.

Regards,
tobyjj