The player piano is one of the more outdated forms of music tech one is likely to encounter. In short, the player piano, also known as a pianola, is a self-playing piano which uses perforated metallic or paper rolls to play pieces of music. To some degree, piano rolls were an alternative to recordings, or the shellac records colloquially known as 78’s. One could purchase piano rolls of one’s favorite music (be it classical, jazz, show-tunes, spirituals or popular songs), and have a player piano “play” those very songs at home. As a form of home entertainment, the player piano achieved a measure of popularity in the early 20th century, with sales peaking in the mid-1920s. For more on this early “home entertainment system,” see the Wikipedia pages on player pianos and piano rolls.
Notably, Louise Brooks’ career as a stage and film actress overlapped with hey-day of piano rolls. In fact, a song from one of her Ziegfeld Follies shows was published as a paper piano roll, as was a song from one of her films. (Both were also released as sheet music and as 78 rpm discs.) This page on the Louise Brooks Society highlights these two examples of Louise Brooks-related piano rolls. If you know of or possess other piano rolls and would like to share a scan of your vintage treasure, please CONTACT the Louise Brooks Society. As well, might anyone have a video of a piano roll performance of “Beggars of Life” ?
“Little Peach” from Louie the 14th:
Louise Brooks had a small part in the 1925 Ziegfeld production, Louie the 14th, starring Leon Erroll. “Little Peach,” one of a handful of songs from the production, had lyrics by Arthur Wimperis and music by Sigmund Romberg. Sheet music of this number was issued at the time, and it was twice recorded and released as a 78 rpm disc. The Ampico piano role was played by J. Milton Delcamp. The Aeolian / Duo-Art roll was performed by Constance Mering. To give a taste of what a piano roll sounds like, here is a link to a YouTube video of a performance of the Constance Mering piano roll of “Little Peach” (also shown below).
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| “Little Peach” Ampico Co. end label |
“Little Peach” Aeolian / Duo-Art piano roll |
“Little Peach” Aeolian / Duo-Art piano roll (detail) |
“Little Peach” Aeolian / Duo-Art end label |
“Beggars of Life” from Beggars of Life:
“Beggars of Life”, with words by J. Keirn Brennan and music by Karl Hajos, is considered the theme song to the 1928 Louise Brooks’ film, Beggars of Life. It was twice issued as sheet music, and recorded by at least four different artists and released as a 78 rpm disc on as many different labels. The Q.R.S. piano role shown below is played by Harold Wansborough*, a noted performer of the time. The Imperial Songrecord pianist is unknown. The US Player Music Roll is played by Fred Parsons.
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| “Beggars of Life” Q. R. S. Music Co. end label |
“Beggars of Life” Q. R. S. Music Co. piano roll and box |
“Beggars of Life” Imperial Songrecord end label |
“Beggars of Life” United States Player Music Rolls end label |
According to a 1992 article in the Crooked Lake Review, “When the player piano was in its hey-day Wansborough was engaged by the United States Music Co. for arranging and recording player piano rolls. He made hundreds of rolls for the company many of which featured himself at the piano. In 1926 the music firm sold out to the Q. R. S. Music Co., but Wansborough, who had acquired a wide reputation for player-roll work, was retained by the new firm. He worked in the recording laboratories in New York until the company was liquidated in 1929.” The Indiana-born Wansborough went to the Eastman School of Music, where he studied composition and orchestration for five years. He was active as a composer, and many of his symphonic works have been played by the Rochester (N.Y.) Civic Orchestra, on under the direction of the renown Howard Hanson.
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