P. D. Paradisi - Toccata in A from Sonata No. 6

Описание: In the video, we can appreciate a remarkable restoration of an old Duo-Art piano roll recorded in September 1923 containing an historic performance by a very renowned pianist at the time, Myra Hess. Unfortunately this is her only performance of the piece so it is not possible to make a comparison with other "real" gramophone recordings. Still the agile and graceful style remains remarkable as well as the great interpretative license which was very strong among pianists in the early 1900s!
Not only is this video a tribute to the pianist's talent and legacy, but it's also a testament to the importance of preserving and restoring our musical heritage!
I really hope you enjoy this unique musical experience. Please don't forget to like, share this video, and subscribe to the channel for more exciting musical content!

Myra Hess (25 feb 1890 – 25 nov 1965) piano.

Let me tell you the story of a woman who brought light into the darkest days of war, not with weapons, but with music.
Her name… was Myra Hess.
Born in London in 1890, Dame Myra Hess was not only a brilliant concert pianist, she was a symbol of resilience, culture, and hope. Her interpretations of Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann earned her a place among the greatest musicians of her time. But it was during World War II that she truly became a legend.
When the bombs fell over London and concert halls went dark, she refused to let silence win. With unwavering courage, she organized over 1,700 lunchtime concerts at the National Gallery, right in the heart of London, giving war-weary citizens a moment of peace and humanity amidst chaos.
These concerts were free. Accessible. Daily. And they featured some of the best musicians in Britain. The idea was simple: if people couldn’t go to music, music would come to them.
And Myra didn’t just organize them, she performed in over 150 of them herself.
Imagine: the paintings in the gallery had been removed for safekeeping, so people sat under empty frames… listening to Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, or Beethoven’s Appassionata, as the world outside crumbled.
In those moments, music became more than art, it became survival.
Winston Churchill once said: "The arts are essential to any complete national life." Myra Hess lived that truth.
After the war, she continued to perform and record, inspiring generations of pianists. But she never saw herself as a hero, just as someone doing what she loved, for the people who needed it most.

If you’ve ever found comfort in music during a difficult time…
If you believe art can heal, connect, and uplift…
Then you already carry a little of Myra Hess’s spirit with you.


The next description of the pianist is dated 1932:
Young and beautiful English pianist, for several years has been a favorite with lovers of the highest type of piano playing in England and on the Continent, and in four brief visits to America has made a distinguished impression of excellence. The youngest of four children in a musical family, Miss Hess was born in Hampstead, a residential suburb of London. She showed remarkable musical talent and aptitude as a very young child and began her piano studies when she was five years old. Two years later she passed successfully the first Trinity College examination in music, and thereafter until her twelfth birthday, she was a pupil at the Guildhall School of Music, London. Then she entered the Royal Academy of Music and became a pupil of Tobias Matthay. While there she won the gold medal in piano, and later the diplomas of Associate and Fellow of the Royal Academy. She made her professional debut at Aeolian Hall, London, on January 25, 1908, since which time she has been playing with continous and increasing success. Miss Hess has a large repertory and is equally at home in the old classic and in modern music. Her playing is signalized by musical intelligence of the first order, a finely ripening art in interpretation, and above all a rare charm of distinction and individuality. The critics are agreed that her interpretations are imbued with exquisite clarity, smoothness and grace, with eloquence and poetic fervor, with a sturdy, forth-right musicianship, and always with the magic of a subtle, individualistic charm.

PDF link: http://ks4.imslp.net/files/imglnks/us...


Scanned Duo-Art piano roll No. 66589, digitally restored with midi softwares and modern piano samples! (roll n. 136)

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