The reconstitution of historical piano recordings : Vladimir de Pachmann plays Chopin's Nocturne in E Minor

The reconstitution of historical music recordings from close measurement of their details has seldom been attempted. Three different recordings of the same piece by the pianist Vladimir de Pachmann, one on gramophone and two on rolls, are here reconstituted. The timing, loudness and pedalling on the gramophone recording are measured by listening to slow play-back, since no adequate algorithmic or automated method exists. The timing on the rolls is measured by a mechanical reading device; because loudness and pedalling are considered inadequately specified on rolls, those measurements are taken from the gramophone recording as a first approximation, to be refined when necessary. All measurements are converted to midi values for playback, realized here on a virtual piano. For general (non-specialist) listeners, the resulting reconstituted versions of all three performances seem of high quality, and may therefore have value independently of this article: the gramophone recording acquires a modern sound, and the rolls approach their full potential. For music students, analysis of the performances is facilitated; in particular, the reconstitutions may be separated into single musical voices to be played back alone, providing an instructive and otherwise unobtainable resource.