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Prokofiev Live! - March 2003 at the Purcell Room, London

The Institute's new Duo-Art push-up at the Purcell Room.

The Institute's concert in March formed part of the Prokofiev and Shostakovich festival at London's South Bank Arts Centre. The first half of the concert consisted of Prokofiev's recorded Duo-Art rolls, played on the Institute's new Duo-Art push-up, making its first public appearance.

Prokofiev even accompanied the violinist Editha Konwitschny in an arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov's Schéhérazade, and Editha also delighted the audience with her sensitive performance of the Five Melodies for Violin and Piano Op. 35 by Prokofiev.

Editha Konwitschny and Rex Lawson rehearse the Prokofiev Melodies.

The second half was devoted to a seamless performance of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring by Rex Lawson and Denis Hall on two pianolas.

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Gergiev Festival - Images of September 2003 in Rotterdam

Serge Prokofiev, the Russian composer who recorded for the Duo-Art, died fifty years ago, in 1953.

In September, the Pianola Institute's new Duo-Art push-up was in Rotterdam for the 2003 Gergiev Festival presented by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. On the first night, it provided musical illustrations for the opening talk, given by Harlow Robinson, the international expert on Prokofiev, and Professor of Modern Languages and History at Northeastern University.

Scheherezade weaves her magic spell at De Doelen in Rotterdam, as Prokofiev plays on Duo-Art roll.

On every other day, Prokofiev and other historic Russian pianists and composers performed on Duo-Art rolls for an hour or so before the start of the evening's concert, and music by Prokofiev and others was played at a normal 88-note Pianola by Rex Lawson and Denis Hall.

Rotterdam concertgoers discovering the foot-operated Pianola with the help of Rex Lawson.

One particularly pleasing aspect of the Pianola Institute's visit was that Prokofiev's son and grandson, who live in Paris, were able to hear the performances of their own father and grandfather.

Sviatoslav Prokofiev and Serge Prokofiev, listening with Denis Hall to Prokofiev as he played in 1919.

We are very grateful to Henriette Straub, who helped to organise the 2003 Gergiev Festival, and who was responsible for inviting the Pianola Institute to take part.

Denis Hall and Henriette Straub enjoy the afterglow of Prokofiev in Rotterdam.

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George Antheil's Ballet Mécanique - November 2003 in Cologne

The Ballet Mécanique in Cologne. In the foreground are Rex Lawson and James Wood, who conducted the performance.

Rex Lawson took part in a weekend of music for multiple pianos and pianolas, presented by the West German Radio (WDR) in Cologne, on 22 and 23 November. He opened the first concert with three pieces by Stravinsky, and he played the solo pianola part in Antheil's renowned Ballet Mécanique in the last concert, on the Sunday evening.

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