The piano team of Ferrante & Teicher has achieved a certain retro renown for the prepared piano hijinks (or hi-fivories, as they are called here) on their early albums.
This specimen is the first record they made for Westminster. Released in 1954, most of these items on this 10-inch LP were later recycled for a 12-inch record called Adventures in Carols, which has Santa riding a rocket on the cover. This version instead has reindeer assisting the duo-philanthropists by pouring sand into the piano and pulling out the strings so they could be plucked.
The pianists each laid down two tracks so there is much to hear. The musical results are interesting if a bit relentless, witty but also kind of tacky. Not really my thing, but the pianists and woodland creatures seem to be enjoying themselves. Perhaps you will, too.
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5 comments:
That is the most amazing cover! I have never seen that before. I am in awe! Where do I get one of those? I know what you mean about the music, though. But that cover!!!!
So you like it, eh? High praise from a noted aficionado of cover sketches!
If John Cage had ever made a Christmas album, this would have been it. Maybe it should be called "A John Cage Christmas: Seasonal Songs for Prepared Piano." Anyway, it's far better than Ferrante & Teicher's later, far better selling Christmas albums. By the way, thanks for the Myra Hess. Her playing of Schumann is transcendent.
Love it, love it! Do you have the back cover?
@ PDMan,
I am redoing the whole post, and will reissue it with new scans, including back cover.
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