Listen how Winifred Christie brings out the pedal lines of the Toccata and Fugue with ease on the Bechstein-Mor Duplex .

Emnuel Mor (February 19, 1863, Kecskemt, Hungary – October 20, 1931, Chardonne, Switzerland) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and inventor of musical instruments. His second wife, Winifred Christie (b. February 26, 1882, Stirling, England d. February 8, 1965, London, England) was a British pianist and composer best known as an advocate of the Mor-Duplex piano.

Here she demonstrates the capabilities of the Bechstein-Mor Duplex grand in a 1928 recording in the pedal lines of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in d minor.

Mor Duplex action makes it easier for the pianist to play difficult passages:
- It has one set of strings and hammers.
- The upper, 74 key keyboard connects through a linkage to the key an octave below on the lower keyboard.
- An optional fouth pedal allows to couple the lower to the upper keyboard, thus playing octaves with a single key.
- The raised knobs on the tails of the lower keys permit a chromatic glissando.

Though it looks similar to a two-manual harpsichord or organ, the function is very different: a two keyboard harpsichord allows a variation in tone by playing on two different set of strings. A harpsichord coupler couples the same keys on both keyboards.

The Mor Duplex does not provide a variation in sound, it is just a device to play difficult passages in an easier manner. It extends the reach of the player’s hand and increases the texture of the piano. This kind of octave couplers had been used in a similar way on harmoniums.
On pianola rolls, the same effect was achieved by multiple pass overdubbing of piano rolls.

- Play two manual keyboard works, esp. J. S. Bach in the correct manner without crossing of hands.
- Play low bass lines esp. of organ works without arpeggios.
- Mor wanted to inspire composers to create new works for the increased sonority and texture of the Duplex Grand.

(or as a friend of mine put it: This was the time of the famous Busoni Bach Piano transcriptions. The Duplex allowed pianists with a lesser hand spread or technique than Busoni’s to play Bach : )

The Duplex had a limited success: Only one Hamburg Steinway was built, and about 60 Bechstein and Bsendorfer Grands. Some pianists appreciated the possibilities of the Mor Duplex for the works Bach, namely Gunnar Johansen. After some succes, the Mor Duplex was forgotten as a short-lived novelty.

Read more about Emnuel Mor, his compositions and innovative instruments at:
http://www.emanuel-und-henrik-moor-stiftung.de/index.shtml

A 2007 New York Times article and video showing Christopher Taylor with the Goldberg variations on the recently rebuilt Grotrian Steinweg Duplex Grand (video footage in my movie taken from this site.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/arts/music/15barr.html?_r=1

The Capehart De Luxe Turn-Over Record Changer was the epitome of luxury radio-phonographs.

Check out more photos and description of the machine here:
http://myvintagetv.com/Carsten%20Sales%20Ads/salelist.htm
Produced unchanged from 1930 – 1950, updated electronics always provided the finest in high fidelity with the unsurpassed Capehart Record changer.

The changer is a true engineering marvel of precision careful handling of records, and plays 16 records on both sides.

The post-war Capeharts are the finest machines Capehart ever sold: The GE Variable Reluctance Cartridge (8 grams) and powerful tube electronics provide a Fidelity and Volume that is still unsurpassed.
It makes 78 RPM records sound better than any other way of reproduction.

A word to the sound:
I have recorded the actual record on the machine with an external condensor mike. Volume has been adjusted to maximum level. If you find that the volume of my videos are lower than on other videos, the reason may be the absence of artificial compression and volume boosting.

Enjoy.

Check out more great tunes and amazing vintage phonographs at My YouTube Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q342zZx4id0

More about this and other machines
on my Changer Website
http://myvintagetv.com/updatepages1/changer%20videos/changer_videos.htm

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