Phonola in Dresden Concert
By Wolfgang Heisig
[ Editor's note:
[
[ Among our MMD members are several active music arrangers and composers,
[ including Wolfgang Heisig of Leisnig, Germany (near Dresden). For many
[ years he has punched piano rolls of his compositions, and he gives
[ concerts periodically with a Hupfeld Phonola, which is a cabinet-style
[ push-up player.
[
[ A short biography about Wolfgang Heisig appeared in Digest 960326,
[ derived from a longer article in "Das Mechanische Musikinstrument" for
[ December, 1995. Heisig teaches Music Theory at the music college in
[ Dresden, and enjoys creating music rolls of contemporary works.
[ Mr. Heisig sent MMD the following report in the style of a newspaper
[ report. I have translated and expanded it with information from
[ subsequent correspondence.
[
[ Robbie Rhodes
On the evening of 21 November 1996 about 120 concert-goers at a Dresden cultural center heard the premiere of a 50-minute composition for player piano and chamber ensemble, composed by Christian Muench and Wolfgang Heisig.
The Hupfeld-Meisterspiel-Phonola from the collection of Dr. Jurgen Hocker was operated by Heisig, and it played together with the ensemble, "Musica Temporale", directed by Muench. The richly-textured work was inspired by a photo exhibition with the strange title, "Ringing Castles, Tinkling Palaces, Vibrating Manor-houses."
Asked how he handled the problem of synchronizing the piano with the ensemble, Heisig explained, "The composition is so conceived that either the ensemble or the Phonola plays; at only two places do both sound together. At these places the Phonola is playing in rhythm but the ensemble is without meter."
It took three months work to compose the music and punch the music rolls, which total about 140 meters (460 feet) of paper. During the performance the Phonola plays seven rolls, each roll between three and four minutes duration. Heisig noted that "the sound of rewinding and inserting the rolls wasn't disturbing because the ensemble played loudly then. I practiced a lot to make fast changes!"
No spoken information was presented at the concert; Heisig said that information about the Phonola and the composition was printed in the program booklet. "The listeners should concentrate entirely on the music," he said.
The concert was received with great enthusiasm and reviewed favourably in the press, Heisig reported.
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