Two MMDer's in Germany have created contemporary (avant-garde?) music
for standard 88-note player piano systems, and also some for
Themodist/Solodant and possibly Duo-Art.
Horst Mohr, of Kuerten (near Cologne), made many experiments with
computer-generated music, from which he selected one piece, entitled
"Elections", which Wolfgang Heisig later perforated. Copies might still
be available from Wolfgang.
And in a city near Dresden, in the former East Germany, pianist-composer-
noteur Wolfgang Heisig is continuing his production of piano rolls
of contemporary music. He recently published a list of 11 currently-
available offerings, including compositions by Lyonel Feininger, Jakob
Ullman, Tom Johnson, Ernst Toch, and Wolfgang Heisig.
Many of these works have been performed in concert, featuring a Hupfeld
Phonola Vorsetzer (push-up player) with Heisig "at the pedals". For
example, Horst Mohr recalled hearing and enjoying this piece which is
offered in the list (No. 5):
"Prestissimo for Mechanical Piano" by Jacob Ullmann.
Synopsis: A finely crafted, brilliant and sparkling pearl
necklace of tones which swings over the entire piano-keyboard,
and as imperceptibly as it arrives, again vanishes.
Price: 63.25 DM (2 minutes, 10 seconds)
Contact:
HEISIGROLLEN
Wolfgang Heisig
Grimmaer Str. 16
D-04703 Leisnig
GERMANY
tel/fax: 03421-12995
I translated the announcement to English and I'll be happy to send
the complete text of his offering list via email upon request.
Robbie Rhodes
rrhodes@foxtail.com
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