I recently picked up two interesting English rolls.  Perhaps some of our
English subscribers can tell me something about them.

The label on one reads as follows (the slash marks indicate the start of a new
line.  Capitalization is as used on the label):

 Full Scale / MELOTO / STANDARD ROLL / 55188c / RHAPSODY IN BLUE / Roll1. /
Interpretation by the Composer / GERSHWIN / Manufactured by / The Universal
Music Co., Ltd., / Hayes, Middx., England

The box is medium grey, and the printing on the label, with the exception of
title, number, etc., is purple.  The title, number, etc. is in black.
The roll has Theme and sustain pedal perforations, but no other codings for
expression.  There is no Metrostyle line, and all interpretive instructions
consist of musical symbols printed in the right margin. All printing on the
roll is green.  The flanges are wooden, like the early AEolian USA-made rolls.

Now for my questions:

#1:     Is this a product of the AEolian Company?  I know AEolian sold
rolls in the US under the "Universal" name.

#2:     What is meant by the phrase "Interpreted by the Composer"  Is this a
hand-played Gershwin roll?

If the answer to the first two is yes, then

#3:     Is this essentially the Duo-Art recording Gershwin made in the US,
without the dynamics codings, but with the Theme perfs?

In an attempt to check out the possibility that the answer to Question #3 is
"yes", I have borrowed a recut of the Duo-Art version, and plan to compare the
two.  We'll see.  Now one more question about this roll:

Does anyone have an extra copy of the second half they can sell me, to match?

Now for the other roll.  Not so many questions about this one.  It is an
Artona "Tester Roll" in a green box with red print that opens on the ends.
The most interesting feature is the flanges.  They are of semitransparent
white plastic.  I have seen plastic flanges in black, brown, green and gold,
but all were opaque, and none were white.  I took it to today's Texas Chapter
of AMICA meeting, and no one had seen flanges like these.  I called Janet
Tonnesen (who, by the way, has a nasty case of the flu and missed a great
meeting), and, of all the rolls that she has cut, she, too has never seen
flanges like these.  It differs quite a bit from my QRS test roll.  The
biggest difference is that, instead of testing each note chromatically from
one end to the other, it tests each C, then each C#, than each D, then each
D#, and so on.  It also has a test for the Theme feature so common on English
players.

I guess my questions are:

#1:     About when was this made?

and

#2:     Are these flanges common in England?

Hopefully some of our English subscribers can fill me in on some of this
stuff.  They sure have me wondering!

Bryan Cather
BSnakeC@AOL.com.nospam