Our discussion started with the discovery in Texas of two Ravel rolls
made for Aeolian in Paris.  Since they were punched by the very famous
French firm l'EMP, I think it is time now to give readers more details
about l'Edition Musicale Perforee (l'EMP).

 [ L'EMP means "the Punched Music Edition", implying contrast to
 [ ordinary editions of printed sheet music.  -- Robbie

The commercial history of l'Edition Musicale Perforee begins in January
1920 but the true origin takes place many years before with the
creation of Opera-Paris.

Maunoury, Wolff et Cie was one of the biggest paper firms in France,
said to be born in 1808, who sold every kind of paper and were
authorized to deal with French government agencies such as the national
print office who publish laws and rules, national tobacco manufacture,
and so on.  Their offices were 10 rue Coquillere in Paris (tel. 128.40
and 128.27 in 1906).

Maunoury began production of rolls for 65-note and later 88-note pianos
under the trade mark Opera-Paris (see the beautiful illustrated advert
published in the prestigious newspaper L'Illustration for Christmas
1913).  The French taste for music is a commercial argument [selling
point] which will be found during all the life of Maunoury firms.  The
piano rolls are good quality production.  The leader is of fabric, with
an engraving of the famous Opera in Paris.  Probably much too expensive,
these fabric leaders will be replaced later with a leader of gray-green
hard paper.

In the 1913 newspaper "Je Sais Tout" ["I know all"!] we have the
chance to visit the Opera-Paris factory, showing us the transcription,
checking and punching operations.  (Another interesting and more
detailed article will be written later, illustrated with larger
pictures; it was reprinted in 1995 in our society journal, "Les Cahiers
de Perforons").

In 1914 WW1 is declared and a large number of workers must leave the
factory and go to fight.  Opera-Paris has to close in August 1914.

In 1919 Maunoury is able to again take up piano roll production.
The economic troubles allow him to absorb a competitor (maybe
l'Imperial-Entoilee, as this very first firm in roll production seems
not to have survived the war) and l'Edition Musicale Perforee is born.
The nice Louis XV style design found on the leader dates from this
period : it was drawn by George Barbier in 1919.  The selling shop
is 16 rue de Hanovre and the factory 6 rue Jenner in Paris.

In 1923, Maunoury offers the position of commercial director to
M. George Tanton, previously the administrative director of the
Societe des Pianos pneumatiques francais Monola Piano.  (Monola was
an upright 88-note player piano, and the society was the successor of
Limonaire Freres which had attempted to enter the player piano field,
without great success).

From 1921 on, l'EMP is very aggressive.  They are the only French piano
roll firm to be present at every Paris Fair, first at the Odeola stand
in 1921, and later with their own stand like the one you can see in
this 1926 report with the four impressive towers of piano rolls.  At
this time they also sell rolls for the publishers Salabert and Francis
Day.

In 1928 l'EMP seems to meet economic difficulties, as they leave their
shop at 16 rue de Hanovre in the second part of the year, then
advertise the factory address 6 rue Jenner in January 1929, and from
July 1929 and throughout 1930 the last address is at 64 rue La Boetie
(the previous or actual Aeolian library address).  They no longer
advertise in the syndicate newspaper after this date, when "la grande
depression" of the 1930s brought about a lot of change in the
mechanical music industry in Europe.

I hope this information may be useful for MMD readers.

Lorraine Aressy
Perforons la Musique Society
Toulouse in France, Euroland

 [ I'll soon place this article, with the images included, at
 [ http://mmd.foxtail.com/MMMedia/EMP/index.html
 [ -- Robbie