I have this week added a lot of MIDI music files and YouTube links to
my online catalogue in order to assist bidders for the current auction.
The closing date for bids is 4th April.

Amongst the original Green Welte T98 rolls and Hupfeld Triphonola rolls
there are several of the fine recordings by Busoni that musicologists
always seem to be seeking.

Additionally, there are over 150 Hupfeld Animatic rolls.  There are
88-note themed versions of material from Hupfeld's Triphonola and DEA
catalogues.  Much of the material recorded in those reproducing formats
is incredibly hard to find now and it is presumed that much of it will
never be found.  The Animatic versions are then perhaps the only way to
hear these historic recordings.

Curiously, Hupfeld never sold any of these into the US so they are
unknown by most collectors there.  Hupfeld had enough trade worldwide
without the need to expand to the US apparently.

Animatic rolls typically have incredibly high perforator step rates
giving very fine resolution of their live recordings without the
jerkiness encountered in many other brands.  They used steps rates up
to 90 rows-per-inch, nearly three times that of competitors.  Again,
here are many Busoni recordings and even Max Bruch and Camille
Saint-Saens playing their own works.  Much of this material has been
consigned from a unique lifetime collection that focussed on the music
of Liszt and the performance traditions of his pupils.

We are also offering a selection of Philag rolls.  These are 88-note
versions of the similarly almost unobtainable DUCA reproducing
recordings.  There are more unique Busoni recordings together with
Ernst Toch (who went on to write experimental music for Welte in the
'20s) and also a performance by Professor James Kwaast who was a teacher
to Percy Grainger.

In the regular 88-note section are to be found curios such as playable
1-to-1 hand-cut pre-production masters from the early-20s UK "Echo"
Themodist masters.  British rolls are sought after by many collectors
as the paper has lasted in playable condition more than some others.
There are nearly 600 titles here including a very strong section of
classical and operatic works.

Amongst the classical 88s there is a rare part of Stravinsky, Granados,
Richard Strauss, complete Themodist sets of piano concertos and exotica
such as Itiberê da Cunha, Anrvoij and even both Romanian Rhapsodies of
Lubicz.

For those who collect 65-note rolls, most of the 300 65-note lots
we are offering are UK issues, again on good paper throughout.  The
majority of these are the much sought-after Themodist type.  In the UK
65-note rolls were made by Aeolian until 1939 and by other brands into
the 20s.  In the dance music 65-note section are 65-note dance titles
manufactured by Aeolian from Duo Art masters.  These were unknown to
the US market.  Also there is a section of rare 65-note song word rolls
in both dance and classical formats.

For player organ owners there are rolls for both Aeolian and Symphony
formats.  Many of the rolls are UK-only issues made by Imperial, London
Aeolian and Maxfield.

I will also give a short explanation of how UK roll auction bidding
works generally as many international readers are used to different
systems.  All roll auctions in the UK use the same system and always
have.  The same as eBay there is a minimum bid starting figure.
Buyers enter the amount you are willing to pay up to.  If there is no
underbidder you just pay the minimum bid.  If there is an underbidder
you pay 10% above the underbidder, that's all.

For example, if you bid $15 and the underbidder bids $5 the difference
between you is $10 and 10% of that is $1 so your final win will cost
$6 only.

The auction is open to everyone and to bid you do not need to be a
member of any music society -- just write in via email.

For people in the UK who wish to consign music into the next auction
please get in touch now as we are starting to prepare our next list.

If you are ordering new music rolls from Julian Dyer I am happy to
liase with Julian and co-ordinate a combined shipping consignment to
save you two lots of shipping costs.  Also for bidders who live near
each other if you want we can ship everything together to save you
money.  Buyers in the UK may collect in person or via delivery to one
of the various music societies events.

With kind regards, Sincerely,
Adam Ramet
http://www.undergroundpianola.com/