Music for Phonola

WOLFGANG HEISIG (b.1952): Etüde KWIC & KWOC, Ringparabel, KODE, Se Io Ho Ben La Tua Parola Intesa, 7 Heislvertonungen, Jacquard, Die Wut über den verlorenen Groschen - mit und ohne Mehwertsteuer, TOM JOHNSON (b.1939): Full Rotation of 60 Notes through 36 Positions, KNUT MÜLLER (b.1963): Gordion, Gridikon, Gnomon, CONLON NANCARROW (1912-1997): Studies for Player Piano Nos. 7, 20, 21 and 37.

Description: You thought the pianola was an obscure, obsolete instrument? Well, from the notes here, it appears that the phonola - almost identical to the pianola except that its "operator" can control bass and treble and accent individual notes, making him almost a performer - seems to have lasted only for part of the first decade of the 20th century. Fans of music newly written for the pianola will know exactly what to expect here. The instrument used is a 1901 Steinway D with a 1902 Hupfeld pneumatic device. Wolfgang Heisig (phonola).