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First part of a piano roll for Welte-Mignon with lines for a pianolist

A piano roll is the music storage medium used to operate the player piano, pianola or reproducing pianos. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... A Music Roll is used to operate a Mechanical organ or Orchestrion and contains the music to be played. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 449 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1470 × 1964 pixel, file size: 271 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Welte-Mignon Klavierrolle mit Linien für die Handnuancierung zum Abspielen auf nicht reproduktionsfähigen automatischen Klavieren. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 449 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1470 × 1964 pixel, file size: 271 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Welte-Mignon Klavierrolle mit Linien für die Handnuancierung zum Abspielen auf nicht reproduktionsfähigen automatischen Klavieren. ... M. Welte & Sons, Freiburg and New York From 1832 until 1932, the firm produced mechanical musical Instruments of highest quality. ... The terms storage (U.K.) or memory (U.S.) refer to the parts of a digital computer that retain physical state (data) for some interval of time, possibly even after electrical power to the computer is turned off. ... The player piano is a type of piano that plays music without the need for a human pianist to depress the normal keys or pedals. ... The player piano is a type of piano that plays music without the need for a human pianist to depress the normal keys or pedals. ...

The piano roll was the first medium which could be produced and copied industrially and made it possible to provide the customer fast and easy with actual music.

A piano roll is a roll of paper with perforations (holes) punched in it. The position and length of the perforation determines the note played on the piano. The piano roll moves over a device known as the 'tracker bar', which first had 58 holes, was expanded to 65 and then was upgraded to 88 holes (generally, one for each piano key). When a perforation passes over the hole, the note sounds.

Piano rolls have been in continuous mass production since around 1898.^[1] Though they are still being made today, MIDI files represent a modern way in which musical performance data can be stored. MIDI files accomplish digitally and electronically what piano rolls do mechanically. Software for editing a performance stored as MIDI data often has a feature to show the music in a piano roll representation. Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI, is a system designed to transmit information between electronic musical instruments. ... Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI, is an industry-standard electronic communication protocol that defines each musical note in an electronic musical instrument such as a synthesizer, precisely and concisely, allowing electronic musical instruments and computers to exchange data, or talk, with each other. ...

The first paper rolls were used by Welte & Sons in their Orchestrions since 1883.^[2] After hundreds of companies of this booming business produced piano rolls different in size and perforation, in 1909 the American producers of piano rolls and mechanical pianos as well agreed to a standard in the Buffalo Convention. M. Welte & Sons, Freiburg and New York From 1832 until 1932, the firm produced mechanical musical Instruments of highest quality. ... An orchestrion is a generic name for a machine that plays music and is designed to sound like an orchestra or band. ... The Buffalo Convention of 1909 established two future roll formats for the US-producers of piano rolls for self-playing pianos. ...

Pianolas

Pianola was a trademark of The Aeolian Corporation of New York in the 1890s. It soon became a generic name for self-playing pianos (see "player piano"). Many other firms produced player pianos, but only the trade name "Phonola", used by Germany's Hupfeld company, competed in popular parlance, and that only in Western Europe. The Pianola was first introduced as a "push-up player" or "vorsetzer". This was a desk-sized machine which was pushed in front of an ordinary piano, playing the keys with wooden levers. Suction is provided by two foot pedals, operating cloth-covered wooden exhauster bellows. Expression (volume changes) could be achieved by varying the force and speed in the foot pedaling. Similarly, because the music rolls are perforated at a constant tempo, all the fluctuations of phrasing and rubato must be introduced by means of a tempo lever, usually operated by the right hand, to control the speed of the paper roll. There are often other hand levers for controlling the pedals of the actual piano. Aeolian introduced pianos incorporating their player mechanism in the later 1890s, and continued making player pianos until the 1980s.

Reproducing Pianos

Tracker bar of a Welte-Mignon

Rolls for the reproducing piano were generally made from the recorded performances of famous musicians. Typically, a pianist would sit at a specially designed recording piano, and the pitch and duration of any notes played would be either marked or perforated on a blank roll, together with the duration of the sustaining and soft pedal. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 556 pixelsFull resolution (2727 × 1896 pixel, file size: 637 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Trackerbar of a Welte-Mignon T 98 piano (Buffalo Convention). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 556 pixelsFull resolution (2727 × 1896 pixel, file size: 637 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Trackerbar of a Welte-Mignon T 98 piano (Buffalo Convention). ... The player piano is a type of piano that plays music without the need for a human pianist to depress the normal keys or pedals. ...

Reproducing pianos can also re-create the dynamics of a pianist's performance by means of specially encoded control perforations placed towards the edges of a music roll, but this coding was never recorded automatically. Different companies had different ways of notating dynamics, some technically advanced (though not necessarily more effective), some secret, and some dependent entirely on a recording producer's handwritten notes, but in all cases these dynamic hieroglyphics had to be skillfully converted into the specialized perforated codes needed by the different types of instrument.

Recorded rolls play at a specific, marked speed, where for example, 70 signifies 7 feet of paper travel in one minute, at the start of the roll. On all pneumatic player pianos, the paper is pulled on to a take-up spool, and as more paper winds on, so the effective diameter of the spool increases, and with it the paper speed. Player piano engineers were well aware of this, as can be seen from many patents of the time, but since reproducing piano recordings were generally made with a similar take-up spool drive, the tempo of the recorded performance is faithfully reproduced, despite the gradually increasing paper speed.

The playing of many pianists and composers is preserved on reproducing piano roll. Gustav Mahler, Edvard Grieg, Claude Debussy, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin and George Gershwin are amongst the composers who have had their performances recorded in this way. This article cites its sources but does not provide page references. ... Edvard Hagerup Grieg (15 June 1843 – 4 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist who composed in the romantic period. ... Claude Debussy, photo by Félix Nadar, 1908. ... Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (Russian: , Sergej Vasilevič Rakhmaninov, 1 April 1873 (N.S.) or 20 March 1873 (O.S.) – 28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor, one of the last great champions of the Romantic style of European classical music. ... Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (Russian: Александр Николаевич Скрябин, Aleksandr Nikolaevič Skrjabin; sometimes transliterated as Skryabin (6 January 1872 – 27 April 1915) was a Russian modernist composer and pianist. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ...

Arranged, Hand Played and Reproducing Rolls

Arranged rolls are produced simply by cutting holes in the paper with a knife and ruler, using the sheet music or other arrangement as a guide. This results in somewhat mechanical sounding rolls.

Hand played rolls are made using some form of recording device that marks the paper as a pianist plays. The marked paper is then used as a guide when the holes are cut. Extra notes may be added and errors deleted after the recording process. This method was in use as early as 1904 by the Welte company in Germany with their reproducing piano Welte-Mignon, who recorded such famous pianists as Camille Saint-Saëns, Richard Strauss, Alexander Scriabin and George Gershwin. The Welte company made an invaluable historical record of the playing of famous performers who did not make sound recordings. In around 1911 hand played rolls for reproducing pianos started production in the USA, and have provided certain types of hand played recordings can also play back the dynamics as performed by the pianist. Actually, for example the Welte-Mignon could only play two different velocities at a time, (lower and higher part of the keyboard, with the border between those two freely movable), but there were certain tricks like playing a note a minute amount earlier to give it its own velocity. 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... M. Welte & Sons, Freiburg and New York From 1832 until 1932, the firm produced mechanical musical Instruments of highest quality. ... This article deals with those who play the piano. ... Charles Camille Saint-Saëns () (9 October 1835 – 16 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor, and pianist, known for his orchestral works The Carnival of the Animals, Danse Macabre, and Symphony No. ... This article is about the German composer of tone-poems and operas. ... Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (Russian: Александр Николаевич Скрябин, Aleksandr Nikolaevič Skrjabin; sometimes transliterated as Skryabin (6 January 1872 – 27 April 1915) was a Russian modernist composer and pianist. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... M. Welte & Sons, Freiburg and New York From 1832 until 1932, the firm produced mechanical musical Instruments of highest quality. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... The player piano is a type of piano that plays music without the need for a human pianist to depress the normal keys or pedals. ...

Compositions for Pianola and Reproducing Piano

Besides these two clearly differentiated types of music roll, there were others that bridged the gap between the two instruments. Hand-played rolls reproduce the note values of a live pianist, but with no automatic dynamic control, and this allows pianola owners to recreate the performances of experts, rather than having to work too hard themselves.

A typical piano roll label

However, since rolls for the pianola were not generally recorded by hand, there is also the possibility to create music that is impossible for humans to play, or, more correctly, music that was not conceived in terms of performance by hand, whether inhumanly complex or not. Over one hundred composers wrote music specially for the player piano during the course of the 20th century, notably Conlon Nancarrow, Igor Stravinsky, Alfredo Casella and Paul Hindemith. A typical player piano roll label File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Conlon Nancarrow (October 27, 1912 - August 10, 1997) was an American composer who took Mexican citizenship in 1955. ... Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Russian: Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский, Igor Fëdorovič Stravinskij) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian composer, considered by many in both the West and his native land to be the most influential composer of 20th-century music. ... Alfredo Casella (Turin, July 25, 1883, Rome, March 5, 1947) was an Italian composer. ... Paul Hindemith aged 28. ...

There were hundreds of companies worldwide producing rolls during the peak period of their popularity (1900–1927). Some of the larger companies are listed below, with their most prominent recording artists.

• QRS Company — James P Johnson, Fats Waller, Zez Confrey, and Victor Arden
• Imperial — Charley Straight, Roy Bargy
• Vocalstyle — Jelly Roll Morton, Mary Allison, Walter Davison

The Duo-Art, Ampico and Welte-Mignon brands were known as "reproducing" piano rolls, as they could accurately reproduce the touch and dynamics of the artist as well as the notes struck, when played back on capable pianos. James Price Johnson (February 1, 1894–November 17, 1955) was an African-American pianist and composer. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The sheet music for Dizzy Fingers. Edward Elzear Zez Confrey (April 3, 1895-November 22, 1971) was an American composer and performer of piano music. ... The label of Charley Straights recording of Forgetful Blues for Paramount, made in 1923. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Morton in the 1920s Ferdinand Jelly Roll Morton September 20, 1890 - July 10, 1941) was an American virtuoso pianist, bandleader and composer who some call the first true composer of jazz music. ... M. Welte & Sons, Freiburg and New York From 1832 until 1932, the firm produced mechanical musical Instruments of highest quality. ...

Duo-Art featured artists such as Ignace Jan Paderewski, George Gershwin,Maurice Ravel, Percy Grainger, Leopold Godowsky and Ferruccio Busoni. The Ampico brand's featured artists included Sergei Rachmaninoff, Leo Ornstein, and Marguerite Volavy. For Welte-Mignon there played artists like Gustav Mahler, Claude Debussy, Alexander Scriabin Ignacy Jan Paderewski Ignacy Jan Paderewski (November 6, 1860 – June 29, 1941) was a Polish pianist, composer and politician, the third Prime Minister of Poland. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Maurice Ravel in 1912. ... Percy Aldridge Grainger (8 July 1882 – 20 February 1961) was an Australian-born pianist, composer, and champion of the saxophone and the Concert band. ... Leopold Godowsky (Leopold Godowski) (February 13, 1870–November 21, 1938) was a famed pianist, composer, and teacher. ... Ferruccio Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (April 1, 1866 – July 27, 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, music teacher and conductor. ... Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (Russian: , Sergej Vasilevič Rakhmaninov, 1 April 1873 (N.S.) or 20 March 1873 (O.S.) – 28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor, one of the last great champions of the Romantic style of European classical music. ... Leo Ornstein (c. ... This article cites its sources but does not provide page references. ... Claude Debussy, photo by Félix Nadar, 1908. ... Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (Russian: Александр Николаевич Скрябин, Aleksandr Nikolaevič Skrjabin; sometimes transliterated as Skryabin (6 January 1872 – 27 April 1915) was a Russian modernist composer and pianist. ...

References

• Elaine Obenchain: The complete catalog of Ampico Reproducing Piano rolls. New York: American Piano Co., ca.. 1977. ISBN 0-9601172-1-0; (out of print).

• Charles Davis Smith: Duo-Art piano music: a complete classified catalog of music recorded for the Duo-Art reproducing piano compiled and annotated by Charles Davis Smith. Monrovia, California, ca. 1987; (out of print).

• Charles David Smith and Richard James Howe: The Welte-Mignon, its music and musicians; complete catalogue of Welte-Mignon reproducing piano recordings 1905 - 1932, historical overview of companies and individuals, biographical essays on the recording artists and composers. Vestal, NY: Vestal Press, 1994. ISBN 1-879511-17-7; (out of print).

• Gerhard Dangel und Hans-W. Schmitz: Welte-Mignon-Reproduktionen / Welte-Mignon Reproductions. Gesamtkatalog der Aufnahmen für das Welte-Mignon Reproduktions-Piano 1905-1932 / Complete Library Of Recordings For The Welte-Mignon Reproducing Piano 1905-1932. Stuttgart 2006. ISBN 3-00-017110-X

Sources

1. ^ www.pianola.org
2. ^ US-Patent 287.599, Emil Welte, New York, 30. Oktober 1883 [1]

See also

• Book music
• Music roll is the generic term for similar rolls used to operate fairground organs (or band organs), calliopes, hand-cranked organs, orchestrions and other types of automatically played pipe organ or mechanical organ.

Book Music is the European version of making mechanical music medium for organs in Europe and it is actually similar to piano rolls, but book music is produced by thick cardboard, with perforated holes, and it is presented and played in a folded zig-zag style. ... A Music Roll is used to operate a Mechanical organ or Orchestrion and contains the music to be played. ... Fairground organ A fairground organ is a pipe organ which is not played from a keyboard, but rather by mechanical means such as music roll or book music, and designed originally to be used on a fairground or in the United States on a carousel or in a dance-hall... Circus calliope, lithograph by Gibson & Co. ... The name orchestrion has been applied to three different kinds of musical instruments: A chamber organ, designed by Abt Vogler in 1785, which in a space of 9 cub. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany // The pipe organ (Greek ὄργανον, órganon) is a musical instrument that produces sound by admitting pressurized air through a series of pipes. ... A Mechanical organ is an organ that is self playing, rather than played by a musician. ...

External links

• QRS (in business for 105 years, still manufactures and sells music rolls)
• Themodist com - extensive player piano, piano roll and player organ information site
• Julian Dyer Piano Rolls - new Duo-Art 100% accurate music rolls

• Pianola.co.nz - Listen to MIDI files created by scanning player piano rolls
• Information about Welte-Mignon
• L. D. Henderson tells a modern roll-arranger's story.
• Warren Trachtman's Piano Roll Scanning Information Page
• Maesto - Recuts of music- and piano-rolls
• The Player Piano Group : the main UK society