From: gratz@ite121.inf.tu-dresden.de              To: ALL
Subj: Re: Nancarrow             Area: 0-rec.music.maker   Date: 04/19/95
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•>>>>> "Terry" == Terry Smythe <smythe@access.mbnet.mb.ca> writes:

    Terry> Knowing the player piano to have abilities far in excess of
    Terry> the human hands, Nancarrow composed music that put
    Terry> extraordinary demands on the Ampico system, requiring a
    Terry> piano capable of flawless performance.

Wasn't the reason Nancarrow switched to player pianos the first public
performance of a work for _seven_ pianos?  Reportedly the players had
only two sessions together and only four at a time; so only one had
played at both sessions.  The performance ended in a catastrophe right
in the middle of the piece.  Nacarrow then never wrote a piece for
human players again, so I'm told.  Is that true?

    Terry> I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Nancarrow in San
    Terry> Francisco in 1988 when he was inducted into the Automatic
    Terry> Musical Instruments Collectors' Association as an Honorary
    Terry> Lifetime Member.  Very interesting gentleman you will never
    Terry> forget.

Lucky you.  If I gather right, large part of his work is still
unpublished.  Are there any recordings of the published ones?


--¶
Achim Gratz¶
-+==##{([***Murphy is always right***])}##==+-¶
E-Mail: gratz@ite.inf.tu-dresden.de¶ 
Phone:  +49 351 4575 - 325