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MMD > Archives > December 2009 > 2009.12.23 > 02Prev  Next


Japanese Music on Piano Rolls
By Gregory Filardo

I found three rolls manufactured by the Autopiano Company of New York from
about 1909.  The roll label states 88-note at the very top and beneath
that in parentheses is (Special) and no roll number is given.  After
playing them the music is most likely Japanese as it is in a pentatonic
scale (5 tone).  The three roll titles are

  (1) Tsurukame,
  (2) Genrokuodori, and the last one is
  (3) Kwanjincho.

Has anyone seen anything like this?  It has to be some of the earliest
music of this type recorded.  The great thing about mechanical music
is, unlike finding old scrolls, we unravel ours and they open the door
to other worlds and ancient times...

Gregory Filardo



(Message sent Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:41:06 -0800 (PST) , from time zone -0800.)

Key Words in Subject:  Japanese, Music, Piano, Rolls

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