Welte-Mignon - The World of Mechanical Music (Full Documentary, 1998)

[@Velostigmat]

If only this had English subtitles.

[@kyokutyou2007]

0:01 Does anyone guess the music name? It sounds like composed by Nancarrow

[@matiasocarez]

it sounds like Antheil

[@rowanbelt3612]

Not sure but at 0:10 is George Antheil Sonate Sauvage second movement.

[@mstalcup]

The man shown at 2:21 is the composer Conlon Nancarrow, who probably wrote some of the music we are hearing.

[@kurtkaufman]

This is quite an old video. I wonder if there has been any additional scholarship since that answers some of the questions raised. My understanding of German is somewhat limited. I understand that Welte-Mignon was the only one that used technicology that allowed pianists to produce the roles directly by themselves, including expression, as opposed to the Duo-Art, in which the dynamics and pedaling were apparently added later.

[@karlpete-]

The technology has been incorrectly described in every case since it was invented, because Edwin Welte and Karl Bokisch kept it proprietary. The hammer positions were analog recorded by their positions varying a carbon to mercury resistance, the current squeezing inked v-faced rollers onto moving paper. When dry, the resistance of this varying carbon ink trace created a varying voltage moving probably a voice coil which varied a pneumatic bleed which "power steered" the piano action/hammer. Subsequent punching of a first master roll and automatic analog conversion of the hammer acceleration into treble and base portion controls created the second master roll which was edited for conflicts, resulting in the production master. In this way an enormous number of hand played rolls by known artists could reach the public and were deemed credible by the pianists. Only the late Ampico spark-gap chronograph recordings had a technical chance of reaching this accuracy.

[@kurtkaufman]

@@karlpete- Thank you for this explanation. I had never encountered any of the specifics before.

[@karlpete-]

​@@kurtkaufman That is because those who have "explained" it were favoring their egos rather than making any attempt to know the facts. Sigh...

[@DjTonioRoffo]

How did it record the dynamics?

[@Rollkragenpullover]

Sehr zäh und langatmig, teilweise ist das Hinschauen nicht auszuhalten. Nur sehr geringe Informationen für die Länge des Videos. Kommentarlose Bilder, widersprüchliche Aussagen einfach aneinander gereiht, keine Urhebernennung (z.B. Toch und Haass, wiewohl die Stücke fast in ganzer Länge zu hören sind). Von Anfang an ist man genervt, bis zur Hälfte habe ich durchgehalten. Wie schade.

[@moriscengic]

Extremely annoying music this Nancarow

[@ZannMusicCom]

Grauenhafte "Dokumentation". Der Informationsgehalt ist sehr niedrig, dafür wird man ständig mit mechanischer Musik zugeplärrt. Ich habe nicht alles angeschaut, gibt es hier auch kritische Töne zu dem nicht wirklich gut funktionierenden System, wie Aufnahmen von Debussy und anderen belegen?

[@sandrosmusikautomaten3071]

Also mechanische Musik kann man das nicht mehr Nennen einfach irgendwelche Töne aneinander gepresst. Nur manchmal im Video hört man wirklich wie das Welte Mignon Spielt. Die Technik war und ist immerhin eine der Am best Ausgetüftelsten die es gibt.