George Antheil

“This disc is certain to become a party record for technophiles,
but just about everyone else will have fun too!”
says . Read the entire review…

“If Holst's Mars was the bringer of war,
then Ballet Mécanique sounds like war itself.”
says (UK). Read the entire review…

“A hell of a racket, exciting and brutal at the same time.”
says ClassicalCDreview.com. Read the entire review…

click to enlarge	Ballet mécanique and other works for Player Pianos, Percussion, and Electronics Electronic Music Foundation CD 020 includes 24-page program booklet
click to enlarge	Recorded November 20, 1999 at Durgin Concert Hall, University of Massachusetts Lowell Engineers: Jonathan Wyner, Bill Carman Mixed at Sounds Interesting, Middleborough, Mass. Mastered at M-Works, Cambridge, Mass. PRODUCED BY PAUL D. LEHRMAN

Program and samples:

Double Music (1941) by John Cage/Lou Harrison (6:43)
Peter Himmer, percussion I • Abe Finch, percussion II
Scott Dupre, James Powers, percussion III • Zach Field, percussion IV
Jeffrey Fischer, conductor

Shoot The Piano Player (1995) by Richard Grayson (4:33)
Mr. 528 (1996) by Richard Grayson (6:50)
for player pianos and electronics (first recordings)

Ritmica No. 5 and Ritmica No. 6 (1930) by Amadeo Roldán (2:42, 1:54)
Scott Brenner, Scott Dupre, Zach Field, Abe Finch, Peter Himmer, Dorathea Kastanas, Michael Murgia,
Aaron Pearsall, James Powers, Andrea Scott, Simon Thomsen
Jeffrey Fischer, conductor

Finale ("Saltarello, Presto") from Symphony No. 4 ("Italian") (1822)
by Felix Mendelssohn, arranged by Paul D. Lehrman (6:01)
for 16 player pianos (first recording)

Ballet pour Instruments Mécaniques et Percussion (1924) by George Antheil (30:51)
for three xylophones, four bass drums, tamtam, two grand pianos, seven electric bells,
three airplane propellors, siren, and 16 player pianos (first recording of this version)
Abe Finch, James Powers, Andrea Scott, xylophones
Scott Dupre, xylophone and tam-tam
Peter Himmer, Zach Field, Simon Thomsen, Scott Brenner, bass drums
Juanita Tsu and John McDonald, pianos
Jeffrey Fischer, conductor

Listen to George Antheil himself, and to
radio legend Jean Shepherd's eulogy of him.

And what about the Léger film?

Read what audiences have been saying about the Ballet mécanique

Who's Paul Lehrman, and what's he going to do for his next act?

Other articles and links

Acknowledgements and Corporate Helpers