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The music rolls
The
music rolls were made of thin paper, with the music notes in the
form of holes in the paper. Instructions for the player were printed
on the paper. Piano rolls had many different formats and sizes.
There was no standardisation until 1910: then the 88-note player was
introduced and this standard was accepted all over the world. The
majority of the rolls that have been produced were of the 88-note
type. On a reproducing piano one can only play the rolls recorded
for the instrument itself. In all there are dozens of different roll
sizes.
The repertoire
was very varied. A great deal of the music composed for the piano
was available on music rolls. Furthermore there was a wide variety
of orchestral music in two- or four-hand piano-transcriptions,
classical music (symphonies, overtures), popular music, opera,
operetta, dance music, songs. Whatever could be played on a piano,
could be punched on a music roll. Contemporary composers like
Stravinsky, Hindemith and Antheil were even tempted to make special
compositions which could only be performed by a player piano. These
compositions are often too complex to be played by the ten fingers
of one pianist or even the twenty fingers of two. |
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