Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-07
BY HENRIETTA STRAUS.

BADEN BADEN. July, 1927.-How
deeply man has become enslaved by
the Soulless miracles of machinery is
finding sharp revelation at this fes-
tival, where the future" tendencies
of music are being illustrated by
mechanical player instruments and
even by a music chronometer" to
measure the tempo and rhythm of
notes and synchroniZe them with mo-
ton. One program contained origi-
nal compositions for mechanical
organs and pianos; another gave
an exposition Of the accurate
powers Of the Emusic chronOmeter"
in timing music with the motion
Of q film, whether the music was
played by a visible human orchestra,
by mechanical player instrument
or through the vitaphone. Both con-
certs emphasized one and the same
fact: that new music is being made
for mechanical Instruments, and that
it has no life or meaning apart from
those instruments.
There was a "Toccata and Scherzo."
for a mechanical piano, by young
E,sthonian, Nicolai Lopatnikoff, and a
"Capriccio Fugue and Intermezzo.'
for the same instrument. by a young
German, Hans Haas. in all of
which there were dazzling effects in
scales and other technical fireworks
far beyond the ability Of human
hands. There was "Study for Me-
chanical Organ" by Ernst Toch of
Vienna that brought forth brilliant
orchestral results Of which no organ
list could have even dreamed. There
was q suite for this same instrument
by Paul Hindemith that brought out
more cheap. flaShy effects than any
ordinary theater orchestra could ever
aspire to, and even the first part OF
George Antheil's Ballet Mecanlque,
arranged by the composer for me-
chanical PIANO. and, it must be con-
fessed. most disappointing in its dull
results. All these works showed the
technical resources Of these mechani'
cal instruments to be far above the
imacination as we'll as the power or
the human performer. but all were
equally devoid Of one human or per-
sonal note that could be called music
| in the general acceptance OF the term.
The second concert was designed
to show the strides made in unlfylnS
music with the film. And films. also,
| TODAY have their "opuses." it seems.
Opus 4, for instance, by certain
Walter Ruttmann, proved to be a
continuously changing design or DOCKS
and colors. which may or may not
have been highly symbolical, but was
certainly not particularly significant
artistically. This film was given
twice, once with music for hammer
orchester by, Hans Eisler. with Paul
Gergely conducting. and once with the
same music through the tri ergon-
verfahren. or vitaphone. In both in
stances the music chronometer was
used to time the tempo and rhythm OIL
the music with the film. 1t was also
used again in the second and last
film, Sullivan's Felix the Cat at the
Circus" for which Paul Hindemith
has written music to be played by a
mechanical organ. This music chro-
nometer. which was invented by Ger.
tain Carl Robert Blum, is far advanced
beyond the metronome in that it re-
cords proportionately every acceier-
ando or retard, every nuance of time
and rhythm within a given tempo.
It's possibilities are apparently unlim-
tied. according to the inventor. though
they did not seem especially startling