Evening star., 1948-08-29
Last Century's Robot Music
Still Challenges Modern Era

LECTURERS, suspected OF 1raUd, invited
scientists of the French Academy to
inspect the mechanism. Their con-
firmation of the Inventions authen-
ITCHY was made public as follows:
When the instrument receives
varied theme, it decomposes varia-
tions automatically, reproducing
different parts of same in all pos
sible orders of Formulation. None
of the variations last over a minute.
Yet through the principle of varia-
bility which the machine possesses,
it might continue to play not only
during years and ages without ever
Iresuming precisely the same COM
bination, but during so immense
series Of ages that, though figures
might be brought to express them,
common language could not"
Musical Petticoat.
OF machine-made music found in
boxes, bicycles and automatons of
that period, none surpass in in
genuity the creation OF q musical
petticoat," invented by . Partisan
couturier in 1860. The inventor be-
lieved that the luxury Of ballroom
orchestras could be dispensed with
II girls could have music at their
beck and call. The mechanism of
the invention was worked by air,
not unlike the old-time organs. In
fiated crinolines, by means of con-
cealed gadgets, were made to play
polkas, waltzes and quadrilles. There
was no extra charge for overtime!
However, Chopin was not the only
composer who was impressed by the
use of electrons in the automaton
he heard sing. Strange as it may
seem, quite few modernists favor
canned music. One of these, Edgar
Varese of the Columbia Univer-
sity, hopes that electronic instru-
ments will ''liberate music" as he
puts 1t. Artists will be dispensed
with. Composers will need only
engineers as collaborators and
button to release their musical brain
children. Only then may they be
assured Of having their works re-
produced exactly as they conceived
them, so they think. Past expert
ence has taught, however, that COM
posers are not the best Interpreters
Of their own music and that it takes
an artist to make 1t intelligible. Yet,
1t Is not unlikely that electronic
machines would help to produce
more, possibly everything that had
lain for centuries forgotten on
shelves Of libraries and publishing
houses and could keep the public
abreast with the times.
Known for His "Hyperprism."
Mr.. Varese comes from France
where variety Of electronic instru-
ments has been officially introduced
in public schools. He believes that
they have unlimited possibilities for
originating new musical sounds, If
properly developed.
The noted musician is known as
composer of q number of unusual
works. He was very much in the
news quarter of q century ago
when Leopold Stokowski presented
his "Hyperprism." For the sake of
greater objectivity Of sound, as he
understands it, Mr.. Varese elimi-
mated the strings and placed
great deal of emphasis on the dy-
namics. "Hyperprism" requires
large battery of 16 persuasive in
struments. 1t Is said that the COM
poser has outdistanced Stravinsky
in the use of these and in rhyth-
mical complexity.
This is all part of developments
that are precursors of a new musi-
cal future. With the trend toward
substitutes for the liv-
ing musicians the training of the
latter may take 4 new turn. |