Album

Conlon Nancarrow's Studies for Player Piano is a cycle of work unique in many respects, not the least being its seeming indivisibility from itself. As the primary text of the music is a hand-punched piano roll intended to be played on specific, Ampico model player pianos, it does not lead to a wide range of options in terms of interpretation. While instrumental versions of some Nancarrow rolls have been recorded by live players, the high level of rhythmic complexity employed in much of this music rather restricts it to within the realm of the rolls on which they were written, or conceivably also through realization on computer. Based on such parameters, one might think that all compact disc representations of Nancarrow's player piano music are created equal, but they are not so. This one, Other Minds' Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano, stems from master tapes made in Mexico City for release on the 1750 Arch label in the 1970s and '80s, with Nancarrow's own specially retrofitted pianos, in Nancarrow's studio, and with the composer himself picking tempos and working with producer Charles Amirkhanian to achieve ideal results. These recordings were considered state of the art at the time and still sound great, and can certainly be considered definitive; CDs drawing from sources made later represent the music as played back by other machines and operators. While the differences might be slight, they are still significant, particularly in regard to tempo choices, which can either make or break this music, and breaking it isn't hard to do at all. Hearing them played back on Nancarrow's pianos also affords an additional layer of articulation missing from many reproductions; one of Nancarrow's pianos was fitted with metal hammers, resulting a clattery sense of attack, whereas the other had hammers covered with leather strips for a more mellow sound. Make no mistake about it: the Other Minds set truly represents what Nancarrow himself wanted you to hear when it came to his player piano music, and he did have very specific ideas about that.

© Uncle Dave Lewis , Rovi

CD 1 of 4
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.3a Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
1	Study for Player Piano No.3a	3:01			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.3b Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
2	Study for Player Piano No.3b	4:45			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.3c Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
3	Study for Player Piano No.3c	2:23			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.3d Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
4	Study for Player Piano No.3d	2:10			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.3e Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
5	Study for Player Piano No.3e	2:06			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.20 "Cloud" Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
6	Study for Player Piano No.20 "Cloud"	5:58			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for two player pianos, No.41, canonic study in irrational tempi Work 20:14 Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
7	Study No.41a	7:10			$1.49
8	Study No.41b	5:50			$0.99
9	Study No.41c	7:14			$1.49
CD 2 of 4
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.5 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
1	Study for Player Piano No.5	2:18			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.6 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
2	Study for Player Piano No.6	2:44			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.14, canon 4/5 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
3	Study for Player Piano No.14, canon 4/5	1:19			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.22, canon 1%/1.5%/2.25% Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
4	Study for Player Piano No.22, canon 1%/1.5%/2.25%	3:27			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.26, canon 1/1 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
5	Study for Player Piano No.26, canon 1/1	4:44			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.31, canon 21/24/25 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
6	Study for Player Piano No.31, canon 21/24/25	1:31			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.35 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
7	Study for Player Piano No.35	6:15			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.4 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
8	Study for Player Piano No.4	3:00			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.32, canon 5/6/7/8 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
9	Study for Player Piano No.32, canon 5/6/7/8	2:20			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.37, 12-voice canon Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
10	Study for Player Piano No.37, 12-voice canon	10:36			$1.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for 2 player pianos, No.40 "Trancendental", canon e/pi Work 8:15 Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
11	Study No.40a	3:49			$0.99
12	Study No.40b	4:26			$0.99
CD 3 of 4
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Sonatina for piano Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
1	Sonatina for piano	4:03			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.1, an arch-form study Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
2	Study for Player Piano No.1, an arch-form study	2:03			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.2a, a blues study Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
3	Study for Player Piano No.2a, a blues study	1:59			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.7 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
4	Study for Player Piano No.7	5:55			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.8, an acceleration study Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
5	Study for Player Piano No.8, an acceleration study	4:11			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.10 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
6	Study for Player Piano No.10	3:01			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.15, canon 3/4 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
7	Study for Player Piano No.15, canon 3/4	1:00			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.21 "Canon X" Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
8	Study for Player Piano No.21 "Canon X"	2:46			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.23, acceleration study Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
9	Study for Player Piano No.23, acceleration study	4:21			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.24, canon 14/15/16 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
10	Study for Player Piano No.24, canon 14/15/16	3:57			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.25 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
11	Study for Player Piano No.25	5:30			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.33, canon 2/square root of 2 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
12	Study for Player Piano No.33, canon 2/square root of 2	5:18			$0.99
CD 4 of 4
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.9 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
1	Study for Player Piano No.9	3:45			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.11, an isorhythmic blues study Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
2	Study for Player Piano No.11, an isorhythmic blues study	3:27			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.12 "Spanish" Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
3	Study for Player Piano No.12 "Spanish"	4:12			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.13 (no score extant, only piano roll) Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
4	Study for Player Piano No.13 (no score extant, only piano roll)	2:29			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.16, double canon Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
5	Study for Player Piano No.16, double canon	3:13			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.17, canon 12/15/20 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
6	Study for Player Piano No.17, canon 12/15/20	1:23			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.18, canon 3/4 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
7	Study for Player Piano No.18, canon 3/4	2:08			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.19, canon 12/15/20 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
8	Study for Player Piano No.19, canon 12/15/20	1:05			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.27, canon 5%/6%/8%/11% Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
9	Study for Player Piano No.27, canon 5%/6%/8%/11%	5:27			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.28 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
10	Study for Player Piano No.28	2:32			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.29 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
11	Study for Player Piano No.29	3:06			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.34, canon 9/10/11; 4/5/6 (also arranged as a string trio) Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
12	Study for Player Piano No.34, canon 9/10/11; 4/5/6 (also arranged as a string trio)	4:05			$0.99
Conlon Nancarrow Composer Study for Player Piano No.36, canon 17/18/19/20 Work Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano
13	Study for Player Piano No.36, canon 17/18/19/20	3:56			$0.99