Digitising Piano Rolls

Piano rolls are audio witnesses of their time. Produced in their millions, they preserve musical interpretations, performance practices and listening habits of the period around 1900 and the first decades of the 20th century. Yet their survival is increasingly at risk: rolls are deteriorating, playback devices are decaying and knowledge about their use and digitisation of the rolls is scattered across the globe. This book is the first comprehensive anthology dedicated to the digitisation of piano rolls. It brings together fundamental principles, methods and research findings that were previously difficult to access, making decades of expertise available in a systematic format for the first time. Renowned international specialists provide insights into scanning technologies, data processing, the emulation of reproducing piano rolls and the transformation of historical data into audible music. Originating from a research project at the Deutsches Museum, this volume is an essential resource for museums, archives, scholars and collectors, as well as anyone with an interest in this musical heritage and its digital preservation.