Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina

[Peter]

Originally invented in 1907 by German industrialist/instrument maker Ludwig Hupfeld, this orchestrion was a highlight of the World's Exhibition of 1910 in Brussels. Three violins (each with only one active string) mounted vertically were played by a round rotating bow made of 1300 threads of horse hair, according to the program on the roll of perforated paper. The small bellows replaced the violin player's fingers, pressing on the strings to obtain the necessary notes. The piano can be driven either unaccompanied or together with the violins. It controls 38 accompaniment keys with 12 high notes (one octave) in extension. The whole pneumatic systems are controlled by an electric engine of uninterrupted current.

[Chris]

An interesting contraption, and it sounds far better than I expected!

There's long been this idea of creating instruments that will automatically play music from a piano roll or other similar source. Now we have computers that can do it flawlessly, complete with AI that can do it in the style of whatever performer you want. And now having finally achieved the ultimate expression of that... it's boring. It's boring while devices like this continue to fascinate. There's something about knowing the ingenuity that went into the playing device and watching its complex action that makes it possible to connect with on a human level, something like watching another human actually play the music. You think about the inventor getting the idea, struggling through various failed attempts, and finally figuring it out. Just as when you see a great musician, you think of his hours of practice, puzzling over the score, making just the right interpretational choices.

[Sorrano]

I think you can say that AI has no soul. It reminds me of Peer Gynt peeling an onion, then fussing over that it has no heart.