# Antheil, George (1900-1959)



## science

Astonishing that we don't have a thread for this guy yet!

The work by him that I know best is Ballet Mécanique (1923-4), one of those fine works that ended with a riot - good times for everyone. I'd love to see it performed - "player pianos, airplane propellers, and electric bells stand prominently onstage, moving as machines do, and providing the visual side of the ballet."

The recordings I've heard:

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But he has a lot of other works too - symphonies, all kinds of things. I wonder whether you have any favorite works or recordings? What would your recommend to an Antheil newbie like me?


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## Guest

*George Antheil*






This is Antheil's best known piece composed in 1915. He original intended that it would be performed by synced-up player pianos but could not devise a syncing method. He re-wrote it for orchestra which included various types of doorbells as well as airplane propellers. The piece was originally intended as a soundtrack for a silent dadaist film.

But Antheil was more than a quirky composer. He and Hollywood starlet, Hedy Lamarr, were both intensely interested in technology and science and invented a method of thwarting Nazi attempts to intercept Allied signals called "Frequency Hopping." It used a piano roll that switched 88 different signals at irregular intervals making it impossible to intercept or to jam up. The Allied govts weren't interested although Antheil and Lamarr received patent for their invention in 1941.

Navy ships first began to use the patent during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Navy discovered a number of uses for it. The concept underlying Frequency Hopping is known as "spread spectrum" which is the basis of cellular technology especially in Bluetooth devices.

As a result, Antheil and Lamarr were awarded with an Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award in 1997. Lamarr also became the first woman to receive a BULBIE (Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award) given to inventors. So every time you pick up your Android or smartphone, give a bit of homage to George and Hedy. Sometimes truth truly is stranger than fiction.


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## arpeggio

Have you seen my post on the piano music of Antheil? http://www.talkclassical.com/1006-latest-purchases-215.html#post853395

Also Science started a thread on Antheil last year: http://www.talkclassical.com/32577-antheil-george-1900-1959-a.html?highlight=antheil

Unfortunately there was only one post in it. He composed some great stuff including some outstanding movie sound tracks.


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## starthrower

Never heard of him, but there seems to be quite a few recordings. I'll be looking into some of them.


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## elgar's ghost

His early stuff is undoubtedly more spiky and playful, possibly as a result of living in Paris hanging out with the likes of Cocteau and Man Ray. Arpeggio mentions the piano works and they are worth investigating - some of the shorter ones remind me of what later Satie might have sounded like had he immersed himself in Gershwin. Antheil's other notable works from his early days include a series of sonatas for violin and piano, two piano concertos and a 'Jazz Symphony', which is actually more along the lines of a piano concertante work.

His post-Parisian output is more docile but extremely well constructed - works include the zeitoper-style 'Transatlantic' (one of those neglected operas which is crying out for a recording), the symphonies 3-6 and the tone poem/overture 'McKonkey's Ferry'.

Most of his film soundtracks seem to remain unavailable - perhaps some enterprising label might 'do a Korngold' and unearth some of them.


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## science

elgars ghost said:


>


I've been giving that one the eye for several years now. Maybe it's time to pull the ol' trigger....


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## elgar's ghost

^
^

It's a good purchase IMO, Science - not only is it is an interesting mix of orchestral and solo works but I think it's the only recording around which includes both of the concertos.


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## jdoggtn

I've heard everything that has been recorded or released, and I have even managed to hear Antheil's opera "Transatlantic" from an audience-recorded CD. However, the works I would most like to hear have never been recorded, including the "Water-Music-For-Fourth-of-July-Evening" (1942), Nocturne in Skyrockets (1950), Over the Plains (1947), Tragic Symphony (1944), either version of the Second Symphony (1937-1944), the Symphony En Fa (1925), the opera Helen Retires (1934), the Violin Concerto (1947) and the cantata Cabeza de Vaca (1955). Some recordings of some of these do exist, but they're held in institutions that won't allow copying or sharing, sadly.


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