George Antheil arrives in New York for the historic (and disastrous) American premiere of Ballet mécanique at Carnegie Hall, April 1927. Courtesy of the estate of George Antheil

MIAMI BEACH, FL.- The Wolfsonian-Florida International University will mount a fully automated/robotic orchestration of the then-scandalous 1924 Ballet mécanique, the most notorious “lost” musical composition of the twentieth century, which was both hailed and hated upon its debut. Its young American composer George Antheil, known for his outrageous composition and piano recitals and for stirring up controversy, was considered by the Parisian artistic community as the musical spokesman for modernist ideals. Ballet mécanique was considered Antheil’s magnum opus. The original composition calls for ten human musicians, including two pianists; four bass drums; three xylophones; a tam-tam; seven electric bells; three airplane propellers; a siren; and sixteen player pianos. Highly rhythmic, often brutalistic, the piece combines atonal music and jazz. Lire la suite http://www.artdaily.com/section/news/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=21738