Listen to the Ballet Mecanique

Listen to History!
Please Note: RealAudio files have become very problematic.
We have switched to MP3s. Thank you, Rogue Amoeba and Audio Hijack!

The Ballet Mécanique on the air!

Wednesday, November 17, 1999, on National Public Radio's Morning Edition.
Thursday, November 18, 1999, on the Canadian Broadcasting System's As It Happens (move ahead to 11:15)
Friday, December 1, 2000, Paul is interviewed in connection with Sarah Cahill's historic Antheil/Leo Ornstein concert, by NPR/WNYC's Sara Fishko on The Fishko Files

Tuesday, July 31, 2001, Bruce Posner is interviewed on NPR's Morning Edition about the Unseen Cinema film series
Saturday, March 18, 2006, Paul Lehrman and Eric Singer are interviewed about the Ballet mécanique at the National Gallery of Art on Weekend America

Tuesday, April 4, 2006, Lloyd Schwartz reviews the Ballet mécanique at the National Gallery of Art on Fresh Air
Friday, June 6, 2008. Charles Amirkhanian and Eric Singer are interviewed on WNYC's Soundcheck about the Antheil's Legacy concert at 3-Legged Dog following a performance of the play "Frequency Hopping"

Friday, June 20, 2008. Elyse Singer, author and director of "Frequency Hopping," in interviewed on NPR's Science Friday about George Antheil and Hedy Lamarr

Jean Shepherd, author, humorist, and radio storyteller extraordinaire, was a big George Antheil fan. On his late-night radio show, Shepherd would often play a recording of Ballet Mécanique as background music to his stories of the steel mills and factories of the Midwest, and other scary settings.

When Antheil died in 1959, Shepherd did a tribute to him on the air. Richard Starr has found a recording of that show, and sent it to us. Here's an excerpt.

Read the whole story in the March, 2000 issue of Mix magazine and a longer version in the Insider Audio Bathroom Reader.

Shepherd passed away on October 16, 1999, in Florida. A memorial page where you can learn more about him and contribute your own memories and stories, is here. Also check out the book about his life and career, Excelsior, You Fathead! by Eugene B. Bergmann

Here are three excerpts from an interview with George Antheil by Truman Rex Fisher,
for KPPC Radio, Pasadena, California, in 1958.

1) George's Earliest Musical Memory

2) What Happened in Paris

3) Life In Hollywood

The full interview is now available on a wonderful new CD release of Antheil's music from Other Minds.
Check it out!

And there's more!!

A complete 1953 "composer-supervised" recording of the 1952 version of the piece, conducted by Carlos Surinach

An excerpt from the 1952 version, from a spectacular CD by the New Jersey Percussion Ensemble, conducted by Raymond DesRoches

Two stories from 's Weekend Edition:

Guy Livingston on Antheil's Lost Sonatas
and Tony Rothman on the Antheil/Hedy Lamarr "Secret Communications System".

Who's Paul Lehrman?