George Antheil was a brash young American composer in Europe during the roaring '20s. His ultra-modernist works, such as the Ballet mecanique for 16 player pianos, xylophones, bass drums, bells, sirens, and airplane propellers caused riots in the halls and the streets. He had, as Aaron Copland put it, "Paris by the ear." But the technology to perform the Ballet Mecanique actually didn't exist at the time, or in fact at any time during the composer's lifetime. In 1999, just before the 100th anniversary of his birth, thanks to modern music technology, a dedicated music publisher, and the latest computerized player pianos, Antheil's magnum opus was finally given the premiere it deserved.

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