Unplayed by Human Hands

"Unplayed By Human Hands" are the titles of two album recordings made in the mid-1970s of computerized organ performances recorded at the All Saints Church in Pasadena, California on their 90-rank Schlicker pipe organ. The project was headed by Prentiss Knowlton, a student of computer science at the University of Utah.

The computer employed for the task of controlling the pipe organ was a PDP-8 minicomputer manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in 1965.

Electronics by Robert Bennion and James Henry. Computer programming by Alan C. Ashton, Robert Bennion, James Henry and Prentiss Knowlton. Music programming by Prentiss Knowlton, James Henry and R. Kent Asmussen. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Track listing

unplayed by human hands - a computer performed organ recital - CR 9115

Cover of the "recital" album. CR 9115

Side 1

1. RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLE-BEE
2. ROGER DUCASSE: PASTORALE IN F
3. MOZART: OVERTURE FROM THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, K. 492
4. JOPLIN: MAPLE LEAF RAG

Side 2

1. BACH: CONCERTO IN A MINOR (after Vivaldi), BWV 593
2. IVES: VARIATIONS ON AMERICA

unplayed by human hands - in concert on the ninety-rank schlicker pipe organ - CH 9771

Cover of the "in concert" album. CH 9771

Side 1

1. Franz Schubert: INSTANT MUSIC
2. Dudley Buck: NEW ANGLES ON THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER
3. Felix-Alexandre Guilmant: MARCHING-SONG OF THE ANGEL OF DEATH

Side 2

1. Dietrich Buxtehude: FANTASIA IN THE LAND OF THE FREE
2. Johan Halvorsen: ENTRY OF THE PRIVILEGED LANDHOLDING CLASS
3. Vladimir Ussachevsky: FANTASY: EVERYTHING IS COMPUTERIZED

Actual titles

The names of the songs as printed on this album are distorted in one way or another. The following is a list of the actual titles and their composers.

1. 6 Moments musicaux, Op.94 D.780 - No.3 in F minor (Allegro moderato) by Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
2. The Star spangled banner  : concert variations for organ by Dudley Buck (1839 - 1909)
3. Marche funèbre et chant séraphique, opus 17 by Félix-Alexandre Guilmant (1837 - 1911)
4. Fantasia in F by Dietrich Buxtehude (1637 - 1707)
5. Entry of the Boyars by Johan Halvorsen (1864 - 1935)
6. Omnia computatus est by Vladimir Ussachevsky (1911 - 1990)

External links

• An Unofficial Archive of Unplayed by Human Hands, Google Drive 17i8vbNJoBdyguvg5SVvsBC1Owg9ncSO5
• Unplayed by Human Hands ("in concert" album), Computer History Museum
• https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221626/http://stringcanphone.tribe.net/thread/7939abff-80bb-4489-a9d9-131365f48fb3

References

1. unplayed by human hands, a computer-performed organ recital, (LP album cover) CR 9115, Creative Record Service, 1975; 9115-back.png; https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b0M5NeoHl7XtyOMm3Vnr5Y_eG3aGhaJQ
2. unplayed by human hands, in concert on the ninety-rank schlicker pipe organ, (LP album cover) CH 9771, Computer Humanities, 1976; 9771-back.png; https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WbCmpGMogJgHmCgIq7PmEphNLbBUbD6l
3. "...I got a PhD in Computer Science out of the deal in 1971, by programming a computer to play an electronic organ. Back home, I talked All Saint's Episcopal Church in Pasadena into letting me hook up a computer to their 90-rank Schlicker Pipe organ, put on two public concerts, got some TV coverage, and produced two record albums..."; Prentiss Knowlton, Crescenta Valley High School Class of 1964 Reunion website; http://web.archive.org/web/20040909082108/http://www.cvfalcons.com/alumni/classof64al.html