Music Impossible for Human Hands

Conlon Nancarrow used player pianos to create music that no human could ever play. His compositions feature speeds and rhythmic layers so complex that they physically exceed the limits of our anatomy.

Because he was not limited by ten fingers or two hands, Nancarrow used a punch-card system to compose hyper-complex rhythms. He spent decades in isolation in Mexico, perfecting these intricate rolls that sound like a whirlwind of notes. It was not until late in his life that the world realized he had invented a new frontier of musical possibility. His work serves as a fascinating precursor to modern computer-generated sound.