Phantom Hands Will Live Forever: Reading the Player Piano Anew

The player piano is one of the most overlooked musical instruments of the early 20th century. I present here a new historical reading of the player piano, drawing together the fields of organology, science and technology studies, literature studies, and cultural critical theory. I start with an overview of the instrument's design and history, and then situate its invention and exponential growth within the music industry. I conclude by examining the response of the author William Gaddis to the player piano, and how this directs us to consider the player piano itself through the critical lens of Adornean late style.