(2026) The invisible musicians - A musical introduction to automatic instruments
Catégorie(s): Piano Folklorique, populaire et Jazz Raretés
Instrument(s): Piano
Compositeur principal: Compositeurs multiples (voir les collections)
Nb CD(s): 3
N° de catalogue:
CD 3148-50
Sortie: 23.10.2026
EAN/UPC: 7619931314822
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Cet album est en repressage. Précommandez-le dès maintenant à un prix spécial.
CHF 35.00
Cet album n'est plus disponible en CD.
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The instruments presented in this triple album are automatic. Although generally forgotten by today’s music lovers and musicians, they are typical of the years 1900-1930, and had their heydays, either in private salons or in public establishments. In our day and age, listening to such instruments by chance can prove disappointing and give rise to a certain incomprehension, if they are not properly restored, adjusted and tuned, or heard with an unsuitable repertoire. Our aim, therefore, is to show these automatic musical instruments in their optimum operating condition, and to hope to convince people of their musicological and even musical interest.
Readers interested in searching out more will find more detailed and comprehensive information by visiting the website www.claves.ch (CD 3148) or by scanning the code QR below.
Music of the Æolian Company
It was founded in New York around 1880. In the period 1900-1930, Æolian established itself as one of the most important manufacturers of automatic musical instruments, thanks to the reliability and musical quality of its instruments. It had important branches in Europe : in London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Milan. Æolian offered mainly four types of instruments : reed organs (Orchestrelles), residential pipe organs (so-called philharmonic organs), automatic pianos with perforated paper rolls (Pianolas) and “Duo-Art” reproducing pianos.
A 1917 reproducing piano Steinway Æolian Duo-Art
Developed by the famous Welte firm at the beginning of the twentieth century under the name “Mignon”, the reproducing piano consists firstly of a device (surrounded by technicians) that allows certain parameters of a pianist’s performance to be recorded on a roll of paper : general tempo, variations in speed, expression with several piano-forte levels, accents, independence of the low and medium-high registers, and, of course, the musical notes. Secondly, a device, either external or internal to the piano, reproducing the recording. Just read the comments of the time : the Welte-Mignon amazed musicians and music lovers. For the first time in History, it was possible to record a musical performance faithfully and convincingly (much better in the case of the piano than the contemporary phonograph cylinders or gramophone discs), to the point of arousing enthusiasm in the audience ; for example the composer and pianist Eugen d’Albert : “It is a source of pleasure and artistic satisfaction to me to have confided to the Welte- Mignon to day an extensive and varied program, which will transmit my art to posterity.”
Following Welte & Söhne, Æolian created its own reproducing system, called Duo-Art, and published around 4,000 titles until 1930. The Duo-Art repertoire is particularly varied. We have therefore ensured to record rolls that reflect this vast repertoire: ‘classical’ pieces (Beethoven, Chopin, Ravel, …), ‘dance’ or ‘descriptive’ pieces (Albeniz, Granados, Gottschalk, …), and even ‘popular’ pieces (the three fox-trots).
The interest in listening to these musical reproductions is not only entertainment ; it is also musicological. Although the virtuosity and musicality of Hofmann, Busoni and Bauer certainly had nothing to envy to those of today’s pianists, their performance habits could almost shock. However, let us not forget that at the time a great deal of importance was attached to the subjectivity of interpretations, and that all these pianists were outstanding improvisers. They did not hesitate to add or remove notes, or even whole bars, from the original scores, an attitude which, in our time, is considered musically heretical.
A 1910 Æolian 58-note Orchestrelle
This is a harmonium (i.e. a reed organ), an instrument used in schools or churches, but also in private music salons, mainly during the period 1850-1920. Here is the working principle : it consists in making a metal blade vibrate, fixed on a frame at one end, and left free at the other end. Vibration is achieved by passing a stream of air perpendicular to the blade, either by sucking or blowing (or both). Harmonicas and accordions also work in this way.
The special feature of Æolian Orchestrelles is that they can be used either manually or (semi-) automatically. For the latter option, a player with perforated paper in front of it plays the musical notes, while an operator pulls the organ registers at will and varies the expression by means of swells. By 1930, Æolian had published around 7,000 58-note titles. Compared with the Duo-Art repertoire, that of the Orchestrelles includes less “popular” music, but a fair amount of religious music. In our recordings, we have focused on operatic or salon music. We invite the listener to pay close attention to the extraordinary virtuosity that can be derived from the Æolian Orchestrelles, provided they are perfectly restored.
Deutsche Automatische Musik
In the nineteenth century and the first three decades of the twentieth, many German musical instrument manufacturers specialized in building orchestrions. Let us mention the companies Welte & Söhne (Freiburg im Breisgau), Philipps (Frankfurt am Main), Imhof & Mukle (Vörenbach), Gebrüder Weber (Waldkirch), Hupfeld (Leipzig). “Orchestrions” were instruments used to operate piano and/or organ and/or percussion registers, using either a pinned barrel or a pneumatic player.
A 1925 Weber-Unika Orchestrion
The Gebrüder Weber company was active in Waldkirch and built orchestrions from 1880 to 1930. Although exactly contemporary and based on similar technical principles (pneumatic reading and control systems), the instruments of the Æolian and Weber firms were different and were not intended for the same type of clientele : Æolian for a very wealthy private clientele ; Weber for public establishments (pubs, restaurants, hotels, sanatoriums, ballrooms and dance halls). Whatever the purpose of the musical instruments, the repertoire of Weber instruments is as varied as that of Æolian instruments, and ranges from “classical” concert music (overtures and fantasies on famous operas) to “popular” music (medleys of fashionable songs), through “light” “classical” music (overtures and extracts from operettas) and particularly varied dance music (polkas, mazurkas, länders, waltzes, tangos, foxtrots, one-steps, ...), not to mention the unclassifiable musical pieces (violin-piano salon duets, “genre” music, “descriptive” music, etc.).
As the name suggests, the Weber-Unika has only one organ register (which is supposed to imitate the playing of a violin), with a piano and mandolin effect. It is therefore one of the smallest orchestrions designed by the firm (the others include several organ registers and percussions). However, the notations for the Unika are just as elaborate as those for its bigger brothers.
Millions of different automatic instruments were built, particularly between 1780 and 1930. Sadly, most of them have been destroyed, and the few that remain pose restoration problems (like any old musical instrument), which explains why the musical impression provided by these devices is often perplexing. The undersigned hopes that listening to the three examples presented (restored, adjusted and tuned to the best) has been able to alleviate this persistent misunderstanding...
Frédéric Chaberlot
[Read more about the instruments in the booklet]
[Access the complete PDF "The Invisible Musicians]
(2026) The invisible musicians - A musical introduction to automatic instruments - CD 3148-50
The instruments presented in this triple album are automatic. Although generally forgotten by today’s music lovers and musicians, they are typical of the years 1900-1930, and had their heydays, either in private salons or in public establishments. In our day and age, listening to such instruments by chance can prove disappointing and give rise to a certain incomprehension, if they are not properly restored, adjusted and tuned, or heard with an unsuitable repertoire. Our aim, therefore, is to show these automatic musical instruments in their optimum operating condition, and to hope to convince people of their musicological and even musical interest.
Readers interested in searching out more will find more detailed and comprehensive information by visiting the website www.claves.ch (CD 3148) or by scanning the code QR below.
Music of the Æolian Company
It was founded in New York around 1880. In the period 1900-1930, Æolian established itself as one of the most important manufacturers of automatic musical instruments, thanks to the reliability and musical quality of its instruments. It had important branches in Europe : in London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Milan. Æolian offered mainly four types of instruments : reed organs (Orchestrelles), residential pipe organs (so-called philharmonic organs), automatic pianos with perforated paper rolls (Pianolas) and “Duo-Art” reproducing pianos.
A 1917 reproducing piano Steinway Æolian Duo-Art
Developed by the famous Welte firm at the beginning of the twentieth century under the name “Mignon”, the reproducing piano consists firstly of a device (surrounded by technicians) that allows certain parameters of a pianist’s performance to be recorded on a roll of paper : general tempo, variations in speed, expression with several piano-forte levels, accents, independence of the low and medium-high registers, and, of course, the musical notes. Secondly, a device, either external or internal to the piano, reproducing the recording. Just read the comments of the time : the Welte-Mignon amazed musicians and music lovers. For the first time in History, it was possible to record a musical performance faithfully and convincingly (much better in the case of the piano than the contemporary phonograph cylinders or gramophone discs), to the point of arousing enthusiasm in the audience ; for example the composer and pianist Eugen d’Albert : “It is a source of pleasure and artistic satisfaction to me to have confided to the Welte- Mignon to day an extensive and varied program, which will transmit my art to posterity.”
Following Welte & Söhne, Æolian created its own reproducing system, called Duo-Art, and published around 4,000 titles until 1930. The Duo-Art repertoire is particularly varied. We have therefore ensured to record rolls that reflect this vast repertoire: ‘classical’ pieces (Beethoven, Chopin, Ravel, …), ‘dance’ or ‘descriptive’ pieces (Albeniz, Granados, Gottschalk, …), and even ‘popular’ pieces (the three fox-trots).
The interest in listening to these musical reproductions is not only entertainment ; it is also musicological. Although the virtuosity and musicality of Hofmann, Busoni and Bauer certainly had nothing to envy to those of today’s pianists, their performance habits could almost shock. However, let us not forget that at the time a great deal of importance was attached to the subjectivity of interpretations, and that all these pianists were outstanding improvisers. They did not hesitate to add or remove notes, or even whole bars, from the original scores, an attitude which, in our time, is considered musically heretical.
A 1910 Æolian 58-note Orchestrelle
This is a harmonium (i.e. a reed organ), an instrument used in schools or churches, but also in private music salons, mainly during the period 1850-1920. Here is the working principle : it consists in making a metal blade vibrate, fixed on a frame at one end, and left free at the other end. Vibration is achieved by passing a stream of air perpendicular to the blade, either by sucking or blowing (or both). Harmonicas and accordions also work in this way.
The special feature of Æolian Orchestrelles is that they can be used either manually or (semi-) automatically. For the latter option, a player with perforated paper in front of it plays the musical notes, while an operator pulls the organ registers at will and varies the expression by means of swells. By 1930, Æolian had published around 7,000 58-note titles. Compared with the Duo-Art repertoire, that of the Orchestrelles includes less “popular” music, but a fair amount of religious music. In our recordings, we have focused on operatic or salon music. We invite the listener to pay close attention to the extraordinary virtuosity that can be derived from the Æolian Orchestrelles, provided they are perfectly restored.
Deutsche Automatische Musik
In the nineteenth century and the first three decades of the twentieth, many German musical instrument manufacturers specialized in building orchestrions. Let us mention the companies Welte & Söhne (Freiburg im Breisgau), Philipps (Frankfurt am Main), Imhof & Mukle (Vörenbach), Gebrüder Weber (Waldkirch), Hupfeld (Leipzig). “Orchestrions” were instruments used to operate piano and/or organ and/or percussion registers, using either a pinned barrel or a pneumatic player.
A 1925 Weber-Unika Orchestrion
The Gebrüder Weber company was active in Waldkirch and built orchestrions from 1880 to 1930. Although exactly contemporary and based on similar technical principles (pneumatic reading and control systems), the instruments of the Æolian and Weber firms were different and were not intended for the same type of clientele : Æolian for a very wealthy private clientele ; Weber for public establishments (pubs, restaurants, hotels, sanatoriums, ballrooms and dance halls). Whatever the purpose of the musical instruments, the repertoire of Weber instruments is as varied as that of Æolian instruments, and ranges from “classical” concert music (overtures and fantasies on famous operas) to “popular” music (medleys of fashionable songs), through “light” “classical” music (overtures and extracts from operettas) and particularly varied dance music (polkas, mazurkas, länders, waltzes, tangos, foxtrots, one-steps, ...), not to mention the unclassifiable musical pieces (violin-piano salon duets, “genre” music, “descriptive” music, etc.).
As the name suggests, the Weber-Unika has only one organ register (which is supposed to imitate the playing of a violin), with a piano and mandolin effect. It is therefore one of the smallest orchestrions designed by the firm (the others include several organ registers and percussions). However, the notations for the Unika are just as elaborate as those for its bigger brothers.
Millions of different automatic instruments were built, particularly between 1780 and 1930. Sadly, most of them have been destroyed, and the few that remain pose restoration problems (like any old musical instrument), which explains why the musical impression provided by these devices is often perplexing. The undersigned hopes that listening to the three examples presented (restored, adjusted and tuned to the best) has been able to alleviate this persistent misunderstanding...
Frédéric Chaberlot
[Read more about the instruments in the booklet]
[Access the complete PDF "The Invisible Musicians]
Return to the album | Composer(s): Various Composers | Main Artist: Various Artists
Adolphe Adam
Anton Emil Titl
Artistes multiples
August Mühling
Camille Saint-Saëns
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Compositeurs multiples
Daniel-François-Esprit Auber
En stock
Fats Waller
Folklorique, populaire et Jazz
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
François-Adrien Boïeldieu (1775-1834)
Frédéric Chaberlot
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Gioachino Rossini
Giuseppe Verdi
Gustav Merkel
Ignace Leybach
Ignaz Friedman
Isaac Albéniz
Jacques Offenbach
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Louis Moreau Gottschalk
Ludwig van Beethoven (1778-1826)
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Musique Haute-résolution - Qualité master studio
Piano
Prochainement
Raretés
Richard Eilenberg
Richard Wagner
Rudolf Friml
Tous les albums
Victor Bendix
Walter Borchert
Adolphe Adam
Anton Emil Titl
Artistes multiples
August Mühling
Camille Saint-Saëns
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Compositeurs multiples
Daniel-François-Esprit Auber
En stock
Fats Waller
Folklorique, populaire et Jazz
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
François-Adrien Boïeldieu (1775-1834)
Frédéric Chaberlot
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Gioachino Rossini
Giuseppe Verdi
Gustav Merkel
Ignace Leybach
Ignaz Friedman
Isaac Albéniz
Jacques Offenbach
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Louis Moreau Gottschalk
Ludwig van Beethoven (1778-1826)
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Musique Haute-résolution - Qualité master studio
Piano
Prochainement
Raretés
Richard Eilenberg
Richard Wagner
Rudolf Friml
Tous les albums
Victor Bendix
Walter Borchert
