In 1840 the French church organ builder Aristide Cavaille-Coll
published an article in which he treated the 'frein harmonique' --
the harmonic brake.  This small piece of metal caused a substantial
improvement in the sound of Violin pipes.

At that time it was a real invention.  In 1860 Aristide gave a lecture
on this subject and in 1895 he included some notes in a book.  To the
best of our knowledge Cavaille-Coll never took out a patent for it.
However, the Gavioli firm was granted a patent for the frein in 1872.
Immediately Gavioli put a new type of instrument on the market: the
Gavioli "Quatuor".  In fact this Quatuor was an orchestrion with an
ordinary piano, and pipes for Violin, Viola and Cello.

The first instruments operated with a paper music roll, later on
they were equipped with a book mechanism.  The Quatuor was mainly used
in distinguished restaurants, where the guests could listen to compo-
sitions from Mozart to Waldteufel.  The sound of the Quatuor probably
resembled the smallest Mortier orchestrions (without the Jazz-flute),
although usually these instruments played a different type of music.

The Piano-Quatuor was produced during a long period and is also
pictured in the well-known reprint of the Gavioli catalogue from 1907.
The small model no. 396 or 693 (printer's error?) is here described
with the measurements 2.45 meter wide, 2.55 meter high and 0.80 meter
deep.  It has a dark wooden ornated front, resembling a small street
organ.  A coin slot was available on request.

One of the Quatuors still exists in the U.S.A.  This specimen is a
later model, build around 1903, with the factory number 9493.  Beside
this there is the Marenghi repair number 2949 mentioned.  I have a
few photographs of this instrument, but I don't know where it stays or
who is the present owner.  Has any MMD reader ever seen this Quatuor or
does anybody know where it is?

It is a most fascinating object from the past and it should be
interesting to learn if it still is in playing condition.  Any
information on this "missing link" between organs and orchestrions
is welcome.

Regards from Holland,

Tom Meijer