Dear MMDs,  I learned this morning that Olivier Roux passed away on
December 8th.

Born circa 1925, he was a well-known figure in France and abroad for
his passion and research on the serinettes, as these small instruments
witness almost perfectly the interpretation of music in the XVIIIth and
XIXth centuries.

He did most of his research with a musicologist, Geoffroy-Dechaume.  He
wrote several publications, mainly about the automatons by Jaquet-Droz
in Neuchatel (especially "La musicienne").  You may see him explaining
the restoration of this automaton in a 1978 movie, recently reissued by
M. Philippe Sayous (see article by Robbie, in MMDigest of Dec 5th).

Roux was mainly known for his radio broadcasts about mechanical music,
where is very low unmistakable voice and his talent to tell stories
was much appreciated.  He was for one year president of the French
association AAIMM (1984/85).

His tall and recognizable silhouette, and his passion for mechanical
music and music in general, will be long remembered by those who knew
him.

Philippe Rouille  (Paris, France)
http://www.cnam.fr/museum/musica_mecanica/

 [ At
http://www.lamediatheque.be/DOCUMENTS/FUREUR/Annee2000/INTERPRETESR_23.htm
 [ I found mention of a "Talking Books" double cassette, produced in
 [ 1991 by Roux and Radio France Culture, that "amalgamates a series
 [ of radio broadcasts dedicated to the history of mechanical music..."
 [  -- Robbie